Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IoBee (Beehive health IoT application to fight Honey Bee Colony Mortality)
Teaser
For the past 25 years, European beekeepers have been reporting weakening bee numbers and colony losses and the situation is worsening. The IoBee consortium aims to commercialise a new IoT sensor application that can automatically assess the health and threat status to...
Summary
For the past 25 years, European beekeepers have been reporting weakening bee numbers and colony losses and the situation is worsening. The IoBee consortium aims to commercialise a new IoT sensor application that can automatically assess the health and threat status to colonies, becoming the technical framework for a European Interoperable and Open Surveillance Network for Bee Health. The system will wirelessly transmit health and threat status results to a cloud server, making data open for running prediction models and risk assessments, issue warnings and make historical analysis. As a result, unhealthy or threatened colonies will be remotely detected earlier with greater precision, saving millions of Euros in potential losses.
The overall objectives of the Project are:
1. Advanced design and testing of optoelectronic sensor
2. Advanced prototyping of the WSN- Wireless Sensor Network (nodes and gateway)
3. Development of a cloud application for beehive surveillance, supported by a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS)
4. Integration and field trials and pilots of the IoBee prototype system
5. Deliver IoBee onto the market and into society
Work performed
The coordinator Irideon ensured smooth and timely communication with the Project Officer. Irideon oversaw that all milestones were met and all reports were delivered according to contract. Irideon also supervised the financial administration of the project, collecting, reviewing, handling, distributing and submitting information.
In terms of IP and Knowledge Management, all partners were actively engaged. Irideon, Arnia and Avi-Gis, supported by TEIC and Bee Life, worked on the identification of relevant and potentially new IP and all commercial potential offered by these.
The web page of the project was continuously updated and several dissemination and communication materials were produced: flyers, banners, brochures, etc.
Arnia developed a customer development plan, and a preliminary commercialization plan that was set in motion during RP2. Following this plan, all partners were engaged in dissemination and communication action all over Europe and USA. Irideon and Avia-Gis continued focusing their efforts on international industrial events. Partner TEIC continued concentrating its efforts on the scientific community. Bee Life promoted the project to a mix of audiences. Arnia, as the leader of commercialization activities, concentrated their efforts on reaching industry stakeholders and potential clients of IoBee.
Arnia, TEIC and Irideon designed and produced the first batch of the TRL8 optoelectronic sensor and bioacoustics transducer prototypes, which were extensively and successfully tested in laboratory with live insects. The prototypes were also tested in beehives with the support of Bee Life, and the results achieved were satisfactory.
Irideon concluded the development of the electronics of the final WSN unit. These electronics have been optimized for mass production at very competitive prices, with total control on the quality of each produced unit already compliant with international standards and CE mark requirements.
The architecture of the cloud server and user interface of the web application of the management software were developed and tested by Irideon and Arnia, and is being trialled by potential customers.
The SDSS was developed according to user requirements collected in year 1, and its evaluation was performed according to the workplan timeline. The SDSS is fed by spatial models that provide critical data about the surroundings of the beehives.
Demonstrations and trials were performed in several countries in Europe and the USA, following the demo and trial plan designed by Bee Life.
In the course of year 3 of the project, the partners will continue the improvement of the hardware and software application thanks to the direct feedback from our beta-testers, customers themselves, who are piloting the TRL8 prototype.
Final results
In terms of progress beyond the state of the art, the advantages/selling points of IoBee are:
• Data is collected automatically, non-invasively and sent wirelessly to a cloud server.
• Dissemination of invasive species is assessed automatically avoiding problems with traps.
• System designed to automatically and remotely assess hive health status.
• Insects are automatically counted in the optical module of the hive
• Species identification is done automatically at the bioacoustic module.
• SDSS acquires daily and accurate field information.
• The whole system provides private and public entities with a single computerized, interoperable and efficient management structure of beehive health data.
The main exploitable results of IoBee:
1. The node and gateway units-
2. The bioacoustic species identification system
3. The web software application
4. The SDSS
Expected potential impacts
Economic
• Decrease costs for manual inspection of beehives;
• Reduction of costs of veterinarian assistance to colonies and beekeepers;
• Reduction of pesticide/antibiotic use in beehive IPM.
• Reduction or elimination of costs to replace lost bees or fully collapsed colonies
• Prevent disruption of agricultural products whose pollination is bee dependent
European
• Help fill a knowledge gap in EFSA policies and EURLab;
• Contribution to improve sustainable prevention of beehive collapse;
• Contribution to efficiently fight the dangerous mortality of bees;
• Addresses priorities of EC\'s Eco-innovation Action Plan
• Address priorities of the Environment Action Programme to 2020.
• Address priorities of Europe 2020 Flagship Initiatives
• Address priorities of the Animal Health Strategy for the EU
• Address priorities of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020
Social
• Protect the beekeeping sector and pollination;
• Reduce the burden of the diseases/pests of bees;
• Help expand business opportunities for SMEs and support employment;
• Creation of new IPM services for the beekeeping sector,.
Regulations and Standards
• Improve implementation of a EFSA and EURLab Network for the surveillance and control of beehives;
• Sustainable use of sanitary products, complying with new EU regulations REACH and MRLs;
• Facilitate implementation of the Requirements for the protection of bee health in the EU (92/65/EEC);
• Facilitate implementation of Protection of bee health against exotic diseases (EU No 206/2010);
• Facilitate implementation of Measures to support the beekeeping sector (EC No 1234/2007)
Advancement of science and technology
• Improve bioacoustic knowledge of A. mellifera;
• Better understand bee and bee pests dynamics/ infestations;
• Consolidate transnational knowledge on European regions affected by high bee mortality;
• Screen specific problems related to technology use, best practices and development of IPM procedures.
Environmental/Health
• Sustainable use of sanitary products;
• Prevent the increasing number of outbreaks of bee diseases/pests;
• Support the work of Agriculture and Food Safety Agencies;
• Contribute to sustainable Organic Beekeeping.
• Help in the protection of an endangered species, A. mellifera
Website & more info
More info: http://io-bee.eu/.