US 12,582,056 B2Granted

Method and system for remote or autonomous cutting a ligno trunk

AssigneeAirforestry AB

InventorsMarkus Romar, Olle Gelin, Mauritz Andersson

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for remote and/or autonomous cutting at least a portion of a harvested tree trunk, at least a portion of a tree trunk to be harvested, at least a portion of a tree trunk during harvesting or at least a portion of a tree trunk during transporting, said system comprising: a remotely and/or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV, means (116) for cutting at least a portion of a tree trunk attachable to said UAV (100), means for detecting at least a portion of a tree (135), means for detecting at least one tree parameter of at least a portion of a tree (135) and/or at least one growing condition of at least a portion of a tree (tree), a base station (120) for communication with said UAV (100), and means configured for selecting at least one cutting position on at least a portion of a tree trunk depending on the at least one detected tree parameter and/or the at least one detected growing condition of at least a portion of a tree (135).

Claims50

Dependent claims

A system (10) for remote or autonomous cutting at least a portion of a harvested tree trunk, at least a portion of a tree trunk for harvesting, at least a portion of a tree trunk during harvesting or at least a portion of a tree trunk before, during or after transporting said at least a portion of a tree trunk, said system (10) comprising:

at least one of remotely or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV,
at least one means for cutting at least a portion of a tree trunk, the at least one means for cutting being attachable to or integrated with said at least one UAV,
at least one means for detecting at least a portion of a tree,
at least one means for detecting at least one of at least one tree parameter of at least a portion of a tree or at least one growing condition of at least a portion of a tree,
at least one base station (120) for communication with said at least one UAV, and
at least one means configured for selecting at least one cutting position on a tree trunk for separating a first portion of the tree trunk from a second portion of the tree trunk, the selecting being dependent on the at least one detected tree parameter or the at least one detected growing condition of at least a portion of a tree,
wherein at least one of:
said at least one means for cutting is transported by said at least one UAV to at least a portion of a tree trunk to be cut by said at least one means for cutting
said at least one means for cutting is transported by said at least one UAV away from a cut of at least a portion of a tree trunk by said at least one means for cutting, or
said at least one means for cutting is attached to said at least one UAV at least once during a cut of at least a portion of a tree trunk by said at least one means for cutting, wherein said cut is at least one of said selected cutting positions for separating a first portion of the tree trunk from a second portion of the tree trunk.

7 more elements

A method for remotely or autonomously cutting at least a portion of a harvested tree trunk, at least a portion of a tree trunk for harvesting, at least a portion of a tree trunk during harvesting or at least a portion of a tree trunk before, during or after transporting, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling remotely or autonomously at least one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV,
operating remotely or autonomously at least one means for cutting at least a portion of a tree trunk,
detecting at least a portion of a tree of which said at least a portion of a tree trunk is to be cut,
detecting at least one tree parameter of said at least a portion of a tree or at least one growing condition of said at least a portion of a tree or detecting at least one tree parameter or at least one growing condition of at least one tree grown within a predetermined distance from said at least a portion of a tree,
selecting a cutting position on a tree trunk for separating a first portion of the tree trunk from a second portion of the tree trunk, the selecting being dependent on at least one detected tree parameter or at least one detected growing condition of said cut portion of a tree trunk or of a remaining portion of a tree trunk or of at least one tree grown within a predetermined distance from said cut portion of a tree,
transporting said means for cutting by said at last one UAV to said tree trunk to be cut by said means for cutting or away from said cut tree trunk by said means for cutting or attaching said means for cutting to said at least one UAV at least once during a cut of said tree trunk by said means for cutting, wherein said cut is one of said selected cutting positions on said tree trunk for separating a first portion of the tree trunk from a second portion of the tree trunk.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.