Method for remotely and / or autonomously harvesting trees from the air

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for remotely and / or autonomously harvesting trees from the air, the method comprising the steps of detecting a tree to be harvested by at least one sensor on a UAV (100), positioning a harvesting tool (105) with a branching means (114) supported by the UAV (100) at a predetermined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested by using information from the at least one sensor, releasing the harvesting tool (105) from the UAV (100) from the predetermined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested in a first mode, and setting the harvesting tool (105) to a second mode when the harvesting tool (105) has a tree top (131) within its tree receiving area (177). At least a portion of the harvesting tool (105) is below said tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool (105) has a specific downward speed greater than 0. The first and second modes differ with respect to a tree receiving area (177) of the delimbing implement (114) in the harvesting tool (105). The tree receiving area (177) refers to the area between the open and closed delimbing implements (114).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a method for harvesting trees, and more particularly to a method for harvesting trees by using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a harvesting tool mounted on said UAV. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional tree harvesting or felling has long been done by ground-based man and equipment. In the early days dating back to the early 19th century to the early 20th century, little consideration was given to the condition of the forest or the ecosystem within the forest. Large amounts of felling took place to keep up with the demands caused by the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent expansion of human life. Depending on the terrain, the tree harvesting process usually begins with an experienced logger cutting down the tree stand or using heavy ground-based manned harvesting machinery.

[0003] The aforementioned methods represent a high level of risk, either to the environment or to the people carrying out the work. The smaller plants can also damage the delicate ecology of the forest, known as the understory or undergrowth, which holds the soil together and provides a habitat for insects, birds, lichens and fungi, among others.

[0004] Most importantly, many locations are extremely difficult to reach by land, even with heavy machinery such as bulldozers, and removal of trees from such locations is costly. Sometimes it is desirable to harvest a single tree among a tree stand without disturbing the surrounding trees.

[0005] US Patent No. 6,263,932 discloses an aerial tree harvesting device, the first body of which is suspended from a conventional helicopter and the second body of which is suspended from the first body by a cable, the device can prune and cut the trees, and then transport the harvested trees to another location.

[0006] A problem with US Pat. No. 6,263,932 is that branching can require an unnecessary amount of time, man-hours, and / or an unnecessary amount of power due to inefficient branching techniques. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problems. The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved remote and / or autonomous harvesting method that allows an efficient delimbing process.

[0008] According to the invention at least the main object is achieved by a payload having the features defined in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are further defined in the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for remotely and / or autonomously harvesting trees from the air, comprising the steps of: a. detecting, by at least one sensor on the UAV, a tree to be harvested; b. positioning a harvesting tool comprising a delimbing means supported by a UAV at a predetermined distance H above the canopy of a tree to be harvested using information from at least one sensor; c. Releasing the harvesting tool from the UAV in a first mode from a predetermined distance H above the canopy of the tree to be harvested; d. setting the harvesting tool in a second mode when the harvesting tool has within its tree receiving area a tree top of a tree to be harvested; Including, at least a portion of the harvesting tool is below a tree top of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool has a particular downward speed that is greater than zero; the first and second modes differ with respect to a tree receiving area of ​​a delimbing means of the harvesting tool; The tree receiving area refers to the area between the open and closed branching means. A method is provided.

[0010] An advantage of this embodiment is that it provides a way in which the risk of missing the tree top due to the tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool is reduced. Another advantage is that the harvesting tool with its speed and weight as it reaches the tree top increases the speed of gravity delimbing and increases the chances of successful complete delimbing of the tree.

[0011] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the method further includes detecting a relative position of the tree top of the tree to be harvested and the UAV and / or harvesting tool. An advantage of these embodiments is that a predetermined release height of the harvesting tool can be set when the UAV with the tool reaches the tree to be harvested.

[0012] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the tree top of a tree to be harvested is detected by at least one out of at least three different stereo images.

[0013] An advantage of these embodiments is that tree tops can be detected despite larger nearby trees that may be an obstacle when trying to detect tree tops from a particular direction.

[0014] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the method further includes delimbing the trees to be harvested by gravity induced by the harvesting tool upon release from the UAV.

[0015] An advantage of these embodiments is that harvesting tools with different release heights and / or different weights can be selected for different types of trees.

[0016] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the method further includes detecting a portion of a tree within a tree-receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool with at least one detector.

[0017] An advantage of these embodiments is that switching from the first mode to the second mode may be triggered by detection of the tree top within the tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool.

[0018] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the method further includes ceasing release of the harvesting tool if any portion of the tree within the tree-receiving area cannot be detected.

[0019] An advantage of these embodiments of the invention is that if a tree is lost, the release of the harvesting tool can be stopped to prevent damage to the harvesting tool.

[0020] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the stopping step occurs within a predetermined time interval after beginning to release the harvesting tool from the UAV and / or within a predetermined speed interval of the harvesting tool not detecting any tree tops within the tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool.

[0021] An advantage of these embodiments is that the harvesting tool can be stopped well in advance before it hits the ground. Another advantage is that the harvesting tool can be stopped before reaching too high a speed which may limit the braking force applied.

[0022] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the harvesting tool is released at a height H of 0.1 to 5 meters above the canopy of the tree to be harvested.

[0023] An advantage of these embodiments is that the starting speed of the harvesting tool when reaching the tree top can be varied.

[0024] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the harvesting tool is triggered to be set to the second mode by at least one of the following triggers: when a tree is detected to be within the tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool, at a predetermined distance between the UAV and the harvesting tool, at a specific speed of the harvesting tool, and / or within a predetermined time interval after the harvesting tool is released from the UAV.

[0025] An advantage of these embodiments is that one or more triggers can be used alone or in combination to determine when to switch the harvesting tool from one mode to another.

[0026] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, detection of trees within a tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool is performed by at least one optical device provided on the UAV and / or the harvesting tool.

[0027] An advantage of these embodiments is redundancy of detection equipment. Another advantage is that one or more tree parameters may require a combination of sensors on the UAV and on the harvesting tool to safely detect trees within the tree receiving area.

[0028] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the switching from the first mode to the second mode is performed autonomously.

[0029] An advantage of these embodiments is that the switching mechanism can be performed without human assistance.

[0030] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the tree receiving area in the first mode is at least twice as large as the tree receiving area in the second mode.

[0031] An advantage of this embodiment is that by increasing the tree receiving area, the likelihood of receiving a tree within the tree receiving area is increased.

[0032] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the tree receiving area in the second mode is adapted to the diameter of the trunk of the tree to be harvested.

[0033] An advantage of these embodiments is that the delimbing can be performed as close to the trunk as possible. In various exemplary embodiments, the delimbing means, which may correspond to varying tree receiving area boundaries, may be elastic, meaning that in the second mode the delimbing means can self-adapt to the diameter of the trunk.

[0034] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the harvesting tool is attached to the UAV by at least two cables, each cable comprising a winch mechanism during the first and second modes.

[0035] An advantage of these embodiments is that the harvesting tool can be tilted to a desired position by adjusting the length of the cable in an appropriate manner.

[0036] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the harvesting tool is moving in a direction essentially parallel to the trunk of the tree to be harvested at a speed of more than 1 m / s when the switch from the first mode to the second mode is performed.

[0037] An advantage of these embodiments is that the harvesting tool has sufficient speed in combination with its weight to successfully delimb the tree under its own weight.

[0038] Various exemplary embodiments of the invention further include detecting at least one tree parameter and adjusting a release height above the tree canopy in response to the at least one tree parameter.

[0039] An advantage of these embodiments is that different tree species and / or tree ages may require different speeds of a given harvesting tool to successfully delimb the tree. In various exemplary embodiments, certain tree parameters that may be known in advance may trigger the selection of a particular harvesting tool, i.e., an older tree may require a heavier tool than a younger tree of the same species.

