Forest harvester in space?

At least for now, there are no forest machines in space, but even forest machines use space technology.

We rarely stop to think that all applications that use satellite positioning and satellite navigation depend on satellites orbiting in space, which in turn have been launched there by rockets. Space technology is thus hiding behind the scenes - even on the display screen in the cabin of a forest harvester.

This particular display screen is part of the fascinating IlmoStar project, in which researchers from the National Land Survey of Finland’s Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, the University of Eastern Finland, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), and Ponsse Oyj have together developed improved positioning and machine-vision solutions for forest machines.

Sensors were attached to the forest machine that enable it, during harvesting operations, to automatically collect data on topics such as forest biodiversity, carbon-sequestration potential, and the intensity of thinning operations - for measurement and monitoring purposes.

The forest sector is also undergoing a technological revolution, one part of which is space technology that has become an everyday tool.

By 2035, smart harvesters will most likely make traditional field inventories almost unnecessary, because terrain and forest data will be collected automatically, with tree-by-tree accuracy, in connection with harvesting and silvicultural work. The driver’s workload will decrease thanks to automated systems.

Accurate forest data enables better planning of cuttings, more efficient forest inventories, and monitoring of forest biodiversity.