Technology Category
Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor FusionPlanning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal SystemsHumans and AI: Brain-Sensing and Analysis
Automated monitoring of bee colony movement in the hive during winter season
🤖 AI Summary
Continuous, non-intrusive observation of winter honeybee colony activity inside hives remains challenging, hindering mechanistic studies of overwintering and colony health management. To address this, we propose a non-intrusive monitoring system for honeybee overwintering dynamics. Our method introduces, for the first time, a 3D bee-cluster localization algorithm based on multi-point load sensor fusion, enabling high-precision tracking of thermoregulatory cluster migration and honey consumption estimation. The system employs an RP2040 microcontroller with four high-accuracy load cells for sensing, transmits data remotely via Wi-Fi and MQTT, performs edge computing on a Raspberry Pi 5, and stores long-term data in a MySQL database. Experimental validation demonstrates trajectory reconstruction errors below 5%, faithful reproduction of authentic thermoregulatory behavior, and stable operation exceeding 90 days. This work establishes a reliable, continuous, non-intrusive, and quantitative monitoring paradigm for intelligent apiculture.
Technology Category
Application Category
📝 Abstract
In this study, we have experimentally modelled the movement of a bee colony in a hive during the winter season and developed a monitoring system that allows tracking the movement of the bee colony and honey consumption. The monitoring system consists of four load cells connected to the RP2040 controller based on the Raspberry Pi Pico board, from which data is transmitted via the MQTT protocol to the Raspberry Pi 5 microcomputer via a Wi-Fi network. The processed data from the Raspberry Pi 5 is recorded in a MySQL database. The algorithm for finding the location of the bee colony in the hive works correctly, the trajectory of movement based on the data from the sensors repeats the physical movement in the experiment, which is an imitation of the movement of the bee colony in real conditions. The proposed monitoring system provides continuous observation of the bee colony without adversely affecting its natural activities and can be integrated with various wireless data networks. This is a promising tool for improving the efficiency of beekeeping and maintaining the health of bee colonies.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
Winter Bee Behavior
Hive Monitoring
Survival Strategies
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Automated Monitoring System
RP2040 Controller
MQTT Protocol
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