January 16, 2011

A Computer Scientist Works to Get the Real Bugs Out

A Computer Scientist Works to Get the Real Bugs Out 1

David Zentz for The Chronicle

Eamonn Keogh, a computer scientist at the U. of California at Riverside, is developing a device to help eradicate malaria-causing mosquitoes.

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close A Computer Scientist Works to Get the Real Bugs Out 1

David Zentz for The Chronicle

Eamonn Keogh, a computer scientist at the U. of California at Riverside, is developing a device to help eradicate malaria-causing mosquitoes.

By Tom Bartlett

Riverside, Calif.

In a spare office, using mostly stuff he built in his garage, Eamonn Keogh is creating a laser-powered device that will save the world. From mosquitoes.

That's the plan, anyway. Right now the contraption is a mess of wires, PVC pipe, and assorted gizmos connected to clear-plastic storage containers. A shipment of mosquitoes will arrive in a few days, and Mr. Keogh, a professor of computer science at the University of California at Riverside, is testing and fine-tuning his creation.