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Abstract
Real-time remote monitoring of honeybee colonies can help beekeepers detect abnormalities and identify colony states while reducing disruptive inspections. The paper describes a bee-colony monitoring system for remote state detection, with weight and temperature treated as key metrics for state and behaviour analysis. The hardware is based on the ESP8266 low-cost Wi-Fi microchip and a single-point load cell capable of measuring up to 200 kg, with data transfer from the remote apiary via an external 3G router. The system supports data collection and further analysis for precision beekeeping deployment.
Relevancy to Gratheon
This known precision-beekeeping team paper is a practical hardware reference for Gratheon's monitoring-platform work. Its ESP8266/load-cell/temperature architecture is close to the minimal viable hive node that many beekeepers can afford, and it reinforces why weight plus temperature remain core metrics even as audio and vision systems become available. The deployment details are useful for Gratheon's remote-apiary constraints: cellular backhaul, low-cost hardware, and converting simple physical measurements into colony-state cues.