By DPA
Singapore : A “dengue-fighting” tank has been developed in Singapore to dispense insecticide at mosquito-breeding sites in the battle against dengue fever, its creators said Friday.
Weighing about four kg, the mini-tank works like a radio-controlled car, said researchers at Singapore Polytechnic working with the National Environment Agency.
Nearly 25 cm high, it zips along, deftly making sharp turns and rolling over low obstacles.
A camera mounted atop the vehicle sends video images of the route to a screen console manned by a human controller.
When the tank locates areas of standing water where the dengue-transmitting Aedes mosquito could breed, the controller touches a button, releasing an insecticide.
Deaths from dengue fever reached 20 last year in Singapore. A total of 8,826 people were diagnosed with the disease.