Sewage Rodent Monitoring via Manhole Sensor Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current pest control systems lack the capability to provide a comprehensive understanding of rodent populations and their movement patterns over time, and fail to predict rodent presence effectively, leading to potential damages and inefficiencies in both pest control and sewage system maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising multiple monitoring devices placed in sewage system manholes, equipped with sensors to detect rodents and generate data sets, and a server that processes this data to track rodent movements, predict outbreaks, and identify issues such as blockages or leakages in the sewage system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple monitoring devices are deployed in the sewage system, then the ability to track rodent movements and predict outbreaks is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverodent movement tracking accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the sewage system into multiple monitoring zones with individual monitoring devices placed in different manholes. Each device independently detects rodent presence and transmits data to a central server, enabling comprehensive tracking without requiring a single complex system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring devices are designed with multi-functionality, combining rodent detection sensors, GPS location tracking, and wireless communication capabilities in a single unit. This universal design reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If continuous monitoring data is collected and analyzed, then the ability to predict rodent outbreaks is improved, but the loss of time for data processing and the complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutbreak prediction reliabilityVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously collects and pre-processes rodent activity data in real-time, maintaining running statistics and patterns. When prediction thresholds are approached, the system is already prepared with processed data, enabling rapid outbreak prediction without time-consuming analysis delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where detected rodent activities are immediately processed and fed back into the prediction model. This real-time feedback mechanism maintains high prediction reliability while minimizing processing delays through automated decision algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250188730A1A system for monitoring rodents in a sewage system, a monitoring device and methods related there to

Publication Date: 2025.06.12 ANTICIMEX INNOVATION CENT AS

AI summary

A system for monitoring rodents in a sewage system, the system including a plurality of monitoring devices placed in manholes of the sewage system, wherein each monitoring device is provided with one or several sensors configured to detect rodents in the sewage system and to generate a sensor data set. A memory configured to hold an identification code, and a data communications module. A server includes a data communications module communicatively connected to the data communication modules of the monitoring devices, wherein the server is configured to receive, from each monitoring device, the sensor data set and the identification code, and based on these data sets identify how populations of rodents move in the sewage system.