[0040] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for aerial harvesting of trees, comprising: detecting with at least one sensor a tree to be harvested; positioning, by execution of the at least one control unit, a harvesting tool comprising a delimbing means supported by the UAV at a predetermined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested by using information from the at least one sensor; Releasing the harvesting tool from the UAV in a first mode from a predetermined distance above a canopy of a tree to be harvested by execution of the at least one control unit; setting the harvesting tool in a second mode when the harvesting tool has a tree top of a tree to be harvested within the tree receiving area thereof, through execution of the at least one control unit; Including, at least a portion of the harvesting tool is below a tree top of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool has a particular downward speed that is greater than zero; the first and second modes differ with respect to a tree receiving area of ​​a delimbing means of the harvesting tool; The tree receiving area refers to the area between the open and closed branching means. A computer-implemented method is provided.

[0041] In various exemplary embodiments of the invention, the UAV and the harvesting tool are configured to communicate with each other via one or more of Wifi, Bluetooth, wireless communication, optical fiber and / or electrical wires.

[0042] An advantage of these embodiments is that various means of remote communication between the UAV and the ligno-harvesting tool can be used.

[0043] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

[0044] A more complete understanding of the foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1a shows a schematic side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an autonomous harvesting device capable of carrying out the inventive method according to the present invention. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b shows another schematic side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an autonomous harvesting device capable of carrying out the inventive method according to the present invention. [Figure 1c] FIG. 1c shows another schematic side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an autonomous harvesting device capable of carrying out the inventive method according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows the steps of the harvesting method according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows another step of the harvesting method according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows another step of the harvesting method according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a harvesting tool. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine in which one or more embodiments may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENTINVENTION The term ligno as used above and below is a generic term for any tree and / or any bush, in particular a tree.

[0047] The term harvesting, as used above and below, is a general term for removing at least a portion of the ligno, i.e., de-branching the ligno, cutting a portion of the ligno, cutting the complete ligno, and / or removing the ligno together with at least a portion of its roots from the ground.

[0048] 1-4 depict schematic diagrams of different inventive remote and / or autonomous harvesting processes of at least a portion of the lignos by using an exemplary embodiment of an autonomous harvesting system 10. The system 10 may comprise remotely and / or autonomously controlled means 105, 110 configured to harvest and / or transport at least a portion of the lignos, a remotely and / or autonomously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle 100, a UAV, comprising at least one means 105 configured to hold the lignos stem and transport the harvested portion of the lignos to another location, the UAV comprising the system at least one means for detecting the lignos to be harvested and / or transported, and a base station 120 for controlling the means configured to harvest and / or transport at least a portion of the lignos and the UAV. The system 10 may further comprise means for detecting at least one lignos parameter of at least a portion of the lignos and / or at least one growth condition of at least a portion of the lignos. The system 10 may further comprise means configured to select at least a portion of the lignos to be harvested and / or transported depending on at least one detected lignos parameter and / or at least one detected growth condition of the transported / harvested portion of the lignos and / or the remaining portion of the lignos and / or at least one lignos grown within a predetermined distance from the transported portion of the lignos.

[0049] In Fig. 1a, a UAV 100 supports remotely and / or autonomously controlled means 105, 110 configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno. The UAV 100 is remotely and / or autonomously controlled by and optionally in communication with a base station 120. The base station 120 may be a stationary or mobile unit.

[0050] 1-4, the UAV 100 can be considered as a forestry transporter, and the means 105, 110 configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno can be considered as a forestry harvester. The means 105, 110 configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno may comprise a holding means 105 and a delimbing and cutting means 110.

[0051] In an autonomously controlled means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos, the means can operate without being directly controlled by a human, whereas in a remotely controlled means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos, the means can operate from a remote distance directly controlled by a human. In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos and the UAV are remotely controlled. In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos and the UAV are autonomously controlled. In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos are remotely controlled and the UAV is autonomously controlled. In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos are autonomously controlled and the UAV is remotely controlled.

[0052] The means for detecting lignos may be at least one of a camera or an optical sensor. The camera may be, for example, at least one of an IR camera (infrared camera), a NIR camera (near infrared camera), a VISNIR camera (visible near infrared camera), a CCD camera (charge-coupled device camera), a CMOS camera (complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera), a digital camera, a 3D camera such as a stereo camera, a time-of-flight camera, or a LiDAR. The optical sensor may be at least one of a photodetector, a pyrometer, a proximity detector, and / or an infrared sensor.

[0053] The means for detecting the lignos may be disposed on the UAV and / or the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos.

[0054] The means for detecting at least one of the group of lignoparameters may be the same means used to detect the ligno and / or additional means. The additional means may be at least one of a camera or an optical sensor. The camera may be, for example, at least one of an IR camera (infrared camera), a NIR camera (near infrared camera), a VISNIR camera (visible near infrared camera), a CCD camera (charge-coupled device camera), a CMOS camera (complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera), a digital camera, a 3D camera such as a stereo camera, a time-of-flight camera or LiDAR, a spectral camera, a thermal camera, an ultrasonic measuring device, a radar device, a vibration device. The optical sensor may be at least one of a photodetector, a pyrometer, a proximity detector and / or an infrared sensor. The 3D image can be seen through the leaves and / or branches. An average of multiple 3D images can result in an image with mm accuracy. The 3D photograph can reveal a lot of information about the branches, the ligno stems and / or the ligno species. The 3D image can be acquired from an airborne vehicle such as a UAV. Spectral cameras can be used to measure the difference in vegetation index (NDVI), a measure of photosynthesis in a particular area. Thermosensitive cameras can be used to measure the temperature of the surface of the ligno stem, which can be a measure of the health of the ligno, with insect-infested ligno having a higher surface temperature than non-infested ligno. Ultrasonic measurements and / or radar can be used to determine the internal morphology of the ligno, i.e. the internal structure of decayed or hollow ligno and / or the internal moisture content of the ligno. Computed tomography and / or magnetic resonance imaging can give information about parts of the ligno down to the lignocellular level.

[0055] The means for detecting at least one of the group of lignoparameters may be a camera or an optical sensor combined with an artificial intelligence AI. The AI ​​can be used to train a model for recognizing one or more lignoparameters. The lignoparameters can be recognized visually and / or by measurement and / or by at least one physical sample. The measurement can be performed by optical inspection at a distance from the lignos and / or by physical measurement integrated in the means for gripping / holding the lignostalk 105 for example. The means for detecting at least one lignoparameter may be a laser scanner attached to the UAV and / or the means for holding the lignostalk and / or the means for harvesting at least a portion of the lignostalk. By laser scanning the lignostalk the lignospecies can be determined and other surface conditions of the lignostalk such as the presence of any moss and / or any damage can be determined. The detected lignoparameters can be compared to lignoparameters stored in a database for classification and / or future selection and / or prioritization.

[0056] The final destination of at least a portion of the lignos may be determined by at least one of the detected lignoparameters and / or the at least one detected growing condition, where the lignoparameters may be considered to be intrinsic characteristics and the growing conditions may be considered to be extrinsic characteristics.

[0057] The lignoparameters may be, for example, the diameter of at least a portion of the ligno (top diameter, bottom diameter, average diameter, median diameter), the length of at least a portion of the ligno, the ligno species of at least a portion of the ligno and / or the weight of at least a portion of the ligno, the dry content, the age of the ligno, the number of rings, the distance between the rings, the color of the rings, the width of the rings, the amount of leaves, the amount of fir needles, the color, the chemical composition of the ligno, no branches, deformation, cracks (dry cracks (partial or full troughs), end cracks, ring cracks), rootstock, density, rot, discolouration, dead ligno, insect infestation, microbial infestation, wind damage (storm, wind, fire, drought), mechanical damage (roots, ligno trunk), amount of fruit, seeds, berries, nuts, nuts, flowers on the ligno, root morphology, root structure, root depth, root volume etc. The colour of the ligno may be an indication of the ligno species. The color may be the color of the outer surface of the ligno stem or the color of the cut area. The morphology of the ligno can be determined by a 3D camera. The morphology may include the total volume of the ligno, leaves or fir needles, deformation, shape deviation, etc. The ligno parameters may also include the material properties of the ligno, such as moisture content (%), tensile strength (MPa), flexural strength (MPa), compressive strength (MPa), shear strength (MPa), impact strength (KJ / m2), hardness (Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell), elasticity modulus (MPa), thermal conductivity (W / m°C), heat capacity (J / kg°C), heat value (MJ / kg).

