Acoustic pollinator monitoring technology for precision agriculture and biodiversity management

Overview

AgriSound offers an IoT-based acoustic sensing platform designed to remotely monitor wild pollinator populations directly in the field. The technology addresses the urgent challenge of pollinator decline by providing automated, non-invasive detection and mapping of insect activity, enabling farmers, land managers, and policymakers to make data-driven decisions. By replacing labour-intensive manual methods such as pan-traps and visual counts, the system delivers scalable, continuous insights into pollinator abundance across diverse farm environments.

The solution has direct applications for soft fruit producers, organic and conventional growers, and corporate biodiversity programmes. Users gain actionable intelligence to target interventions in areas of low pollinator activity, ultimately improving crop yields, supporting regenerative farming initiatives, and demonstrating measurable impact on nature and sustainability.

Technical specifications

• Acoustic sensor hardware: Standalone units decoupled from beehives, deployable across farm environments including organic, conventional, and mixed-use settings
• AI-driven species identification: Algorithms capable of distinguishing honeybees, bumblebees, and hornets with greater than 95% accuracy
• Real-time data capture: Continuous recording and analysis of insect sounds to detect subtle changes in pollinator activity
• Decision support interface: Simple user interface designed to present insights in an accessible format for non-specialist users
• Heat mapping capability: Generates pollinator density maps within fields to establish baselines and guide agronomic decisions
• Node optimisation: Ongoing development to balance data resolution and actionable benefits against hardware cost
• Scalable deployment: Designed for multi-site installation across different geographies and farm types

Technology readiness level

The technology builds on AgriSound's existing sensor platform, which is routinely used throughout the beekeeping sector for real-time hive monitoring. The standalone in-field sensor unit represents a recent advancement that decouples the technology from hive infrastructure. Early trials with soft fruit producers were planned for early 2021, with a nine-month validation study proposed to scale production and deploy across multiple UK regions including the South East, North East, and Yorkshire. The study aims to establish pollinator density baselines and optimise sensor node configuration. Post-project priorities include expanded deployment, pesticide-usage interpretation, and independent technology validation. The platform is at the pilot-to-commercial scaling stage, with demonstrated accuracy in controlled conditions and active field validation underway.