Apian Veterinary Bridge
Non-Invasive Colony Health Monitoring
Traditional honeybee colony health assessment requires direct hive inspection, which disrupts the colony and requires specialist labour. The AVB engine (M224, IND-07) enables non-invasive drone-based monitoring: wingbeat acoustic vitality scoring detects colony-level health indicators from flight patterns, EPPO-coded entomovision identifies Varroa destructor mites in imagery, and pollen traffic index tracks forager return rates as a proxy for colony nutrition state.
Capability specification
- 01
Wingbeat acoustic vitality scoring from MEMS microphone recordings at hive approach altitude
- 02
EPPO-coded Varroa destructor (VARMDE) entomovision detection from drone imagery
- 03
Pollen traffic index: forager return rate counting as colony nutrition proxy
- 04
Assessment outputs structured for veterinary and apiculturist consumption
- 05
Validated against Türkiye and Mediterranean Apis mellifera populations
- 06
409-test green suite (combined M224 + IND-07 hub) covering acoustic math, detection boundary, and traffic index
How it works
Non-Invasive Flyover
A drone performs a low-altitude flyover of the hive entrance. MEMS microphone recordings capture colony sound signatures while the camera captures imagery of bees at the hive entrance and landing board.
Multi-Signal Assessment
Wingbeat frequency analysis produces a colony vitality score. Image inference identifies Varroa mites (EPPO code VARMDE) in the imagery. Forager return counting over a timed window produces the pollen traffic index.
Veterinary Report
Structured assessment records — vitality score, mite detection count with EPPO code, pollen traffic index — are written to the chain-hashed ledger and formatted for apiculturist and veterinary review.
Standards we follow
- STD-01
EPPO PM 1 — Pest Risk Taxonomy (Varroa destructor EPPO code: VARMDE)
- STD-02
NIST FIPS 180-4 — Secure Hash Standard (assessment chain hash)
Areas served
This capability is deployed across 14 operational regions. Regulatory alignment details vary by jurisdiction — consult engineering for jurisdiction-specific deployment guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is acoustic vitality scoring compared to physical inspection?
Acoustic vitality scoring is a non-invasive proxy indicator — it reflects colony sound signatures associated with healthy versus stressed colonies in the training population (Türkiye and Mediterranean Apis mellifera). It is not a substitute for physical inspection by a qualified apiculturist or veterinarian. The platform explicitly structures assessment outputs for specialist consumption, not automated diagnosis.
Talk to engineering
For capability evaluation, integration guidance, and deployment scoping, submit a brief to the engineering team.
Submit engineering brief