AgriSound, a York-based company specializing in bioacoustic monitoring technology, has secured a grant of nearly £220,000 from Innovate UK to develop an advanced biodiversity monitoring system. This initiative aims to enhance environmental surveillance for agriculture, businesses, and policymakers.
Polly is an in-field sensor that uses specialized bioacoustic algorithms to detect and count key functional groups of insects by capturing and analyzing their sounds. The device is solar-powered and transmits data via a cellular connection, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi. Users can access real-time pollination activity data through a user interface on any internet-enabled smart device, allowing them to monitor bee activity over time and compare data across different Polly devices.
The new system will employ sophisticated audio analysis algorithms and cloud-based AI to automatically generate comprehensive biodiversity metrics across diverse landscapes. This will provide actionable insights into natural ecosystems, enabling industries and landowners to access accurate, timely, and comprehensive biodiversity data. Such information is crucial for improved compliance with government policies and for managing land sustainably.
AgriSound’s innovative solution aims to deliver low-cost, holistic biodiversity monitoring and actionable insights for industries, developers, and farmers, supporting efforts to safeguard the environment while meeting stringent regulatory requirements.
