Remote beehive monitoring company Hivemind is undeterred by a shortfall in a crowdfunding effort to test demand for a hobbyist version of its product.
Hivemind, of Christchurch, produces a satellite-connected beehive monitoring system for remote hive sites, even those out of mobile coverage.
The system primarily monitors beehive weight, hive temperature, humidity and site rainfall. A wireless site hub collects the readings from individual hives and uploads the data via a satellite link to the company’s webserver, to be made available to clients online.
Earlier this year, the company started an Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund its work on a cheaper hobbyist version, which would connect via domestic wireless and smartphones rather than satellite, and be suitable for backyard beekeepers. The campaign fell short of its funding target.
“I guess we found out what we needed to from that: no, it’s not something the hobbyists are keen on at the moment,” said Hivemind director Berwyn Hoyt.
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