- Harvesting Automation & Robotics
Harvesting, automation and robotics research is the realm of the FGR’s ‘Te Mahi Ngahere i te Ao Hurihuri – Forestry Work in the Modern Age’ Primary Growth Partnership between government and the forest industry.
The programme goals are to redesign harvesting, log manufacturing and logistics processes. Our aims are to create value, improve profitability, and enhance sustainability by alleviating current labour shortages, and reducing operational harvesting and logistics costs. We also aim to improve the economic viability of small forests and woodlots, and create new product opportunities for domestic sale and export.
The programme is led by the Forest Value Chain Consortium, a partnership of forest management companies, harvesting and logistics contractors, and New Zealand-based forestry machinery manufacturers and technology partners, all of whom want to invest in and drive the design and manufacture of equipment and technology in the programme.
Forest Growers Research Ltd (FGR) manages the programme on behalf of the industry.
Programme manager: Keith Raymond
- Commercial partners comprise nine forest companies, ten manufacturing partners, and Forest Growers Research
- Programme duration – 2019-2027 (originally a seven-year programme but following a mid-term review has now been extended to nine years) programme
- Total funding over nine years: $27.144 million
- MPI total funding: $11.282 million
- Industry total funding: $15.862 million, sourced from the Forest Growers Levy Trust and commercial partners.
Explore Harvesting Automation & Robotics workstreams:
Harvesting Automation and Robotics News
Load securing and monitoring system reaches commercialisation
The Automated Log Load Securing project has three pieces of technology now at the commercialisation stage: The three products can stand alone or operate together.
Augmented Reality – improving maintenance outcomes
Increased mechanisation has provided a new source of injuries in harvesting crews, with nearly 500 machine maintenance-related incidents reported between 2015-2019. Of these incidents, 185
Hauler slash grapple put through its paces
Moving slash away from watercourses and other high-risk areas is becoming a standard part of harvest operations. A solution to the challenge of how to
Related searchable documents and reports
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