Numerical Modeling and Measurement of Apis Mellifera Radar Scattering Properties

Abstract

This study investigates a means through which commercially available computational electromagnetic modeling software can be used to predict radar cross sections (RCSs) of airborne organisms of interest as a preliminary step toward enabling detection and tracking of these organisms. This work aims to analyze this framework for the specialized case of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), given its critical role in food security as a major pollinator of agricultural crops. A Method-of-Moment (MoM) solver made available by Altair's FEKO is used to conduct the analysis over varying frequencies, illumination angles, and polarizations. A high degree of correlation between measured and modeled cross sections is noted. Maximum RCS root-meansquare errors (RMSEs) between the two are approximately 4 and 5 dB relative to 1 m 2 (dBsm) for Horizontal polarization (H-pol) and Vertical polarization (V-pol) X-band measurements, respectively. Findings of this study also highlight the sensitivity of both modeled and measured RCS estimates to the dielectric properties of honey bees and the corrupting effects that this may have if not accounted for accurately, where errors are shown to increase from 2 to 5 dBsm, but without significantly corrupting the overall RCS azimuth profile.

Approaches, challenges and recent advances in automated bee counting devices: A review

“…Future improvements are currently being developed. For example, the software can be used to predict radar cross-sections of flying bees as a precursor to detecting and tracking them (Alzaabi et al, 2021). Overall, RADAR could be a promising technology in terms of the low cost, durability and possibility of combination with sensor-or video-based counters.…”

Estimating the foraging range of Cerceris fumipennis (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) using land cover data

“…The wasps emerge from their burrows, perform a short orientation flight, and then rapidly ascend and fly to their foraging sites in tree canopies. Additionally, tracking technologies, such as RADAR used with honeybees (Alzaabi et al 2021) or VHF radio telemetry to track butterflies (Fisher et al 2021), would be impeded by the forest canopy (Zhu et al 2011). One approach to approximate dispersal ability was releasing female wasps varying distances from their nests.…”