Pioneering robotic system enables 24/7 monitoring of bee behavior

Researchers from the University of Durham, in collaboration with international partners, have developed a robotic system that enables continuous, long-term observation of bee colonies.

The research, published in the journal Scientific roboticsmarks a significant advance in the field of digital behavioral research. The innovative system allows 24/7 monitoring of queens and their interactions with workers. Using autonomous robots and advanced AI algorithms, researchers were able to analyze millions of high-resolution images, extracting valuable data on bee behavior that was previously impossible to obtain.

The robotic system collects a wide range of data, including queen movements, egg-laying behavior, population counts, breeding success and a continually updated map of comb contents. This comprehensive approach allows for a more in-depth understanding of social self-regulation within bee colonies.

Initial research results have revealed fascinating insights into bee behavior. The team found that a queen bee travels about 1.5 kilometers in a month in the hive, moving across two honeycombs measuring about 42 x 33 cm.

Even more surprising, they found that queens laid an average of 187 eggs per day, even during the waning bee season in October.

Project coordinator Professor Farshad Arvin, from Durham University, highlighted the importance of this technology and said: “Our robotic system allows us to collect an unprecedented amount of data on bee behavior. The information we obtain could revolutionize our understanding of these complex social insects and potentially contribute to their conservation.

The research device consists of two high-resolution cameras that operate autonomously to track the queen bee and map the comb contents. Using infrared light to avoid disturbing the bees, the system captured and analyzed more than 100 million individual images, a volume that would be virtually impossible for scientists to process manually.

This research not only provides new insights into bee behavior, but also demonstrates the potential of advanced robotics and AI in the study of complex ecosystems.

The Durham University team, with partners at the University of Graz in Austria, Czech Technical University in the Czech Republic and Middle East Technical University in Turkey, aims to expand these digital methods to other important animal and plant species, potentially transforming the field of ecological research.