[0058] In various exemplary embodiments, the lignoparameters can be detected before harvesting, manually by a human or remote device and / or autonomously by a separate unit. The lignoparameters may be stored digitally together with the GPS location. In various exemplary embodiments, digital markers can be physically placed on the ligno before cutting the ligno or when the ligno is placed on the ground. The digital markers may store information about at least one lignoparameter. The input of the lignoparameters may be performed manually before harvesting. The digital markers may be configured to communicate with the UAV. The communication may be performed by Bluetooth, WiFi, wireless communication and / or telecommunication (3G, 4G, 5G). Physical samples for detecting lignoparameters such as density, spoilage and / or dry content can be made manually before harvesting and / or automatically by sample detection means added to the means for holding the ligno stem and / or the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno. Such sample detection means may be a suitable tool for removing a predetermined amount of ligno to be analyzed. The removal of the predetermined amount to be analyzed may be done by drilling, sawing or cutting. The analysis of the predetermined amount of ligno may be done while the UAV is at or near the ligno, or the predetermined amount of ligno may be brought to an analysis station remote from the ligno. The selection of the location to remove the predetermined amount of ligno may be done using a camera. Areas suspected of decay or insect infestation may be detected by the camera, and samples of such areas may then be taken and analyzed. Different parts of a single ligno and different lignos may be classified differently depending on the results of the analysis, i.e. depending on the ligno parameters, a particular part of ligno may be classified into one or more different categories. If a particular part of ligno may be classified into multiple different categories, the selection may be based on market value or current demand.

[0059] The growth conditions can be, for example, lignocellulosity per unit area and / or growth potential.

[0060] The growing conditions can also be bioenvironmental factors (interaction of organisms of the same species and / or interaction of organisms of other species) such as the amount of dead ligno / wood in a given area, interaction and / or competition of other species, gases and aromas from the plants, temperature of other plants, etc. Fungal infestations and insect infestations can spread over large areas. After detecting parasitic ligno in a given area, it can be advantageous to harvest non-parasitic ligno within a given time. Fungi and insects can spread over several km. Competition for water, nutrients, and daylight hours can be within a distance of 0-50 m. Favorable interaction / competition situations can be done by sorting plants in a given location to obtain optimal conditions for the remaining plants.

[0061] The growing conditions may also be abiotic environmental factors such as climate (temperature, precipitation, etc.), topography, ground temperature, geology, hydrology, vegetation, soil, sediment, soil depth, surface blockage, mineralogy, ground carbon content, ground nitrogen content, ground carbon-nitrogen ratio, PH value, base cut ion, amount of trace elements, physical or chemical erosion, environmental conditions, wind, etc. The abiotic environmental factors may also be land types such as forest land, cultivated land, farmland, natural pasture, mountain obstacles, protected areas, power line areas, military areas, construction sites, etc.

[0062] At least one lignoparameter and / or growing conditions can be used as a factor to determine the use, demand, storage, quality of at least a portion of the ligno, which can be used to determine the final destination of a particular portion of the ligno. Gas sensors can be used to detect water quality (carbon dioxide content, methane content, oxygen content, etc.).

[0063] A UAV can have one or more propellers. In Figures 1 to 4, the UAV has six propellers arranged symmetrically around an origin.

[0064] If the base station 120 is remotely controlled, it may be operated by at least one human, but if it is autonomously controlled, it may be a base station 120 having means configured to harvest at least a portion of the programmed software algorithms and / or lignos used to support the autonomous UAV. The base station 120 may be a stationary or mobile unit.

[0065] The means for holding lignos 105 may be at least one movable gripping arm. In various exemplary embodiments, the means for holding lignos 105 may be one or more metal bars that can at least partially penetrate the ligno stem. In various exemplary embodiments, the means for holding lignos 105 may be a unit that can encircle the ligno stem and modify its holding area, thereby compressing around the ligno stem to secure the object, and releasing the ligno stem or decompressing to enter the ligno to be harvested. The means for holding lignos 105 may comprise a sample detection means.

[0066] In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno may be disposed with a means for attaching itself to the ligno stem. In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno is also configured to move up and down along the ligno stem. The movement may be performed by at least one electrically driven wheel running on the ligno stem. In various exemplary embodiments, at least one wheel may be electrically driven to move up and down the ligno stem, and at least one other wheel is disposed for friction reduction during movement. In various exemplary embodiments, at least the wheel is configured to attach, secure and move the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno.

[0067] In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material may be configured to move over land, via multiple wheels or legs, and / or as a tracked vehicle.

[0068] The UAV 100 and the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos may communicate with each other via one or more of WiFi, Bluetooth, wireless communication, telecommunications (3G, 4G, 5G), optical fiber, and / or electrical wires. In various exemplary embodiments, the control unit and the UAV and / or the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos may communicate with each other via one or more of WiFi, Bluetooth, wireless communication, telecommunications (3G, 4G, 5G). Depending on the distance and / or communication quality between the control unit and the UAV and / or the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos, the communication may change from one type of communication to another type of communication.

[0069] In various exemplary embodiments, the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignos may be connectable to an underside of the UAV 100.

[0070] In various exemplary embodiments, the UAV 100 may include a power unit for powering the UAV 100 and the delimbing and cutting tool 110. Power from the power unit within the UAV 100 may be provided to the delimbing and cutting tool 110 via at least one power cable. The power unit may be an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine. In various exemplary embodiments, the UAV 100 may include at least a first power supply unit for powering the UAV 100, and the branching and cutting means 110 may include at least a second power supply unit for powering the branching and cutting means 110. The power supply unit in the UAV 100 may be electric and / or an internal combustion engine. The power supply unit in the branching and cutting means 110 may be electric and / or an internal combustion engine. The holding means 105 may be powered by its own power supply unit or may be powered from the UAV and / or the branching or cutting power supply unit.

[0071] In various exemplary embodiments, the delimbing and cutting means 110 is configured to delimb the ligno. Delimbing may be performed from top to bottom, where the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno is positioned above the ligno to be harvested first. Delimbing may be performed by one or more cutting means, snapping means, and / or shearing means. The cutting means may be by cutting chains and / or by rotating cutting disks. Cutting may be performed by a linear movement along the stem of the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno and / or by a serpentine movement along the stem by the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno.

[0072] In various exemplary embodiments, the pruning and cutting means 110 may be configured to communicate directly with the remote operator and / or the remote base station 120, or indirectly with the remote operator and / or the base station 120 via the UAV 100. Indirect communication with the pruning and cutting means 110, i.e., the UAV 100 as an access point, can be used if the same information is transmitted to both the UAV 100 and the pruning and cutting means 110. The UAV 100 can operate independently of the remote base station 120, in various exemplary embodiments. Indirect communication can also be used if the UAV 100 is located between the base station 120 and the pruning and cutting means 110.

[0073] In various exemplary embodiments, the UAV and / or the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the ligno may comprise means configured to automatically locate the ligno and / or the predetermined area to be harvested. The means configured to automatically locate the ligno and / or the predetermined area to be harvested may comprise at least a Global Navigation Satellite System, GNSS. The means configured to automatically locate the ligno and / or the predetermined area to be harvested may comprise at least one camera or optical sensor. The means configured to automatically locate the ligno and / or the predetermined area to be harvested may comprise at least one camera combined with an artificial intelligence or machine learning algorithm to speed up the detection of a suitable area for placing the means configured to cut the ligno stem.

