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Two thirds of honeybee hives have died out in Virginia. Is it possible for us to devise a way of monitoring beehives in remote locations to find the cause? Enter a raspberry pi + rails. Using a combination of this robust hardware and software solution, we were able to successfully track, monitor and provide real time reporting on the well-being of hives from across the county. Find out how we used ruby, rails, solar panels and other libraries to provide insight into this problem. Sean is rubyist who works at George Mason University and he has the extreme pleasure of being one of the founders/organizers of the best meetup group out there, Arlington Ruby. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FG0k/
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The video titled "Saving the World (Literally) with Ruby on Rails" features Sean Marcia discussing an innovative project aimed at monitoring honeybee hives to address the alarming decline in bee populations. As a software developer at George Mason University and a co-organizer of the Arlington Ruby meetup group, Sean shares his enthusiasm for technology and its potential impact on environmental issues. Throughout the talk, he details: - **Introduction to Bees and Their Importance**: Sean explains the crucial role bees play in pollination and food production, highlighting that 60-70% of our food relies on bees for pollination. He shares alarming statistics about honeybee hive losses, notably in Virginia, where two-thirds of the wild bee populations have vanished due to Colony Collapse Disorder. - **Project Motivation and Development**: Inspired by a talk on bees, Sean collaborates with a researcher, Hermann, who operates beehives on campus. They decide to build a monitoring system to track hive conditions, focusing on temperature, humidity, and hive weight to gather insights into bee health. - **Technical Implementation**: The project utilizes Raspberry Pi devices powered by solar panels to ensure they can operate off-grid with a minimal budget. Sean discusses the technical set up including: - Using sensors to collect data on hive conditions. - Employing Ruby and Sinatra along with the Dashing gem to create a simple dashboard for real-time data reporting. - The significance of using social media to engage the community and raise awareness about the plight of bees, leading to increased interest and funding. - **Community Engagement and Results**: Through strategic use of social media and crowdfunding campaigns, the project gained traction, culminating in raised funds exceeding their initial goals. The initiative captured public interest, resulting in collaborations with educational organizations and increased visibility for the importance of bee conservation efforts. - **Call to Action**: Sean emphasizes the importance of developers getting involved in socially beneficial projects. He encourages attendees to leverage their technical skills to contribute to open source initiatives, particularly those aimed at solving real-world problems. Sean concludes with an invitation to participate in an upcoming conference, "Ruby for Good", aimed at fostering an environment for developers to contribute to projects that benefit society. He underscores that with the right attitude and resources, anyone can make an impactful difference in the world, particularly in supporting the crucial role bees play in our ecosystem.
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