[Smart Beekeeping Dev Log Part 1] No More Pen & Paper: The NFC Project

Hello everyone, and welcome back to A Beekeeper's Journal.

The hives are quiet, but the keyboard in our farmhouse is louder than ever. Since there is no fieldwork to do in winter, the 'developer instincts' of our team (specifically, the husband!) have woken up.

So, we are kicking off a new series: [Smart Beekeeping Dev Log].

In this series, we want to share our journey of attempting a full-scale 'Digital Transformation (DX)' of our apiary. Our first mission is building a Beekeeping Management System using NFC.

Today, rather than diving straight into code, we want to share the "Why." Why did we choose NFC over QR codes or simple handwriting? And what does this mean for the future of beekeeping in Korea?

1. The Crisis of Korean Beekeeping: Data is the Key to Survival

The beekeeping environment in South Korea is tougher than one might expect. While the density of beekeepers relative to the land area is high, the nectar sources are woefully insufficient, resulting in a landscape where hives are densely packed into narrow areas.

A more serious problem is people. Currently, the vast majority of beekeepers in Korea are over 60 years old. Young farmers under 50, like us, are a tiny minority. If this trend continues, we face a crisis where not only will honey production decline, but the very people managing the honeybees—critical pollinators responsible for a massive portion of food production—will disappear.

The answer, ultimately, is 'Efficiency'. The traditional methods, relying solely on human labor, have clear limitations.

  • Precise history management for every hive we oversee.

  • Automated calculation of ROI (Return on Investment) against inputs (comb foundation, pollen patties, feed).

  • Transparent identification of the break-even point, relying on data rather than "gut feeling."

To achieve this, phased mechanization and systematic, data-driven management are essential. Low-cost, high-efficiency Smart Beekeeping is not just an option; it is a matter of survival.

2. The Dilemma on the Ground: "No Hands to Write With"

Everyone knows data management is important, but practicing it in the field is incredibly difficult. If you are a beekeeper, you know this struggle.

When performing internal hive inspections, our hands are clad in thick leather gloves, coated in sticky propolis and beeswax.

  • Pen and Paper? It’s hard to grip a pen with sticky gloves. Wind and rain wet the paper, and ink smears.

  • Smartphone Typing? You can’t take gloves off and put them back on constantly. Typos are frequent, and the screen quickly gets filthy.

"What about QR Codes?" We considered QR codes initially. However, hives are outdoors. QR codes covered in dust, mud, and exposed to the elements make it very difficult for a camera to focus. With bees buzzing around you, you cannot afford to waste time trying to get a camera to focus.

That is why we chose NFC (Near Field Communication).

3. Why NFC? (Our Technology Choice)

NFC is the technology used in contactless transit cards—you just "tap" it. Our reasons for introducing NFC to the apiary are clear:

  1. Pollution Resistant: Even if the tag gets splattered with beeswax or mud, it scans without issues.

  2. Intuitive: No need to open a camera or focus. Just tap the back of the phone against the hive.

  3. Economical: Sticker-type NFC tags are inexpensive, making them easy to install on hundreds of hives without a heavy financial burden.

4. System Design: Minimize Touch, Log with Voice

The core concept of the system we are developing is: "Finish everything without taking off your gloves."

  • Step 1. Tagging (ID Recognition): The NFC tag acts as the hive’s unique ID. When we tap the phone, the app retrieves the hive's information from the database.

  • Step 2. Simple Touch Interface: Basic status updates (presence of queen cells, colony strength, etc.) are handled via large buttons that are easy to press even with clumsy leather gloves.

  • Step 3. Voice Logging: We don’t type out specific details. We simply say, "Frame 3, removed two queen cells," and it is saved as a voice file.

[Future Expansion: Integration with AI] We plan to use Local AI (such as Ollama) to automatically transcribe and analyze the saved voice data. The ultimate goal is to have the AI generate a "Daily Work Log" summary for us to review after work.

5. Future Plans (Dev Environment & Sharing)

Currently, we are developing an Android app using C# based .NET MAUI, using a Galaxy S21 Ultra as our test device.

We are actually already using a personal server-based beekeeping program for queen rearing and resource management. This NFC project is the process of integrating "field usability" into that existing system.

Once this project is complete, we plan to create a "Stand-alone PC Version" that anyone can use on their own computer without server costs or complex setups, and share it with the community. Our hope is that this system, tailored to the Korean beekeeping environment, will be of practical help to other farmers as well.

We have just finished setting up the development environment and preparing the NFC tags. The real coding and field testing begin now.

In the next post, we will cover the Database (DB) design—how to design the "ID Card" for a beehive—and the actual NFC tag recognition tests.

Farming with IT—stay tuned for our Smart Beekeeping Dev Log!

댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Our "Gravity-Fed" Winter Feeding System (And How We'll Make It Better)

이미지
Hello again from Gokseong. The most critical job of autumn, the final winter feeding, is complete. My husband uses a wonderfully clever, 'low-tech' solution.  When people hear 'automatic feeder', they imagine electric motors. But this system is different. It's non-powered The secret is gravity . The main tank is placed at the highest point in the apiary.      From the tank, a network of pipes simply flows downhill. No gasoline engines, no electric pumps. It's eco-friendly and extremely low-cost. And here is the final, crucial part. Each hive gets its food delivered directly inside. This has two massive benefits. First, labor savings. My husband doesn't have to open hundreds of heavy hive lids, one by one, just to pour in syrup. The system does the delivery for him. Second, and more importantly, it prevents 'robbing' This feeding happens before it gets too cold (bees can't store syrup if it's freezing). But during this period, if you manually ...
자세한 내용 보기

A New Apiary Log Begins

이미지
Hello and welcome to our blog. My name is Mrs. Pak. My husband is a beekeeper here in Gokseong, Korea. Right now, it's one of our busiest times of the year as we get our honeybees ready for the "wintering period." On this blog, I'm planning to share the everyday moments and scenery from our apiary. We hope you'll join us for our first winter story.
자세한 내용 보기

A Beekeeper's Journal (Part 1): How We Start the Season in Late Winter

이미지
 Hello everyone, and welcome to a brand-new feature on the blog! In my last post, I shared that we just finished getting the bees ready for winter. Now that the 'off-season' is here, I want to share some special pages from 'A Beekeeper's Journal'  that I've kept since starting this journey. This series isn't a complete month-by-month calendar. Instead, it’s a look at the key challenges and milestones that define our year—from waking the bees up, to fighting off pests. Our first entry begins in late February . This is about 20-30 days after their very first wake-up, and it's a critical time when the queen begins to lay eggs again and the colony must build its strength for spring. The Goal: Building a Strong Colony in the Cold In late winter, the nights are still freezing in Korea. The colony is small and weak. Our single most important job is to help them grow into a strong, packed hive as safely and quickly as possible. Every apiary has its own style,...
자세한 내용 보기