Automated beekeeping platform powered by AI that increases honey production by 50%, reduces labour use by 90%, and reduces colony loss by 80% - BeeHome

Programme(s)
H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic(s) EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1

Funding Scheme SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1 

Grant agreement ID: 854754

Objective
In recent years annual colony losses have reached an unprecedented ~30%. Sustaining apiaries in the face of Colony Collapse Disorder based on traditional labour-intensive work practices has become a determinate on apiaries’ profitability. Difficulties associated with production of honey combined with the ongoing increase in consumer demand for results in a sharp rise of honey prices. Furthermore, since the 1990’s the rate of increase in pollination-based agriculture has sharply increased, surpassing the average increase in the number of hives. This increase in demand for pollination services combined with the ongoing growing colony loss crises creates a severe shortage in bees for pollination - bees are highly effective pollinators with an annual global contribution to crop productivity of €147 billion. BeeHome is a patent-protected modular commercial apiary that automates beekeeping powered by AI. The BeeHome platform consists of hardware and software solution that fully automates beekeeping and honey production and optimizes pollination. The platform will house up to 40 colonies (hives) and streamline their activities. The hardware and software architecture enables BeeHome to act upon information, thus taking care of the individual needs of each bee colony, preventing and mitigating of potential problems before they become detrimental to the health of the colony. Such an approach will greatly diminish colony loss (80% reduction), considerably increase yields (50% increase), and significantly reduce labour costs (90% reduction). Bees’ role as pollinators is crucial: 30% of the food humans consume originates from bee pollination. The scale of current demand dictates that now is the right time to introduce this level of innovation to this very laggard industry. BeeHome is a complete paradigm shift within the field of beekeeping. The product will introduce AI, computer vision and state of the art robotics to the field of beekeeping.