[0074] Returning now to FIG. 1a, where the UAV 100 is en route to the ligno 135b to be harvested. The ligno 135b may be preselected, i.e., selected before reaching the ligno 135b. Alternatively, the ligno 135b may be selected by the UAV 100 in combination with the base station 120 once the UAV 100 is in a position above or near the ligno 135b. Selection may be performed by identifying a photograph of the ligno 135b from above using photographs stored in the control station 120 and selecting the ligno for ligno thinning purposes or other selection criteria by a selection algorithm.

[0075] In Figures 2-4a, the forest 130 comprises four lignos 135a, 135b, 135c, 135d, all of which may have equal or different lignos parameters and / or growing conditions. Of course, the forest 130 may have more or less than the four illustrated lignos as shown in Figures 2-4. The lignos to be harvested may be determined by at least one of the detected lignos parameters and / or growing conditions. In various exemplary embodiments, the order of harvesting the lignos 135a, 135b, 135c, 135d may be selected to minimize the total harvesting time. In various exemplary embodiments, a particular lignos may be selected because there is a demand for such lignos parameters from a particular customer. In various exemplary embodiments, a particular lignos can be selected to be harvested due to a particular ligno thinning strategy, for example, the smallest or largest lignos in a group of lignos, the diameter of at least a portion of the lignos, the length of at least a portion of the lignos, the ligno species of at least a portion of the lignos, and / or the weight, dry content, no twigs, rootstock, density, decay, discoloration, dead lignos, and / or insect infestation of at least a portion of the lignos. The lignoparameters can be detected prior to arriving at the forest 130 with the UAV 100. This can be done manually and / or automatically. Manual detection can be done by a human registering at least one lignoparameter in a digital database. Automatic lignoparameters may be created by a separate UAV and / or land vehicle. Detection can be non-destructive and / or destructive.

[0076] Non-destructive methods can be performed by recording the lignos by visual inspection by humans or by suitable optical means such as a camera. Destructive detection can be performed by removing a predetermined amount of lignos and analyzing it on-site or at a remote site. The lignos to be harvested can be selected according to their distance to the final destination, for example selecting lignos with a particular set of ligno parameters as close as possible to the final destination. The lignos to be harvested can be selected to maximize the value of the total amount of ligno harvested in a particular time frame. The lignos to be harvested can be selected to maximize the value of the remaining ligno in the forest. The determination of the particular amount of ligno to be harvested can be made according to at least one ligno parameter.

[0077] In a first exemplary embodiment, the pruning and cutting means 110 is only a pruning tool. This pruning tool is used to prune trees autonomously and / or remotely from the air according to the method of the present invention. Once the pruning is completed, the UAV has lifted the pruning tool and the tree is left standing with the branches removed from its trunk. The pruning method may comprise the following steps: detecting the tree to be harvested by at least one sensor on the UAV; positioning a harvesting tool with a pruning means supported by the UAV at a predefined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested by using information from the at least one sensor; releasing the harvesting tool from the UAV from a predefined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested in a first mode; and setting the harvesting tool in a second mode when the harvesting tool is below the canopy of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool has a specific downward speed greater than 0, the first mode and the second mode differing with respect to a tree receiving area of ​​the pruning means on the harvesting tool. In FIG. 1a, the pruning and cutting means 110 is in a first mode with a relatively large tree receiving area 177. In FIG. 2 after the pruning and cutting means 110 has fallen from the UAV 100, the tree top 131 is above the pruning and cutting means 110. The top of the tree trunk is within the tree receiving area 177 of the pruning and cutting means 110. At this point, the receiving area can be switched from the first mode with a relatively large tree receiving area to a second mode with a relatively small tree receiving area. The smaller tree receiving area can be adapted to the diameter of the tree trunk. The pruning means can be configured to be elastically attached to the trunk and to adapt its tree receiving area to the changing diameter as the pruning tool moves down along the trunk.

[0078] In the second embodiment, the delimbing and cutting means 110 also comprises a cutting device for cutting the lignostem.

[0079] In various exemplary embodiments, the harvesting tool 105, 110 also comprises a means 105 for holding the tree trunk for transporting it away from its original location. The holding means 105 may be in a single unit together with the delimbing and cutting device 110 in a first embodiment. In another embodiment shown in Figs. 2-4, the holding means 105 and the delimbing and cutting means 110, which may optionally comprise means for cutting the lignostem, may be separable from each other. The holding means 105 and the delimbing and cutting means 110 may be connectable to each other via at least one winch mechanism, as shown in Figs. 2-4. Alternatively, the holding means 105 and the delimbing and cutting means 110 may be completely separable from each other, i.e. without wires or rods between them when detached from each other. The delimbing unit may comprise a means configured to move the delimbing tool up and down along the lignostem. The means configured to move the delimbing tool up and down along the lignostem may be in the form of one or more motorized wheels resiliently attached to the lignostem, the wheels configured to provide traction against an outer surface of the lignostem to enable the delimbing tool to be moved up and down the lignostem. The motorized wheels may be autonomously and / or remotely operated.

[0080] In the case of the pruning and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree trunk 105 separable from each other, two different pruning scenarios can occur. In the first case, the pruning and cutting means 110 can be dropped from the UAV together with the holding means 105 at a predefined height H above the tree top 131. When it is detected that the tree top 131 is within the tree receiving area 177, the pruning and cutting means 110 can be released from the holding means 105 as shown in FIG. 2. The holding means 105 may be attached to the tree trunk at a position relatively close to the tree top 131, which is deemed safe as a stand-up position for the tree trunk to be cut at the predefined position. In a second embodiment, only the pruning and cutting means 110 is dropped from the holding means 105 at a predefined height H above the tree top 131. When the pruning and cutting means 110 has the tree top within its tree receiving area 177, the pruning tool is switched from a first mode with a larger tree receiving area to a second mode with a smaller tree receiving area 177. The holding means 105 can be lowered from the UAV 100 when the delimbing tool is delimbing the tree or when the delimbing tool 100 has completed delimbing.

[0081] The height H at which the harvesting tool is dropped by the pruning means in the first mode of the tree receiving area 177 may be at least 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m, or 3 m. One or more lignoparameters may determine the height H. Such determining lignoparameters may be, for example, lignotype or lignoheight. Growing conditions may also influence the selection of the height H, such as the tree density around the tree to be harvested, the distance to neighboring trees, etc. In various exemplary embodiments, the height H may be a few centimeters, for example, when the tree is young and / or easy to prune, such as pine. In various exemplary embodiments, the height H may be a few meters, for example, when the tree is old and / or relatively difficult to prune, such as birch. Larger old trees of certain species may require a relatively high height H to allow gravity pruning by the knives provided in the pruning and cutting means 110.

[0082] The relative position of the tree top and the UAV and / or harvesting tool can be detected by at least one sensor attached to the UAV and / or harvesting tool.

[0083] The UAV 100 and / or the harvesting tool 105, 110 may include three or more optical devices. It should also be understood that the optical devices may be unevenly distributed in many different configurations. For example, a bracket may be provided between two motor support arms, with one or more optical devices provided on the bracket. The first optical device may have a first field of view, the second optical device may have a second field of view, and the third optical device may have a third field of view. The first, second, and third fields of view may have a common overlapping volume. The UAV 100 may further include a control unit configured to create a stereo image by combining at least a pair of images from any two of the first, second, or third optical devices, where the first, second, and third fields of view are in a direction parallel to a yaw axis of the UAV that points primarily in a direction toward the ground, and any two of the first, second, or third fields of view overlap each other in a focal plane. The stereo camera pair may be used in computer vision to create a three-dimensional model of the surrounding environment. One requirement of such a system is that the cameras be spaced apart such that there is a measurable difference in the images seen by each camera, thereby making it possible to detect and quantify a range of depth. The relative positions and orientations of the two cameras can typically be maintained rigidly for stereo algorithms to function properly.

