Eltopia saves bees with the help of ST's electronics technology

     STMicroelectronics and Eltopia Communications, a company dedicated to developing new commercial devices to solve some of the world's most pressing problems, Eltopia's Intelligent Foundation project (codenamed MiteNot) uses ST's STM32F0 microcontroller, along with multiple sensors and power management chips, to monitor and collect environmental data. Eliminate parasites that can cause Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

     Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious phenomenon that causes the sudden disappearance of worker bees from a hive. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 30 percent of the food consumed in the United States depends on the pollination of about 4 million bees in farmed hives, which also pollinate many feed crops and perform similar roles in food manufacturing around the world, making the decline of bee colonies a serious threat to the global food supply. Apiologists -- honey researchers -- attribute colony collapse disorder to a variety of causes, including parasites, viruses, and pesticides. Mites, which infect and destroy bee colonies, are suspected to be the main cause of parasitic harm.

     Eltopia's Intelligent Foundation project is a decomposable/compostable plastic film that can detect the life cycle of bees and parasites. The solution interacts with the swarm and increases the target temperature to kill mites, without the use of any pesticides and without harming the bees. Eltopia's development uses ST's powerful products: the STM32F0 family of low-power microcontrollers and sensors.

     "Bees are in danger and need our help," said Will MacHugh, president of Eltopia Communications. Without immediate action, the integrity of the global food chain could be threatened. We worked with talented engineers, scientists and manufacturers to accomplish this important task. "St not only brings us outstanding electronic components and technologies, but their technicians deliver on their customers' value proposition and demonstrate their responsibility and commitment to environmental issues, thereby creating greater value for customers and society."

     Luca Difalco, Vice President of Market Applications for Smart Power and iot at ST, said: "We have often said that ST is committed to product application innovation in all areas and to playing a positive role in improving people's quality of life. Now we can say that this promise also applies to bees, because bees are essential to human survival. Eltopia presents semiconductor companies with a challenge to fulfill its promise to solve colony collapse disorder. Our low-power microcontrollers and broad sensor portfolio allow us to overcome this challenge and achieve a unique advantage."