The Treescan project team has identified the potential of Terrestrial Laser Scanners to provide timber growers and processors with considerably more accurate and useful tree stem parameters in a non-destructive manner. However, the confinement of Terrestrial Laser Scanners to other disciplines such as engineering to date means that there are significant knowledge gaps relating to their potential for timber measurement applications. Before the forest industry will accept this new technology as a state-of-the-art replacement for or supplement to traditional timber measurement practices, it must be proven to work in the specific environs of the forest in a cost effective manner.

The work was carried out in three stages. The first stage focused on the compilation and analysis of pre-harvest timber measurement data using conventional timber measurement technologies and state-of-the-art terrestrial laser scanning technologies. Comparisons were then made between the accuracy, the end use applicability and the cost of timber measurement data compiled using conventional and laser measuring techniques.

The second stage focused on assessing the technical and financial feasibility of developing a bespoke software process to automate the interpretation of terrestrial laser scan data to generate accurate data relating to scanned tree stems.

The third and final work stage assessed the costs and benefits of incorporating terrestrial laser scanning technology into conventional pre-harvest timber measurement operations, now and in the future.

Summary of outputs

• Comparison Reports between the conventional measurements techniques against laser scanner measurement techniques.
• Recommendations for using laser scanner measurement techniques

Partner list:

EPROC is made up of the following partners:

• The Telecommunications Software & Systems Group ( TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology
• Treemetrics, Genesis Programme, CIT.