A Track3D system installed at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing

A Track3D system for the study of flight behavior of mosquitoes in 3D is now operating at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, China. This system includes a wind tunnel made specifically for studying nocturnal insects and the state-of-the-art software EthoVision and Track3D which allow reliable tracking of insect flight from video images and accurate 3-dimensional reconstruction of the flight trajectories.

Uncovering the secrets of insect flight and orientation in space is a challenge of modern biology that requires the best technology currently available. At the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, researchers want to find out what stimuli affect the flight behavior of mosquitoes, which are a concern for public health, and why. In such a situation, 3D analysis of flight is indispensable to understand the insect’s orientation in space.

Together with our local distributor in Beijing, Upwards Teksystems Ltd., we have installed a complete system for video recording, tracking and analysis of flight trajectories of mosquitoes in a wind tunnel. The system is located in a dedicated room and operates in low-light conditions or complete darkness thanks to the infra-red lighting, providing excellent experimental condition for the study of nocturnal insects. The investigator controls video recording, tracking and analysis from a workstation in an adjacent room.

After installation, Chengfang Wang and Dr. Fabrizio Grieco gave a demonstration of the functioning of the system and instructed the researchers with proper training. Since the first mosquitoes were released in the wind tunnel, Track3D has provided very clear three-dimensional images of the flight trajectories, together with a wealth of flight parameters.