At the Forest Growers Research Annual Conference in October 2025, Paul Milliken of Applied Teleoperation Ltd (ATL) reviewed two innovations in cable yarding: a teleoperation system to remotely control tail hold anchor machines, and a yarder automation project.
The first innovation in cable yarding enables hauler operators to remotely control their tail hold anchor machines from a cab-mounted console (Fig. 1 below).
This innovative technology arose from the earlier FGR Steepland Harvesting Programme and has been in commercial use for more than five years. Button Logging Ltd in Canterbury has operated two such teleoperated anchor machines in their swing yarder crews for the last five years. The system delivers live audio and video feeds into the operator cab, with telemetry overlaid on the screen. Although local control (of the anchor machine) remains possible, nearly all tail hold shifts are now performed via teleoperation. Key benefits include faster tail hold shifts, the ability to pre-start and warm up engines before relocation, and enhanced safety of workers.
The second innovation Paul addressed at the FGR conference was a project which is part of the FGR Harvesting Automation & Robotics “Forestry Work in the Modern Age” Primary Growth Partnership programme to apply automation to an APEX shovel yarder, developed by AP Plant & Machinery Ltd of Gisborne (APPM). This project is well underway and sees ATL collaborating with Mana Logging Ltd of Gisborne and APPM to automate inhaul and outhaul of the APEX HY202 Smart Yarder equipped with an APEX electric grapple carriage (Figure 2, right).
The project team recently demonstrated automated inhaul and outhaul while extracting full-size stems to the landing. The current phase of work aims to automate sufficient functions of the shovel yarder so that it can be run without an operator in the yarder cab, and with only supervisory control by the operator of another machine, such as a bunching machine in the cutover. The operator in the bunching machine will also control feeding the grapple carriage. This innovative system is on track to be commissioned later in 2026. Expected benefits of automation of the hauler include reduced operator fatigue, shorter training time, and fewer incidents due to human error.
ATL acknowledges funding for these projects from the MPI Primary Growth Partnership and the Forest Growers Levy Trust. For more information on either of these innovations contact:
Paul Milliken of Applied Teleoperation Ltd (ATL), m: +64 21 210 3350, e:paul@appliedteleoperation.co.nz
