Towards automatic tree selection through fusion of mobile lidar and computer vision information

The aim of this project is to explore the automation of tree selection, which consist of selecting which trees to cut in a forest harvesting operation. When selecting a tree, one must consider multiple characteristic of the tree: its size, its position relative to other trees, its health and many other things. We begin this endeavor by developing a method to precisely measure the diameter and the position of trees in a given area. To do this, a combination of a laser scanner and a camera will be used. This has already been achieved using a laser scanner only, albeit with insufficient precision for our intended application. In selective tree cutting, you need to know which trees are big enough to be cut and their location. Typically, this is done manually by a qualified forest technician for each site.

Faculty Supervisor:

Student:

Partner:

Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Québec

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Forestry

University:

Université Laval

Program:

Accelerate