Honeybees are tracked with data-matrix codes and Pictor smart cameras

Suhl, Germany--Scientists in the BEEgroup at the University of Würzburg research the biology of the honeybee and study ways to keep bee populations healthy; now they're keeping track of their honeybees by attaching a different 2D data-matrix code to each bee. This is being done through the HOneyBee Online Studies (HOBOS) project.

Bees are irreplaceable as pollinating insects, a role in which they make a vital contribution to food production. A knowledge of which bees are where is required if the researchers are to have the freedom to retain a wide-ranging bee inventory.

Jürgen Tautz is the founder of the BEEgroup and developed the HOBOS concept. Hartmut Vierle is responsible for technical implementation and system design on the HOBOS project. In the project, smart cameras from the Pictor M16xxE series, manufactured by Vision & Control GmbH and modified by Eidecon automation GmbH, are used to register the honeybees in a population and draw up individual movement profiles.

The technology for identifying individual bees was developed by a partnership involving the BEEgroup at the University of Würzburg (Prof. Tautz and Mr. Vierle), Eidecon automation (Dr. Merbach), Vision & Control GmbH (Mr. Schlegelmilch), and KBA Metronic.

For more info, go to http://www.beegroup.de/, to http://www.hobos-online.de/, and to http://www.vision-control.com/produkte.html.