Mechanical silviculture

Problem: How to mechanise tree planting in North American logged sites? Trees are presently hand planted. Preliminary exploration identified the following collection of sub-problems. Vehicle: How to carry tools reliably and cost effectively over rough obstacle strewn ground? Results: U.S.A. - patent granted European Patent Office - patent granted Canada - patent granted The patents cover the main form and mode of operation of a simple but unconventional vehicle. Silvicultural/mechanical: How to mechanise the handling and placement of trees? Results: Two International Patents allowed. They cover a magazine/feed mechanism and a placement mechanism. They form a planting tool. One man guides the vehicle/tool system. An array of planting tools is carried. Two problems arise from the need to make guidance manageable and the planting rate fast enough. Spacing: How to cause the members of a collection of simultaneously operating tools to space themselves appropriately the spacing being driven by machine perceived cues? Choice: How to cause a tool to move to and halt over a plan table spot, tool action being driven by machine perceived cues? Results: One International Patent allowed. Spacing: A conceptual solution is described. Choice: A semi-automatic solution is described. It involves a system of tool guidance and a system of tool set-up, both light guided. Two methods for the detection of light signals in the presence of sunlight have been investigated. Choice-automatic; two solutions have been explored. One uses standard data processing, the other "parallel" processing. Here an idealised device is described which will compare for likeness two two-dimensional patterns.