About

ACTIVECODE is established to deliver high-quality services using emerging technologies in AI, IoT, VR and haptic applications. Currently it is focused in the smart hive product that will be released in the market. Beekeeping is directly dependent on environmental conditions, while it is also affected by the complex processes of the bees in the colony (e.g., swarming) as well as by unpredictable factors (e.g., diseases) that can destroy the entire colony. Another important need of beekeepers is the security of their premises. Threats to beehives can be categorized into three categories: 1) human theft and interference, 2) attacks by mainly wild and/or domestic animals, and 3) attacks by wasps or other parasitic insects/reptiles. These needs are exaggerated in nomadic beekeeping (more than 85% of Mediterranean beekeepers), where beekeepers move their hives at regular intervals (e.g., every 2 months) depending on the place suitable for pollination and honey production at that particular time period (e.g., near flowers in spring or near pine trees in summer). In these cases, remote monitoring of the apiary is imperative, as the beekeeper may go for an inspection once a week or even less often.

Solution & Product

The system, developed by ACTIVECODE, meets the needs of modern nomadic beekeeping and provides an innovative and integrated low energy footprint solution for: (i) preventing dangerous situations, (ii) monitoring colonies and (iii) predicting and increasing production using artificial intelligence algorithms (AI). More specifically, it consists of a series of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors (temperature, humidity, and sound) and microcircuits contained in a box printed with recyclable materials (Bio-PET, thermoplastic polyester), which fits to the hive lid for easy installation by the beekeeper. The data is transmitted via a low-energy protocol (NB-IoT) to a cloud Information system and analyzed with AI algorithms to derive decisions, predictions and trends, which are visualized in a mobile application for the beekeeper providing: (i) detection of complex processes (e.g., swarming, queen absence), (ii) monitoring of environmental conditions, (iii) suggestions for maximizing production. The energy consumption and maintenance costs of existing systems are prohibitive for most beekeepers. The UVP of our product is its low energy footprint, due to the integration of PV panels, while it is manufactured through 3D printing using recyclable PET materials. Moreover, it has been designed in such a way as to allow easy installation by the beekeeper himself in an existing installation regardless of the type of hive (wooden or plastic), keeping the cost of the investment low.

Innovation & Scalability

Our product embeds several technological innovations, including: (i) advanced AI algorithms for detection and prediction of complex processes that may turn out to be fatal for the bee colony, (ii) 3D printing of the kit with recyclable materials, (iii) use of an advanced communication (NB-IoT) providing increased energy autonomy. ACTIVECODE incorporates the following revenue model: the user can procure the smart kit without the camera installation, which will be pre-configured and ready to transmit data through NB-IoT; This package will provide the equipment and an annual subscription plan which includes the real-time notification via the cloud service and the mobile application (scalable according to the number of cells supplied), as well as the advanced monitoring and prediction capabilities (i.e., swarming), as there are no known systems in the literature so far that can predict swarming. The smart kit can be procured by the e-shop of the company and delivered to the address of preference of the customer. It can easily fit to the existing lid of the hive by the beekeeper following a plug-and-play approach. The product has an increased scalability as it includes a ready-to-use solution. The smart kit does not require a specialist to install and set up as it will be pre-configured, while subscription services can be provisioned and activated remotely. Finally, the mobile app will be downloadable from existing marketplaces (e.g., Google Play, App Store).

Traction & achievements

A prototype of the solution is already developed and a milestone is the addition of a PV panel to increase the power autonomy and lowering the footage of the solution. Another milestone is the installation of the prototype in two locations: Agia Triada Ioanninon and Ligopsa Zitsas, where data were acquired, valuable to the training of the AI algorithms and the validation of the solution (more info and photos can be provided upon request). Finally, significant milestones are the applications for patent that have been submitted: - to the Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation with filing number 20230100020 and filing date 12/01/2023. The title of the invention is: "MONITORING DEVICE FOR PREDICTION AND DETECTION OF CRITICAL BEEKEEPING CONDITIONS". - to the European Patent Office with filing number EP23386004.8 and filing date 23/01/2023. The title of the invention is: "MULTI-POINT THERMAL SENSING AND SOUND RECORDING MICRODEVICE CAPABLE OF DETECTING CRITICAL BEEHIVE CONDITIONS".

Team & Why Us

The team members of ACTIVECODE possess the required skills, both technical and business, and experiences to undertake the required activities for the company growth. More specifically: Georgios Kokkonis is an assistant professor in UoWM and his professional interests are: Multimodal Data Communications Systems, Haptic Communication between Humans and Robots, Future Media and Internet of Things (IoT). Konstantinos Stefanou, is an electrical and computer engineer with significant experience in AI algorithms and software development and optimisation. Georgios Stergios, is a computer engineer and entrepreneur with high business skills and experience in IPRs in emerging technologies applications. He, also, provides his expertise in integration of embedded systems. Christos Bellos, is an electrical and computer engineer, expert in hardware systems and PV panels as well as in communication protocols, mainly ΝΒ-ΙοΤ, lowering the energy footage of a solution.

Funding Needs

The market we target is global and we have identified a significant business potential for our product. The continuous increase of apiaries and producers as well as the strategic interest of the EU and other countries in beekeeping, give a significant prospect for the growth of the sector which translates into a significant business opportunity. Thus, additional funding is needed to: (i) establish our channels and increase our marketing activities through participation in agricultural fairs, using advertisements and articles in beekeeping magazines and web portals, and creating focused campaigns on social media. (ii) Create a fixed production line that could lower the production cost and procure sensors and consumables that are needed. (iii) Bring the product closer to the market and increase its user acceptance by decreasing its size and lowering the installation time.