๐ก Entrance Observer is a set of cameras and hardware devices that analyze the beehive entrance. It records a video stream, runs AI analysis that sends metrics and videos to our web app for preview and alerts.
For implementation details, see the Entrance Observer engineering docs. The metrics it produces are stored through hive telemetry storage and can feed alerts.
Overview
3D model
This is the Phase 3 production kit concept: a 4K camera under a small steep roof over the hive entrance. A short porch moves the doorway onto the landing board, so every bee crosses the counting line in view, even if it landed on the hive wall. An automatic gate in the porch mouth narrows the entrance against wind and robbing and switches to a hornet guard within seconds of a hornet showing up. Everything hangs on a flat wall frame, and only the camera + compute pod is machined metal. Drag to orbit, point at a part to see what it does, and press Explode to take it apart. The inset in the corner shows what the camera sees, Entrance gate moves the gate between its four positions, Watch the gate work shows its drive inside, Install plays the installation step by step with every screw, and Hive colour and Pattern show the painted landing board edges that give each hive its own look. It follows the shared hardware design principles. A cheap reflective display on the front shows today's bees in and out. Hangs on moves the same Observer onto the beehive scale or the Robotic Beehive, and Power โ Solar shows the solar roof. The design rationale and energy budget are in DESIGN.md.
Point at any part
Every part has a note: what it is, why it is there and how it is serviced.
On-edge bee counting
Problem focus
Out of all beekeeping issues, this product is helping with these:
- ๐ข Hornet attacks
- ๐ข Robbing state
- ๐ฆ Infestations
- ๐งถ Swarming
- ๐ฆ Diseases
- ๐ Colony without a queen
- ๐คข Pesticide poisoning
Features
- ๐ฅ Video streaming via API
- ๐ Detect swarming
- ๐ฎ Client-side app with UI
- ๐ Count bees coming in and out - on the edge
- ๐ Bee movement metric reporting
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Landing board heatmap generation
TODO
- ๐ฆ Varroa mite infestation detection from video
- ๐ Hornet attack detection
- Drone bee detection and counting
Ideas
- ๐ป Detect bees with pollen for foraging statistics
- ๐ Detect orientation flights
- ๐ Detect swarming
- ๐ Guard detection
- ๐ Detect queen mating from entrance video
- ๐ Alerts based on bee counter
- ๐คข Detect pesticide exposure
- ๐ฉป Bee pose generation
Target audience
Version history
- v4 - field testing. Camera has protective case. Missing the landing board protective cone as it needs artificial lighting.
- v3 - added protective cone, now idea is to have CPU/GPU block separated and moved into the hive roof to have less devices on the entrance, have camera integrated with the cone, have WIFI antennae and power blocks farther away from the bees.
- v1 - camera at the center on a monopod, jetson orin nano at the center with wiring and antennae facing down.