Well it does sort of exist: https://www.fastcoexist.com/3059127/what-happened-to-the-mos...

The last paragraph says:

Correction: This story used out of date information to claim that the technology had been licensed out. It has not been licensed to date. As well, it formerly stated that the U.S. Commerce Department paid for the company to showcase the technology in Germany. It just invited the company. We regret the errors.

"Sort of" is right. I remember this being announced years ago, with press releases very much implying it was fully functional and proven.

Seems it is still a prototype.

Intellectual Ventures? The patent troll? I have a feeling this project will not, in fact, have any impact on the mosquito population.

Reminds me of Nathan Myhrvold's mosquito laser :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSKrzmpKGw

This paper should give you a good start for phase I: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254023592_Real-time...

(semi-serious question) What happens when the sucker lands on your face and gets detected?

The laser is very weak, it can't even blast through the exoskeleton, it just destroys their wings. (it is a cheap laser like those used in blu-rays...and it needs to use a minimum of energy)

Also, its sensors are smart...it can tell the difference between male and female mosquitos by beats per second of their wings. So that shouldn't be a problem.

But what impact does this laser have on the human cornea, or retina?

The problem is how to accurately classify mosquitoes, leaving out other insects that are required for the ecosystem to work.