BioacousticsAvailable

Kiro: Listen to the night

Kiro is the bioacoustic sensor that detects the presence of bats by listening to their ultrasound. Continuous, automatic and non-invasive monitoring of nocturnal biodiversity.

Kiro sensor for bat monitoring

Field sensors

4 m
Installation height
24h solar
Power supply
Multi-operator SIM
Connectivity

01 / 06

Listen to the ultrasound from the field test

Bats orient themselves and hunt with ultrasonic pulses, largely inaudible to the human ear. Kiro records them and makes them visible and audible: that's the beauty of it, we can't hear them, but Kiro can. Real example from the field test: two ultrasonic bat pulses detected by Kiro.

02 / 06

What is Kiro

Kiro builds on the experience of 3Bee's bioacoustic sensors, Spectrum and Birdy. It is designed to monitor bats without any disturbance to the observed population: it listens, emits nothing and requires no technicians in the field. “We already had the foundations with Spectrum and Birdy. With Kiro the challenge is the leap from audible sound to ultrasound: a field with very few studies and libraries. It's the most fascinating challenge for our technical team.” (Niccolò Calandri, CTO 3Bee)

03 / 06

Why bats

Bats are among the best indicators of the health of biodiversity.

  1. 01

    Bioindicators

    Excellent indicators of the state of biodiversity: many Italian species are at risk (Red Lists).
  2. 02

    Everywhere

    Present in cities, countryside and natural environments, wherever there is food and shelter.
  3. 03

    Natural control

    Nocturnal insectivores: they feed on insects, including mosquitoes and agricultural pests (such as the brown marmorated stink bug), natural regulators of the ecosystem. Their presence signals the presence of insects.
  4. 04

    Shelters

    They live in natural cavities (trunks, caves) and urban environments: farmhouses, attics, bat boxes.

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How It Works: Echolocation

Although they can see, bats orient themselves, move and hunt mainly thanks to echolocation (biosonar). They emit ultrasonic pulses that bounce off surfaces and come back, building a true acoustic image of the environment. Kiro "listens" to these pulses and detects the presence of bats passively and non-invasively.

  1. 01

    Installation

    The sensor is placed in the area to be monitored.
  2. 02

    Pulse emission

    Bats emit ultrasonic pulses to orient themselves and hunt in the environment.
  3. 03

    Passive detection

    Kiro detects the pulses passively, emitting nothing and never disturbing the population.
  4. 04

    Real-time data

    The data are accessible in real time on the XNatura platform dashboard.

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Key Features

Unlike other sensors that count individuals, Kiro is automatic and real-time: that is its strength.

  1. 01

    Ultrasound bioacoustics

    Detects bats through their biosonar, passively and non-invasively.
  2. 02

    24h solar autonomy

    Integrated solar panel that recharges the sensor: continuous operation day and night.
  3. 03

    Real-time data

    Multi-operator SIM for continuous data transmission to the XNatura platform.
  4. 04

    Zero disturbance

    No technician in the field: the monitored population is never disturbed. Fully automatic.

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Launch Timeline

Kiro's path, on sale since September 1, 2026. September 1, 2026 · Official launch: Kiro is available for purchase.

  1. 01

    Summer 2026 · Field test

    Field test in agricultural and semi-natural environments.
  2. 02

    Summer 2026 · Waitlist

    We opened the waitlist for those who wanted Kiro first.
  3. 03

    Future

    Kiro 2.0: Species recognition.

From the field · Tuscan Maremma, Italy

What Kiro recorded at night in the Tuscan Maremma, Italy

More than 18,000 ultrasound recordings from 4 sensors between June and October 2026, in field test. Bats call between 20 and 120 kHz, far above hearing: the clips below are the sensor's recordings brought into the audible band, and the spectrograms show the calls as pulses. Species recognition is still being trained, so no name yet.

18,000+
recordings
4
Kiro sensors
142
nights

Real platform data. The clips are the sensors' original recordings, cut to a few seconds and levelled in volume, nothing else.

Inside the sensor

Kiro in 3D, from its design files

This model comes from the CAD files the sensor was engineered with. Turn it, get closer and open it to see where the microphone, the boards and the battery sit.

Loading the 3D model...

Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom.

Parts

From the design

  • Kiro runs on the Birdy platform with a sampling board made for bats.
  • It listens to ultrasound, sampling at 256 kHz, with an on-board neural network.
  • In field recording mode it stores 3 seconds every 20 on its microSD card.
  • Model rebuilt from the Birdy design files.

Model: Birdy_rev1.6.STEP

Field sensors

Kiro

Installation height
4 m
Power supply
24h solar
Connectivity
Multi-operator SIM
Detection
Ultrasound
Continuous monitoring
24/7
Non-invasive
Listens, emits nothing

How to get it

The device comes with an offer from our team

We do not sell sensors from a price list. The team puts together an offer for your project: how many sites and devices, what has to be monitored and for how long, and the subscription to the XNatura platform that turns the readings into species lists, maps and exports.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does bat detection work?

Kiro detects the ultrasonic pulses that bats emit for echolocation (biosonar). Detection is passive: the sensor emits nothing and does not disturb the observed population in any way.

Does Kiro disturb the bats?

No. Kiro only passively listens to the bats' pulses, without emitting sounds and without requiring technicians in the field. Monitoring is completely non-invasive.

What makes Kiro different from other sensors?

Other systems count individuals but do not provide real-time data. Kiro is automatic and real-time: it continuously transmits data to the XNatura platform.

How is the sensor powered?

Kiro is equipped with an integrated solar panel that guarantees continuous operation, day and night, with no need for maintenance.

Is Kiro already available?

Yes, Kiro has been available since September 1, 2026. The first sensors have been recording in the field since June 2026, in agricultural and semi-natural environments.

What is Kiro?

Kiro is the bioacoustic sensor that detects the presence of bats by listening to their ultrasound. Continuous, automatic and non-invasive monitoring of nocturnal biodiversity.

How does Kiro work?

Listen to the ultrasound from the field test. Bats orient themselves and hunt with ultrasonic pulses, largely inaudible to the human ear. Kiro records them and makes them visible and audible: that's the beauty of it, we can't hear them, but Kiro can. Real example from the field test: two ultrasonic bat pulses detected by Kiro.

What are the technical specifications of Kiro?

Installation height: 4 m · Power supply: 24h solar · Connectivity: Multi-operator SIM · Detection: Ultrasound · Continuous monitoring: 24/7 · Non-invasive: Listens, emits nothing

Want to monitor bats with Kiro?

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