Ayan Abdirahman, an undergraduate student and intern at the IoT-ra Lab at Makerere University has developed an innovative digital platform aimed at transforming beekeeping through real-time hive monitoring and data-driven farming.
The application, named Bee-Sight, is designed to help bee farmers track the health and productivity of their hives using smart analytics and cloud-based monitoring. According to the Ayan, working alongside the AdEMNEA Project funded PhD student Agatha Turyagyenda says the system enables farmers to log information about their apiaries, including the number of hives on the farm, after which the platform continuously analyses and reflects the current hive conditions.
Bee-Sight monitors key environmental and production indicators such as hive activity, internal temperature, humidity levels, and honey output. The collected data is securely stored on cloud servers and displayed through an analytics dashboard that gives farmers both real-time updates and historical performance trends.
Ayan explains that the system goes beyond simple record keeping by generating tailored recommendations based on hive conditions. “The platform can alert farmers about environmental changes affecting bee productivity and help guide decisions on hive maintenance and honey harvesting,” the soft-spoken intern revealed.
The innovation is expected to contribute to precision agriculture in Uganda’s growing apiculture sector by helping farmers improve hive management, increase productivity, and reduce losses caused by poor environmental monitoring.
Developed under the IoT-ra Lab at Makerere University, Bee-Sight reflects the increasing role of Internet of Things – Research and Application (IoT-ra) technologies in addressing agricultural challenges through affordable and locally-driven digital solutions.