[0084] The first camera may be a predetermined distance away from the second camera. The first camera may include a first field of view and the second camera may include a second field of view. There is an overlapping field of view where the first field of view overlaps with the second field of view. The stereo camera pair may be configured to determine the distance of objects present in the captured images. The overlapping portion of the images from each camera may be analyzed by comparing corresponding features and determining a separation distance associated with at least some of the corresponding features. For example, the image may include a first image captured by the first camera and a second image captured by the second camera. However, the image may include a first image captured by the first camera and a second image captured by the first camera at a later time, such as a next frame of the image. The tree top 131 may be detected by at least one of the at least three different stereo images. At least one detector may detect when at least a portion of the tree is within a tree receiving area of ​​the harvesting tool. The detector may be a stereo camera on the UAV and / or another optical device provided on the harvesting tool. The release of the harvesting tool may be autonomously stopped if no tree is detected within the tree receiving area. The automatic stop may be performed if failure to detect a tree within the tree receiving area occurs after a certain time period after the harvesting tool is released from the UAV and / or if no tree top is detected within the tree receiving area 177 of the harvesting tool within a predetermined speed interval of the harvesting tool.

[0085] Tree-receiving area 177 in the first mode may be at least twice as large as tree-receiving area 177 in the second mode. In various exemplary embodiments, tree-receiving area 177 in the first mode may be at least ten times larger than tree-receiving area 177 in the second mode.

[0086] The harvesting tools 105, 110 may be attached to the UAV 100 using at least two cables with winch mechanisms during the first and second modes, respectively. The harvesting tools may move in a direction essentially parallel to the trunk of the tree to be harvested at a speed of more than 1 m / s when a switch from the first mode to the second mode is performed. In an alternative embodiment, the switch may be performed when the downward speed of the harvesting tools is greater than 2 m / s.

[0087] FIG. 1b shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of a harvesting tool 105, 110 provided inside the frustum device 102. A large opening 103 of the frustum device is provided below the tree receiving area 177 of the harvesting tool 105, 110. The frustum device 102 may be attached to the drone 100 through its small opening as shown in FIG. 1b, or to the harvesting tool 105, 110 through its small opening, or to a cable between the drone 100 and the harvesting tool 105, 110 through its small opening. In FIG. 1b, the frustum device 102 is composed of several elements configured to slide telescopically into one another, which allow the frustum device to be in an extended mode of the frustum device, a maximum length, as shown in FIG. 1b, or in a foldable mode, in which the elements of the frustum device are inserted into one another to minimize the overall length of the frustum device. In various exemplary embodiments, the overall length of the telescopic frustum device 102 may vary. The length of the frustum device can be varied by one or more wires attached between at least two elements of the frustum telescoping device 102, which can be wound or unwound, thereby retracting or extending the length of the frustum device 102. In FIG. 1c, the frustum device 102 is a solid, integral unit having a fixed length. Providing the frustum device 102 with a larger opening 103 around the periphery of the harvesting tool at a lower position than the harvesting tool 105, 110 can make it easier to receive the tree top within the tree receiving area 177, which can be useful in windy conditions where the tree top 131 and the harvesting tool 105, 110 may not be in a fixed position relative to each other.

[0088] In Fig. 2, in the delimbing and cutting means 110, at least a portion of the ligno is directed downward along the trunk of the selected ligno 135b. The tree top 131 is above the tree receiving area 177 of the harvesting tool 105,110. In this position, the tree receiving area 177 can be switched from a first mode having a large tree receiving area to a second mode having a smaller tree receiving area, which can be adapted to elastically surround the ligno trunk to efficiently delimb the ligno trunk. The smaller area in the second mode can be configured to automatically adapt to the increasing diameter of the ligno trunk as the means for harvesting at least a portion of the ligno is moving downward over the ligno trunk. The tree receiving area 177 can be varied for both the delimbing means and the holding means in the harvesting tool 105,110.

[0089] In Fig. 3, the autonomously controlled pruning and cutting means 110 moves a distance downward from the at least one means for gripping the lignostem 105. On its way, the pruning and cutting means 110 also prunes the lignostem 135b, leaving a bare lignostem 137 free of twigs and limbs. Power for the pruning and cutting means 110 may be provided by the UAV 100 or by a power supply unit within the pruning and cutting means 110. If the pruning and cutting means 110 is powered from the UAV, the power may be provided via one or more power cables arranged between the UAV 100 and the pruning and cutting means 110. The power supply unit within the pruning and cutting means 110 may be one or more battery packs. In various exemplary embodiments, a first battery pack may be used for communication with the UAV 100 and / or the base station 120. A second battery pack may be used to move the pruning and cutting means 110 up and down on the lignostem.

[0090] Instead of harvesting trees and / or bushes (lignos) by cutting at least part of the lignos, the lignos may be removed from the ground with at least part of its root system. This removal can be done by using a UAV as a removal means, i.e. by gripping the lignos and using the upward traction force of the UAV to remove the lignos from the ground. This technique can be used only for small lignos, for example when removing them from a certain area early with an intrusive technique to avoid damaging the rest of the forest.

[0091] In various exemplary embodiments, the means for gripping the ligno stem 105 and the means for debranching and cutting 110 do not separate from one another during debranching of the ligno, as shown in Figures 3-4, but follow each other as a unit during debranching of the ligno down the ligno stem. In FIG. 4, the ligno 135b has been de-branched into a bare ligno stem 137, harvested and on its way to a location away from the original location of the ligno. What remains in the original location of the original ligno 135b are piled limbs 138 and a ligno stump 139. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the de-branching and cutting means 110 is still positioned on the ligno stem when the ligno is transported away from the original location of the ligno. In various exemplary embodiments, means are provided that are configured to remotely and / or autonomously guide the UAV 100 with at least a portion of the ligno to a final destination, the final destination depending on the detected ligno parameters. In various exemplary embodiments, a first type of ligno species may be transported to a first final destination and a second type of ligno species may be transported to a second final destination. The final destination can have a first set of ligno parameters, final destination B can have a second set of ligno parameters, and final destination C can have a third set of ligno parameters. The first set of lignoparameters, the second set of lignoparameters, and the third set of lignoparameters may be different. The lignoparameters may be, for example, a diameter of at least a portion of the lignos, a length of at least a portion of the lignos, a lignospecies of at least a portion of the lignos, and / or a weight, dry content, no twigs, rootstock, density, rot, discolouration, dead lignos, insect infestation of at least a portion of the lignos. At least one of the final destinations A, B or C may be an above-ground intermediate storage location. At least one of the final destinations A, B or C may be a mobile storage location, for example a timber truck.

[0092] In various exemplary embodiments, final destination A may be for lumber having lengths within a predetermined interval, final destination B may be for lumber with a predetermined weight per unit of wood, and final destination C may be for rotten, discolored, dead and / or insect infested ligno.

[0093] In various exemplary embodiments, final destination A may be assigned timber with a first set of lignoparameters and certain requirements to be filled with timber before final destination B, which may have the same lignoparameters, but is filled with timber later in the ligno harvesting process. Final destination A may be closer to a road or on a timber truck, while final destination B may be an intermediate storage location closer to the harvesting area and further away from available roads compared to final destination A.

[0094] In various exemplary embodiments, a first final destination A may be for wood to be used as pulp. A second final destination B may be for building materials such as planks. A third final destination C may be for biomass materials.

[0095] 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the pruning and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105. The pruning and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 may be provided remotely from the UAV 100, here via a number of wires 682a, 684a, 686a.

[0096] The holding means is in the form of a first wheel 113a and a second wheel 115a in this exemplary embodiment. The first wheel 113a is provided on the first movable arm 113 and the second wheel 115a is provided on the second movable arm 115 (not shown). The first and second arms 113, 115 can be set to any position between a fully open position and a fully closed position to embrace the trunk and to allow gripping and releasing the tree trunk. The first arm 113 may rotate about a rotation axis 622.

