Canon supports efforts to combat mosquito-borne diseases
The development of the Halo and the Silverbullet mosquito traps is set to mitigate the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases in Africa. Designed to capture mosquitoes for both research purposes and to reduce the mosquito population, these devices comprise a suction mechanism that draws the mosquitoes into a trap-box.
Canon South Africa has aligned itself with the efforts to document mosquito populations on the continent by providing Lumin8, the developers of the devices, with a professional-standard XF200 digital video camera.
“Combating malaria through appropriate research efforts is a very important focus for Canon globally. This is underlined by our corporate philosophy of Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good’, which clearly emphasises our commitment to uplifting people. Furthermore, it is our intention to increase the awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by implementing practices that protect the environment, and at the same time promote engagement among stakeholders, employees and communities. This, we believe, is in line with what Lumin8 is trying to achieve with their ‘Catch ‘em’ mosquito research and elimination project,” says Canon South Africa’s Abri Kriegler.
“We were looking for a compact, high-definition camera which we could use to both produce documentaries and to record mosquito capture and research experimentation. We would like to produce as much footage as possible, which we will flight on YouTube and other social media channels and the next step will be negotiations with television stations to start providing content for documentary programmes fashioned after HierGaanOnsAlweer and Voetspore,” says Lumin8’s Kevin Godfrey.
The XF200 has a 20x, f/1.8 wide-angle zoom lens which allows the user to capture long-distance shots.
“We are thrilled that such a strong and well-supported brand as Canon saw the potential in aligning itself with our initiative and the XF200 camera is the perfect aid for our purposes. We are particularly impressed with the camera’s ability to film in low light conditions. The HD CMOS Pro sensor provides outstanding image quality and the inclusion of an infrared shooting mode means the camera can easily be used at night, which is prime time for mosquito activity,” Godfrey points out.
MORE INFORMATION ON LUMIN8’S SILVER BULLET AND HALO
The solar-powered Halo and Silverbullet both have a cluster of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit specific visible and invisible wavelengths of light, which combines with carbon dioxide as attractant, and power is provided by a high-efficiency polycrystalline solar panel, which performs double duty as a ‘roof’ to protect the electronic circuit board below..
The Silver Bullet 1.0 is a small table lantern that provided ambient lighting both indoors and outdoors typically in the homes of people living in rural areas. One unit per household is recommended to trap and kill any mosquitos that have been attracted by the inhabitants. The trap can also be placed outdoors, near the entrance to the home, to prevent mosquitos from proceeding beyond the trap.
The Silver Bullet 1.1 was designed for the research community to catch specimens in the net that is placed beneath the unit. Designed to hang from trees, these traps are anticipated to make a serious impact in research programmes conducted by local and international research councils and associations.
Halo 1.0 is an industrialised trap typically installed between a swamp or breeding area and a village, to create a protective barrier between the mosquitos and villagers.
Extensive testing on the units by the University of Pretoria’s Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control (UP ISMC) will provide further insight into the identification of mosquito species, a greater understanding of the mosquito lifecycle and the behavioural patterns of the Anopheles mosquito.
About Canon South Africa
Canon South Africa (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Europe, came into being on 4 January 2000. Canon Europe is the regional sales and marketing operation for Canon Inc., represented in 120 countries and employing over 11 000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Canon Europe invested in South Africa with a view to growing and expanding its market share in the country.
In South Africa, the Canon brand is today synonymous with consistency, driven by the company’s passion, imagination, knowledge and importantly, loyalty to its customers. Canon SA offers a wide range of consumer imaging products and business solutions as well as a variety of large format printers.
Canon technologies are durable, innovative, intuitive, and feature smart and environmentally sustainable designs. Canon invests heavily in R & D and will continue to deliver new and technologically advanced products that cater for a variety of requirements.
In South Africa Canon will continue to support environmental sustainability by operating responsibly, minimising the impact of its business on the environment and also encouraging a culture of environmental awareness and accountability amongst their staff, business associates and partners. Canon has also maintained its ISO 14001 environmental accreditation since 2007.
For more information please visit www.canon.co.za or follow Canon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn