[Stevie]

Just saw this in the news... pretty neat for you apiarists out there. Kickstarter launches on the 23rd. Looks like one could skip the fogging and removing of the combs.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_pj4cz2VJM

[pete b]

Looks cool but I can't imagine it working with a regular beehive so probably lots of money for new equipment.
The thing I don't get is how it could distinguish between ripe and unripe honey. You can't store unripe honey.
Now that I'm thinking about this I wonder if its a hoax. They never show how it works and if you keep bees it doesn't make sense. The bees from the hive should be all over that and they weren't

[Slowbrew]

I did a quick scan of the patent application.  It looks like the idea is to create an artificial honey comb where each cell is angled into a collection grid.  When the honey is ready for harvest the back of the comb is able to move and open the cell without removing the wax cap.  The honey then drips out of the comb and runs down to a collection trough and into the pipes that empty into the jars.  way over simplified but that's the gist.

I know nothing about keeping bees but this seems too simple to actually be a new idea.

Paul

[Stevie]

This is on Indigogo and they are nearly to $4.5 Million!

[Jimmy K]

I think the hive bodies would make great demonstration hives with the windows. But I worry that someone who isn't willing to open a hive to collect honey also won't open it to check on health. These days hive health cannot be left to chance.