[0097] The wheels 113a, 115a may be configured to roll on the surface of the trunk. They may be metallic and provided with friction-increasing ribs to increase the traction of the wheels against the surface of the trunk and to avoid or minimize the risk of slipping. The wheels 113a, 115a may be motorized. The wheels 113a, 115a roll against the surface of the trunk, thereby allowing the limbing and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 to be moved from one position on the trunk to another. The wheels 113a, 115a may be pressed against the surface of the trunk with a predefined pressure by the movement of the first and second arms 113, 115. The wheels may lock in a predefined position on the trunk, thereby allowing the trunk to be safely moved / transported from its original position. The first and second arms 113, 115 may be attached to the base structure 650 and be movable. The pruning and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 further comprise the above-mentioned first movable curved fixed / pruning arm 114a and second movable curved fixed / pruning arm 114b. The first pruning arm is movable about an axis of rotation 626. The second pruning arm 114b is movable about an axis of rotation 624.

[0098] The first and second movable curved fixing / pruning arms 114a, 114b may be set in any position between a fully open position and a fully closed position to allow for encircling the trunk of the tree and also for allowing for fixing the trunk. The fixing / pruning arms may have sharp edges at their top and / or at their bottom for branching the tree as the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the tree moves along the trunk of the tree. The pruning and cutting means 110 comprises a cutter 116. The cutter may be in the form of an electrically driven or an internal combustion engine driven chain saw. The chain saw may be movably arranged within the pruning and cutting means 110 for cutting the tree while the means is in a fixed position on the trunk of the tree. In various exemplary embodiments, the pruning and cutting means may be only a pruning tool without any cutter for cutting the trunk.

[0099] The delimbing means 114a, 114b may be optional. The holding means 105 may be provided remote from the delimbing and cutting means 110. The holding means 105 may be attached to the delimbing and cutting means 110 by at least one wire or at least one metal bar or other suitable attachment means.

[0100] The holding means 105 and the branching and cutting means 110 can communicate with each other and / or independently with the UAV and / or base station 120. At least one camera may be mounted on either the UAV 100, the branching and cutting means 110 and / or the holding means 105.

[0101] In various exemplary embodiments, the harvesting tool 105, 110 may be made of two separable parts: a first part 105 configured primarily to hold the tree, and a second part 110 that can move up and down along the trunk of the tree, capable of delimbing and / or cutting the tree.

[0102] The holding means 105 can change its position on the trunk during cutting, delimbing, harvesting, transporting and / or barking the trunk.

[0103] The base structure 650 further comprises a first winch motor 682, a second winch motor 684 and a third winch motor 686. The first winch motor 682 and the second winch motor 684 may be arranged at a distance from each other at the top 695 of the limbing and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 as shown in FIG. 5. The third winch motor 686 may be arranged at a distance from the first and second winch motors 682, 684. The first winch motor comprises a first wire or cable 682a, the second winch motor 684 comprises a second wire or cable 684a and the third winch motor comprises a third wire or cable 686a. The first, second and / or third cables or wires may be extended or retracted individually and independently of each other by the respective winch motors. By varying the length of one or more of the wires or cables 682a, 684a, 686a, the limbing and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 can be tilted to a desired orientation and / or its distance relative to the UAV can be changed, increased or decreased. The limbing and cutting means 110 and the means for holding the tree 105 may further comprise a control unit 690. The control unit 690 may be provided with a battery power source for powering the first, second and third winch motors 682, 684, 686, the first and second arms 113, 115 and the first and second wheels 113a, 115a, the chainsaw 116 and the relative movement of the chainsaw with respect to the base structure 650, as previously described.

[0104] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary machine 1600 on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) described herein may be implemented. The examples described herein may include or operate on logic or some components or mechanisms within the machine 1600. A circuit (e.g., processing circuitry) is a collection of circuits implemented in the tangible entity of the machine 1600 including hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). The membership of a circuit may be flexible over time. A circuit includes members that, alone or in combination, can perform a specified operation when operated. In one example, the hardware of a circuit may be invariably designed to perform a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In one example, the hardware of a circuit may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) including machine-readable media (e.g., magnetic, electrical, movable arrangements of immutable mass particles, etc.) physically modified to encode instructions for a specific operation. In connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor or vice versa. The instructions enable the embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create the members of a circuit within the hardware through the variable connections to perform a portion of a particular operation during operation. Thus, in one example, the machine-readable media element is part of a circuit or is communicatively coupled to other components of a circuit when the device is operating. In one example, any of the physical components may be used in two or more members of two or more circuits. For example, during operation, an execution unit may be used in a first circuit of a first circuit at one time and reused by a second circuit of the first circuit or by a third circuit of the second circuit at a different time. Additional examples of these components with respect to machine 1600 are provided below.

[0105] In alternative embodiments, the machine 1600 may operate as a stand-alone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked arrangement, the machine 600 may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In one example, the machine 1600 may operate as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 1600 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify operations to be performed by the machine. Furthermore, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be construed to include any collection of machines that individually or collectively execute a set (or sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations, etc.

[0106] The machine (e.g., computer system) 1600 may include a hardware processor 1602 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 1604, a static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, basic input / output (BIOS), unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), etc.), a main memory 1604, a static memory 1606, and a mass storage 1608 (e.g., a hard drive, a tape drive, flash storage, or other block device), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 1630. The machine 1600 may further include a display unit 1610, an alphanumeric input device 1612 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1614 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display unit 1610, the input device 1612, and the UI navigation device 1614 may be touch screen displays. The machine 1600 may further include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 1608, a signal generating device 1618 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1620, and one or more sensors 1616, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, a gyro, a light sensor, or other sensors. The machine 1600 may include an output controller 1628, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection, for communicating with or controlling one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0107] The processor 1602, the main memory 1604, the static memory 1606, or the registers of the mass storage 1608 may be or include a machine-readable medium 1622 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1624 (e.g., software) that embody or utilize any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 1624 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within any of the registers of the processor 1602, the main memory 1604, the static memory 1606, or the mass storage 1608 during its execution by the machine 1600. In one example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 1602, the main memory 1604, the static memory 1606, or the mass storage 1608 may constitute the machine-readable medium 1622. Although the machine-readable medium 1622 is depicted as a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 1624.

[0108] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 1600, causing the machine 1600 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or related to such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon-based signals, audio signals, etc.). In one example, a non-transitory machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles having a fixed (e.g., resting) mass, and thus is a composition of matter. Thus, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is a machine-readable medium that does not include a transitory propagating signal. Specific examples of non-transitory machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks, removable disks, etc.; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0109] The instructions 1624 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 1626 using a transmission medium via a network interface device 1620 utilizing any of a number of transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Exemplary communications networks may include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), plain old telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In one example, the network interface device 1620 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas for connecting to the communications network 1626. In one example, the network interface device 1620 may include multiple antennas for wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques. The term "transmission medium" should be interpreted to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 1600, including digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media for facilitating communication of such software. A transmission medium is a machine-readable medium.

