Tree Measurement and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping System for Forest Harvesters

For the last decades, measurement and automation systems in Nordic cut-to-length forestry machines have evolved gradually. These heavy duty machines are lighter, faster and more accurate than ever before but the basic technologies and operation have remained the same. In many respects, their current automation systems have reached their limits. The Forestrix project studies how advances in mobile robotics could be applied in the field of forestry machine automation. Machine vision systems and scanning laser range finders have established themselves as standard equipment in mobile robotics. With the new sensor and computing technologies it is possible to get information about the surrounding forest, such as tree diameters, positions and stand density. This information can be used on-line in operator’s decision support system, or off-line in a forest asset management system. This paper describes the prototype measurement platform and the software algorithms developed in the Forestrix project. Results from tests with an all terrain vehicle are also presented.