SINGAPORE - A research laboratory and a pest control company will use artificial intelligence (AI) to study data from rodent sensors to better manage rodent problems in shopping malls.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on Tuesday (July 10)between Singapore Management University (SMU) and Pestech Holding, beginning a two-year collaboration between an SMU research laboratory - LiveLabs Urban Lifestyle Innovation Platform - and Pestech.

Under the MOU, Pestech will contribute its collected data of rodent activity within malls, and where the rodents are most active in the malls. It has rodent sensors in more than 10 malls around Singapore.

Pestech's infrared sensors are installed in the malls' ceilings above food and beverage tenants and shared common ceiling space between tenants to detect the rats' movements.

LiveLabs' artificial intelligence programming will analyse the data and provide more accurate details, such as identifying the different rodent species, the number of rodent clusters, and the unique behaviours of each species such as feeding and movement patterns.

"Instead of having to wait through the night to catch the rodents, they can use the algorithm and the data provided by our AI to predict the exact places and times that the rodents will likely be at," said a LiveLabs spokesman.

The data will provide hourly and daily trends of the rodents' locations and behavioural patterns, allowing LiveLabs to suggest the most appropriate pest control methods.

Correction note: Pestech has clarified that it will contribute its collected data of rodent activity within malls.