[0110] The system may further comprise means for determining the number of UAVs used together to transport at least a portion of the ligno depending on at least one ligno parameter and / or the distance between the original location of at least a portion of the ligno and the final destination. The transportation of long and / or heavy portions of the ligno and / or multiple portions of the ligno may require more than one UAV to transport the portion of the ligno from its original location to its final destination. Using at least one ligno parameter, the correct number of UAVs to be used synchronously to transport the portion of the ligno may be assigned. The multiple UAVs may be attached to the portion of the ligno to be transported or attached to another UAV to synchronously transport the portion of the ligno from its original location to its final destination. The attachment of one UAV to another UAV may be done directly via a connection arrangement or via a wire or bar between the two UAVs. If the distance between the original location and the final destination is very long, multiple UAVs may also be required. If the distance between the original location and the final destination is long, an intermediate storage location between the original location and the final destination may be necessary for later pick-up and transport to the final destination. Using multiple UAVs in synchronization may be advantageous because smaller UAVs may be used, which are easier to handle and easier to use in dense forests. Synchronization of multiple UAVs to cooperate in transporting at least a portion of the ligno may be performed via the base station and / or the master UAV. If it is determined that multiple UAVs are needed, one of the UAVs may be assigned the master role and the other UAVs the serving role. The master role may be assigned to the UAV or a particular type of UAV that first approaches the portion of the ligno to be transported. Alternatively, multiple UAVs may be attached together for transport and the base station may assign one of them as the master and the other as the serving UAV. All UAVs may communicate with each other and with the base station. In yet another embodiment, the base station is the synchronization unit, i.e., all UAVs are assigned as serving UAVs and follow one and the same command sent out from the base station.

[0111] In various exemplary embodiments, single UAV transports can be prioritized before multiple UAV transports, as may be the case in the early stages of harvesting when the forest is still dense and there are many UAVs available.

[0112] In various exemplary embodiments, transportation is based on the total lift of the UAV. Optimization of transportation can in such cases be based on the order in which lignos should be picked up to minimize removal of certain areas. In various exemplary embodiments, only lignos with certain lignoparameters should be prioritized over all other lignoparameters and / or growth conditions.

[0113] In various exemplary embodiments, a particular type of UAV, size and / or capacity may be used depending on at least the lignoparameters. In various exemplary embodiments, the lignoparameters transmitted to the base station may allocate a particular type of UAV from the UAV fleet that can make the transportation as efficient as possible.

[0114] The lignoparameters can be detected by non-destructive evaluation, such as a camera or optical sensor. The lignoparameters can also be detected by taking a physical sample from the ligno and analyzing the sample. The removal can be in the form of cutting drilling or sawing to remove a predetermined amount of ligno at a predetermined location. The analysis can be done directly in the UAV or by means attached to the UAV. Alternatively, the analysis can be done at a location remote from the ligno. The lignoparameters can be detected by means attached to the same UAV used to transport / harvest a portion of the ligno, and / or by a human prior to harvesting / transportation, and / or by a land based remote and / or autonomously controlled unmanned vehicle (100), and / or by means attached to a separate UAV used only to detect tree parameters and / or growing conditions. In various exemplary embodiments, the detection of lignoparameters and / or growing conditions can be done simultaneously and by separate means (UAV, human, remote and / or autonomously controlled unmanned vehicle) as the harvesting and / or transport in a particular area.

[0115] Instead of debranching and cutting the complete ligno as in Fig. 4, the ligno may be harvested in parts starting from above towards below the ligno stem. When a part of the ligno has been harvested, the debranching and cutting means 110 may be left on the not yet cut part of the ligno, i.e. the stump, while the UAV carries away the harvested part from the original position of the ligno. The cutting position on the ligno stem may be determined before the means for cutting the specific ligno reaches, i.e. it may be detected by a human or the information may be obtained from a data storage device. The cutting position may be determined during harvesting and / or transportation. In such a case, the determination of the cutting position may be made by at least one camera mounted on the UAV. The cutting position may also be determined by the previous cutting position, i.e. when the ligno is first cut to generate the initially harvested ligno stem, a second cut of the remaining ligno may be determined relative to the first cut to generate a ligno stem having a predetermined length. The remaining ligno may be transported ligno, unharvested ligno, or ligno laid on the ground. The cutting location may be selected to be within a predetermined interval of the ligno stem. The means for cutting the ligno may also debark and / or debranch the ligno stem.

[0116] The delimbing means may be arranged at the top and at the bottom of the delimbing and cutting means 110. Arranging the delimbing means on both sides of the delimbing and cutting means 110 makes it possible to provide the delimbing and cutting means 110 from above the ligno or from the base of the ligno. The delimbing means is provided at a forward position relative to the direction of movement of the delimbing and cutting means 110.

[0117] In various exemplary embodiments, the delimbing and cutting means 110 may be provided by the UAV directly to the portion of the ligno to be harvested that is free of limbs.

[0118] In various exemplary embodiments, the harvesting tools 105, 110 can be made of two separable parts, a first part 105 configured to primarily hold the ligno and a second part 110 that can move up and down along the stem of the ligno which can delimb and / or cut the ligno.

[0119] The holding means 105 can change its position on the lignostem during cutting, delimbing, harvesting, transporting and / or barking the lignostem.

[0120] The multiple UAVs can work together in synchrony to transport the harvested portion of the ligno or multiple harvested ligno. This can be configured such that a first UAV is a master UAV and at least a second UAV is a slave UAV. The master UAV can grip the ligno to be harvested at a predetermined position on its stem. The at least one slave UAV may be attached to the master UAV via a wire. The at least one slave UAV may be placed in an elevated position relative to the master UAV. A synchronization unit ensures that the master UAV and the at least one slave UAV work in synchrony with respect to movement and distance with respect to each other. The synchronization unit may be located in the master UAV or in a control unit that controls the master UAV and the at least one slave UAV.

[0121] Instead of a single UAV grasping and harvesting a portion of the ligno, multiple UAVs can grasp and harvest the same ligno.

[0122] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the UAV can be flown with controlled position, speed, orientation and rotational rate and is designed to impart its motion to the means for cutting / pruning the ligno via a rigid connection, in this embodiment, the UAV controls the motion of the means for cutting / pruning the ligno.

[0123] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a UAV may be used to reduce the load on the cutting means 116 during cutting. This may be done by first holding a predetermined portion of the ligno with the holding means 105 and then applying lift with the UAV while cutting the ligno with the delimbing and cutting means 110. This may be advantageous as the reduction in load on the cutting means 116 from the weight of the ligno may increase the efficiency of the cutting procedure and / or require less power compared to cutting the ligno with a full load on the cutting means 116.

[0124] In various exemplary embodiments, the UAV and the means configured to harvest at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material may be separated from one another and reconnected to one another. The reconnection procedure may use one or more cameras or other suitable position sensors.

[0125] In various exemplary embodiments, multiple UAVs may be used to transport multiple trees or tree trunks.

[0126] The lignoparameter can be the number of branches and their position on the ligno. The lignoparameter can be the shape of the branches. The lignoparameter can be dry branches or the number of dry branches.

[0127] The lignoparameters may be defects created by weather, e.g., storms, fires, torrential rains, dry periods, etc. In various exemplary embodiments, certain types of trees may not be harvested within a certain period of time after a rainy season, such as birch.

[0128] The lignoparameter may be a lignogene or a set of genes. Lignogenes can be detected in a laboratory. Lignogenes may also be present along with the location of the ligno when sowing the ligno.

[0129] The lignoparameter can be the number of leaves or fir needles, which can be estimated by detecting the spectral density per unit area. The growing conditions may be the hydrology of a given region. The water treatment may be the presence of running water and / or soil moisture.

[0130] The growing conditions may be climate and / or meteorological variables such as wind, humidity, air pressure, radiation, etc. The growing conditions may be the weather in a particular season, snow depth, average wind speed, susceptibility to storm damage, etc. Temperature, fire and / or snow depth during a particular period, etc. may be determining factors for whether to harvest and / or if special equipment is required.

[0131] Abiotic factors such as soil quality can be determinants of growing conditions and ligno parameters. Abiotic factors, combined with detection of tree rings, tree shape, and surrounding vegetation, can be good indicators of ligno quality. Visual inspection of ligno combined with historical weather data can give a strong indication of ligno quality / value.

[0132] The final destination of the lignoparameters may be determined not only by longitude and latitude, but also by height above ground level or above sea level. If different types of lignoparameters are stored in the same location, but transported to yet another location at different times, height and / or spatial location relative to other parts of the tree, ground, or other object variables may be useful. The final destination may be a fixed location, a vehicle, but may also be a location relative to another object, part of the landscape, and / or a given area or volume. Knowledge of the spatial location of a particular lignoparameter in a pile of lignostem may be advantageous in business.

