Forest Robots Got Talent! New Technologies Support The Automation In Reforestation of Clear-Cutting Areas

Nowadays reforestation of clear-cutting areas and afforestation of abandoned lands are very important both from ecological and wood production points of view. On the other hand, being a forest worker is no longer attractive labour. Improvement of work through digitalization or mechanization of the most time-consuming and simple activities is contributing to significant growth in the forestry sector. Recently it has become important to use innovative solutions to automate these activities. The main idea of this work is to present solutions for the running systems of self-propelled forestry machines and their ability to overcome terrain obstacles. New solutions of adaptive running gears for forestry and agricultural robots was presents. The results of simulation studies carried out on selected virtual models and the results of tests of selected prototypes in operational conditions will be shown. In addition, the possibilities of using non-contact sensors and overhead data acquisition techniques to help automate the movement of forestry machinery in difficult terrain will be discussed, with an emphasis on the use of AI technologies. The capabilities of artificial intelligence solutions laboratories for working machinery, operating within the framework of the European AgrifoodTEF project, will also be demonstrated. Finally, development directions and legal and regulatory challenges for emerging new solutions will be presented.