Termites cause $5 billion of damage to structures in the United States and upwards of $40 billion worldwide annually. Termite bait stations are an effective means of monitoring and protecting structures from termite feeding and damage. Corteva Agriscience is seeking ideas for detecting the depletion of solid termite baits without physically opening and visually inspecting the bait housed within the plastic station to improve the efficiency of monitoring deployed baits.
Termites are insects that feed on the cellulose found in wood, playing an important positive role in many ecosystems but also causing significant damage to wood used to construct homes and businesses. Termite bait stations provide an effective means of monitoring for termite activity and protecting structures from termite feeding and damage through cellulose baits impregnated with delayed action insecticide. When termites feed on the bait, they bring the insecticide back to the nest, eliminating the colony.
To provide continuous protection to structures, in-ground termite baits are periodically monitored (typically annually) by pest management professionals to verify there is sufficient bait available for any termite activity until the next inspection. This labor-intensive process involves locating and opening the plastic bait stations, visually inspecting the bait for depletion, and replacing it if more than 1/3 depleted. Corteva Agriscience is seeking solutions to detect the depletion of termite baits without physically opening and inspecting the bait housed within the plastic station to improve the efficiency of monitoring deployed baits.
This is an Ideation Challenge, which has the following unique features:
There is a guaranteed award. The award(s) will be paid to the best submission(s) as solely determined by the Seeker. The total payout will be $15,000, with at least one award being no smaller than $5,000 and no award being smaller than $2,500.
The Solvers are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to the Seeker. Rather, by submitting a proposal, the Solver grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual and non-exclusive license to use any information included in this proposal, including for promotional purposes.
Deadline:- 31-03-2023
