An australian train company has a found a way. It’s trialing a new type of tech that’s able to detect when graffiti is being sprayed and relay the data back to the police. The trains in Sydney, Australia will be squeaky clean if this new graffiti-smelling technology catches on.
The device, called Mousetrap, uses chemical sensors to detect the vapour of spray paint and permanent marker to catch vandals in the act. It then relays the data back in real time to mobile equipment held by rail staff or police, triggering the capture of CCTV images.
“Mousetrap is our latest weapon in the war against graffiti thugs damaging our trains. Vandals won’t know where and they won’t know when we’re watching,” Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said in a statement.
While it’s not such an issue in the UK, graffiti is becoming a real problem in Australia. In Sydney alone, it cost the state government A$34 million last year to remove graffiti from its trains. So any Banksy wannabes planning to make their mark down under might want to reconsider.
