Tim said:  "...One hopes that some of the huge amounts of
money ... going into cleaning up .... will go to local field testing."

That's something we'd like to see, but its a tall order.

We developed this technology in the U.S. under DARPA funding (Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency - the folks who really started the
Internet, Stealth Bomber, etc.).  However, DARPA provides 3 yrs research
funding, then you are expected to be able to transition the technology.

At this point in time, we have managed to obtain funds from an
international agri-business to apply this concept to pollination of
specific crops, and we have licensed the method to them for that use. We
have not received funding to carry forward the demining work.

We are working on obtaining funding to:  1) proof the concept in more areas
and for more purposes, and 2) construct a dedicated, portable lidar system
for mapping bee distributions, not only over mine fields, but over crops,
orchards, etc.

Based on proof-of-concept trials conducted at Sandia with the original
Lidar - that was able to detect small groups (6-8) of bees at nearly a
mile, and on several days of work at Ft Leonard Wood, with a different type
of laser, we now have enough information to build an optimized system for
tracking bees.

It all worked so well that Sandia filed a patent on Lidar and Insect
Tracking.  Currently, S&K Electronics, a native american owned electronics
firm in MT and my company (Bee Alert Technology, Inc.) are negotiating
license agreements so that we have the full package for demining work.

We think that laser tracking will also prove to be a powerful tool for
finally understanding how bees explore new areas and work fields - since we
can accomplish 3-D mapping (horizontal and vertical bee positions).

Unfortunately, this all costs money and takes time.  Note also, that the
patents were filed, so that we aren't put in the position of having to
pay/license our own technology.  Politics have already gotten into the act,
and we've had to defend our concept against profiters who expected to grab
our team's technology and get rich fast.

If we were interested in getting rich, we'd find a University that pays
better.  We like where we live and what we do.  We want to be sure that the
technology is made available at reasonable costs.  We also want to ensure
quality.  For the demining work, lives are at stake.  For the bee industry,
you need better and reliable tools, and in a sense, bee lives can be at stake.

Finally, some of you have asked about our current infra-structure, and are
getting confused.  Note, we have always been self-supporting on grants and
contracts.  Unlike other academically-based and federal bee labs, we have
to finance everything that we do, including our own positions - no
operational funds from state or federal dollars.

Currently, we have:

1) Bee Alert!, our 30+ yr, academically-based research and development
program, housed at the University of Montana.  This is our basic bee
research program, working on issues such as tools for remote management of
bees, anti-theft systems for beehives, improved pollination of difficult
crops, the aforementioned landmine work, and pesticide testing.

2) Bee Alert Technology, Inc. -- our newly formed, regents approved
technology transition company, intended to move the technologies developed
at the University of MT under Bee Alert into the "real" world, so that our
equipment, methods, technologies are available to the bee industry and others.

3) The National Pesticide Institute, formed by Dan Mayer and myself in
response to the ever expanding problems with bee kills from new generation
pesticides and from mismanagement of orchards, plantations, crops - that
lead to conflicts.

4) S&K Electronics -- with whom we have a Memorandum of Understanding to
manufacture our electronic beehive systems and help train people to
transition our technologies, and

5) A non-profit foundation to support basic Research and Development of
bee-based technologies, namely, those aimed at saving human lives
(demining, use of bees as sentinels for agricultural and building safety)
and at helping the bee industry (especially "saving" the bee from toxic
chemicals - e.g., pesticides or bioterrorism).  Our foundation is in the
process of being established.

We need to build a fund that can be used for things such as providing
electronic hives (for rent or loan) to beekeepers sustaining pesticide
damage, student researchers, etc.).  Hopefully, we can also raise money to
develop a portable, lidar system.

So, Bee Alert will continue grant and contracted funded, basic research.
SKE will manufacture the hardware.
Bee Alert Technology, Inc. will market products and services.
The Pesticide Institute will provide testing, consultation, and services to
the bee industry - bringing together Dan Mayer and my experience with bees
and toxic chemicals (~65 yrs between us).
and,
The Foundation will work on providing some of the basic, grunt work that
needs to be done, but isn't particularly competitive for research grants --
and, will provide a means of making our technology avaiable to students,
researchers, and beekeepers who can't affort the cost of "buying" our
equipment.

Whew!!  That's about all for the time being.  Always looking for anyone who
has some good insights as to how we pull any or all of this off.

Cheers

Jerry

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::