Computer-implemented method and a computer system for generating a training dataset for training an artificial neural network

A computer-implemented method for generating a training dataset for training a main artificial neural network, wherein the main artificial neural network is configured to use one or more images of lateral faces of a timber board as input data and to provide information about structure and/or defects of the timber board as output data, wherein each timber board comprises four lateral faces developing along a longitudinal axis of the timber board, the method including repeating a plurality of times the following steps:

• a log generation step during which a virtual model of a log is generated, the virtual model comprising an internal structure and/or defects;
• a sawing step during which the virtual model of the log is virtually sawn along virtual cutting planes, to obtain one or more virtual timber boards each having four virtual lateral faces developing along a longitudinal axis of the virtual timber board;
• a pattern step during which, for one or more virtual lateral faces of virtual timber boards created in the sawing step, a surface pattern is determined as the intersection between the virtual lateral face and the internal structure and/or defects of the virtual model of the log;
• a rendering step during which each surface pattern generated in the pattern step is used to create a rendered surface image of the corresponding lateral face of the virtual timber board;
• and
• an input data generation step during which the rendered surface images are used to create one or more item of input data for the main artificial neural network;
• an output data generation step during which an item of output data is generated for each virtual timber board on the basis of the internal structure and/or defects of the virtual model of the log;
• and
• a population step during which, for each item of input data generated in the input data generation step, a record is added to the training dataset, the record comprising an input-output data pair comprising the item of input data, in combination with the item of output data generated in the output data generation step for the virtual timber board the item of input data refers to.