[0133] The growing conditions and / or ligno parameters can determine the final qualities of the timber, such as flat bend, edge bend and / or skew. In various exemplary embodiments, the ligno may be cut into pieces and the pieces may be placed on the ground. One of the smallest pieces may be transported first and the weight of the remaining pieces may be estimated based on at least one of the tree parameters.

[0134] To increase the value of the remainder of the forest, parts of the trees or some complete trees may be cut.

[0135] Possible modifications of the present invention The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, which are primarily for illustrative and exemplary purposes. This patent application is intended to cover all modifications and variations of the preferred embodiments described herein, and therefore the present invention is defined by the words of the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the device can be modified in all manners within the scope of the appended claims.

[0136] In various exemplary embodiments, a system (10) for remotely and / or autonomously harvesting at least a portion of a tree is provided, the system (10) comprising: a first remotely and / or autonomously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (100), UAV, comprising at least one means (105) configured to hold the harvested portion of the tree and transport the harvested portion of the tree away from the original location of the tree; a second remotely and / or autonomously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (100), UAV, comprising at least one means for harvesting at least a portion of the tree; at least one means for detecting trees to be harvested; a base station (120) for communicating with the first and / or second UAV; Equipped with.

[0137] The means for detecting trees to be harvested may be located on the first UAV, the second UAV and / or the third UAV and / or the remote-controlled and / or autonomously-controlled land vehicle. The third UAV and / or the autonomously-controlled land vehicle may communicate directly with the base station and / or indirectly with the base station. The indirect communication may be via the first and / or second UAV.

[0138] In various exemplary embodiments, a system (10) for remotely and / or autonomously selecting at least a portion of a lignocellulosic material to be cut is provided, the system (10) comprising: a remotely and / or autonomously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (100), UAV, comprising at least one means for cutting at least a portion of the lignos; means for detecting at least a portion of the lignocellulosic fragment to be cleaved; means for detecting at least one lignoparameter of at least a portion of the lignos and / or at least one growth state of at least a portion of the lignos, a base station (120) for communicating with the UAV; means arranged to select at least a part of the lignocellulosic material to be cut in dependence on at least one detected lignocellulosic parameter and / or at least one detected growth condition of the cut lignocellulosic material and / or of the remaining part of the lignocellulosic material and / or of at least one lignocellulosic material grown within a predetermined distance from the cut lignocellulosic material; Equipped with.

[0139] Harvesting may mean stripping ligno and preparing them for transportation away from their original location. It includes both thinning and clearing or clearcutting operations. Harvesting may be done according to current demand for specific tree parameters. Harvesting may be done according to current available storage capacity. Harvesting may be done according to season / temperature to maximize specific tree parameters. Harvesting may be done to maximize the quality / growth potential of remaining ligno in a specific area. Harvesting may also be done to maintain a diverse age forest. Harvesting may also be done to maintain a forest of a specific species, age and / or composition. Harvesting may be done to maintain cultural and / or aesthetic values.

[0140] For example, the disclosed system can also transport already harvested lignos or parts of lignos laid on the ground. Multiple UAVs can be used to remove multiple lignos laid on the ground to a final destination. Multiple UAVs working together in synchrony can take one or more lignos or parts of lignos at the same time. The selection of the lignos to be transported can be made according to the total weight of the lignos or parts of lignos to be transported. Multiple UAVs can have a maximum load capacity and a maximum range capacity. The lignos or parts of lignos can be selected according to their location, weight, time and the current state of the UAV, i.e. remaining charge and / or fuel.

[0141] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the ligno is removed and left on the ground. The portion can be anything from branches, tops to complete ligno. Complete ligno, so-called scrap ligno, can be removed without processing. Scrap ligno can have a relatively low value compared to other surrounding trees and / or to leave remaining ligno in certain areas to obtain the best possible growing conditions.

[0142] Throughout this specification and the claims that follow, unless the context otherwise requires, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" are understood to mean the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not to the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

1. 1. A method for remotely and / or autonomously harvesting trees from the air, comprising: a. detecting, by at least one sensor on the UAV (100), a tree to be harvested; b. Using information from said at least one sensor, positioning a harvesting tool (105) supported by said UAV (100) and including a delimbing means (114) at a predetermined distance H above the canopy of said tree to be harvested; c. Releasing the harvesting tool (105) from the UAV (100) in a first mode from the predetermined distance H above the canopy of the tree to be harvested; d. setting the harvesting tool (105) in a second mode when the harvesting tool (105) has the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested within its tree receiving area (177); Including, at least a portion of the harvesting tool (105) is below the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool (105) has a specific downward speed greater than zero; the first and second modes are different with respect to the tree receiving area (177) of the delimbing means (114) of the harvesting tool (105); The tree receiving area (177) refers to the area between the open and closed delimbing means (114). method.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a relative position of the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested and the UAV (100).

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested is detected by at least one out of at least three different stereo images.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of delimbing the tree to be harvested by gravity induced by the harvesting tool (105) when released from the UAV (100).

5. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a portion of a tree within the tree receiving area (177) of the harvesting tool (105) with at least one detector.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of stopping the release of the harvesting tool (105) if any portion of the tree within the tree receiving area (177) cannot be detected.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of stopping occurs within a predetermined time interval after starting to release the harvesting tool (105) from the UAV (100) and / or within a predetermined speed interval of the harvesting tool (105) not detecting any tree tops (131) within the tree receiving area (177) of the harvesting tool (105).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the harvesting tool (105) is triggered to be set to the second mode by at least one of the following triggers: when a tree is detected to be within the tree receiving area (177) of the harvesting tool (105) at a predetermined distance between the UAV (100) and the harvesting tool (105), at a predetermined speed of the harvesting tool (105), and / or within a predetermined time interval after the harvesting tool (105) is released from the UAV (100).

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the detection of trees within the tree receiving area (177) of the harvesting tool (105) is performed by at least one optical device provided on the UAV (100).

10. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the detection of trees in the tree receiving area (177) of the harvesting tool (105) is performed by at least one optical device provided on the harvesting tool (105).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the switching from the first mode to the second mode is performed autonomously.

12. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tree-receiving area (177) in the first mode is at least twice as large as the tree-receiving area (177) in the second mode.

13. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tree receiving area (177) in the second mode is adapted to the diameter of the trunk of the tree to be harvested.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the harvesting tool (105) is attached to the UAV (100) using at least two cables, each cable having a winch mechanism during the first and second modes.

15. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the harvesting tool (105) is moving in a direction essentially parallel to the trunk of the tree to be harvested at a speed of more than 1 m / s when the switch from the first mode to the second mode is performed.

16. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the recited steps are performed via at least one control unit (690) including one or more computer processors.

17. A computer program comprising program code means for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

18. 1. A computer-implemented method for aerial tree harvesting, comprising: a. detecting a tree to be harvested with at least one sensor; b. executing at least one control unit (690) to position a harvesting tool (105) comprising a delimbing means (114) supported by a UAV (100) at a predetermined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested by using information from said at least one sensor; c. Releasing the harvesting tool (105) from the UAV (100) in a first mode from the predetermined distance above the canopy of the tree to be harvested by execution of at least one control unit (690); d. executing at least one control unit (690) to set the harvesting tool (105) to a second mode when the harvesting tool (105) has the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested within its tree receiving area (177); Including, at least a portion of the harvesting tool (105) is below the tree top (131) of the tree to be harvested while the harvesting tool (105) has a specific downward speed greater than zero; the first and second modes are different with respect to the tree receiving area (177) of the delimbing means (114) of the harvesting tool (105); The tree receiving area (177) refers to the area between the open and closed delimbing means (114). Computer-implemented methods.

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