Outdoors

Device aims to repel mosquitos by "bringing a thunderstorm to your wrist"

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Plans call for the  Nopixgo wristband to be available in a choice of five colors
NopixGlobal
The Nopixgo reportedly keeps mosquitoes away up to a radius of 2 meters (6.6 ft)
NopixGlobal
Plans call for the  Nopixgo wristband to be available in a choice of five colors
NopixGlobal
The Nopixgo uses electromagnetic waves to deter mosquitos
NopixGlobal
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While we've seen a number of devices that use ultrasound to ward off mosquitos, many people maintain that such deterrent systems just don't work. The Nopixgo Mosquito Bite Protection Wristband takes a different approach, emitting electromagnetic waves instead.

According to Swiss electronics engineer Kurt Stoll (the inventor of the device), the weak waves given off by the wristband mimic the atmospheric electrical discharges that are naturally produced by approaching thunderstorms. Therefore, upon detecting those waves via a hair-like sensory organ known as the sensilla, mosquitos think that a storm is coming. This causes them to instinctively seek shelter from the potentially-harmful wind and rain, instead of hanging around to bite people.

The electromagnetic waves are claimed to be harmless to people and animals, as they are one one-hundredth the strength of a regular cell phone signal. They reportedly keep mosquitoes away up to a radius of 2 meters (6.6 ft), reducing the incidence of bites by up to 50 percent.

The Nopixgo reportedly keeps mosquitoes away up to a radius of 2 meters (6.6 ft)
NopixGlobal

It is hoped that preproduction upgrades to the device will boost that figure even higher. Additionally, future firmware updates could provide users with specific electromagnetic signals that are tweaked to be particularly effective against the species of mosquito in their part of the world.

The wristband itself is made of skin-friendly plastic, it's water-resistant, and is claimed to run for approximately one week per 1-hour micro-USB charge of its battery. An integrated LED display starts blinking red when that battery is getting low.

If you're interested, the Nopixgo is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of 69 Swiss francs (about US$70) will get you one, when and if it reaches production. Delivery is estimated to take place in October.

There's more information in the following video.

Sources: Kickstarter, NopixGlobal

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4 comments
Bionic88
I live in a rural area and mosquitos can get pretty bad...l'd love to have a safe way to repel them. I'm no expert on bugs or the technology used in this product, but something doesn't add up for me... simply carrying your phone should repel mosquitos. And only an educated guess, but the average house should produce a much bigger field.. tv, computer, frig, a/c, even the wiring... Maybe there's more to this device..I really hope it's the real deal.
MerlinGuy
Excellent product but not as effective as Oil of Adder.
Geoff Hacker
"Reducing the incidence of bites by up to 50%"? I can do better than that with Aeroguard!
Marisa Maag
@Bionic88: The frequencies used to influence mosquitos are in a very specific range. The frequencies emitted by smartphones, wifi and similar are in a range that does not affect the mosquitos and won't have an effect on their biting behaviour, no matter how strong they are.

The nopixgo is continuously being improved and further developed and all units have been installed with a more effective frequency as of April 2019. Another update is planned for summer 2020. The reduction of bites is now in a much higher range of approximately 60% to 100% depending on the person, mosquitos and other factors like humidity. A 100% protection cannot be guaranteed as humans and mosquitos may react differently to the product just as it is the case with all other mosquito protection alternatives.