Method and a system for automatic measurement and tracking of logs, industrial wood and boards
First Claim
1. A method of tracking objects among a plurality of like objects being transported from a geographical location, the method comprising the steps of determining the geographical location of each individual object, taking at least one image of the object, determining, from the at least one image of the object, characteristic data about each object enabling identifying the object, transporting a plurality of objects, whose geographical location and characteristic data have been determined, from their geographical location to a handling station, handling, at the handling station, a bundle comprising at least one of the objects and with at least a part of each object being visible, the handling including taking at least one image of the bundle of objects, and identifying, from the at least one image of the bundle of objects, each object in the bundle.
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Abstract
A method for tracking and measuring volume, shape and surfaces of objects, such as logs, simultaneously. In series of load and unload operations along a procurement line, series of images are captured by e.g., CCD stereo cameras with sufficient spatial resolution capabilities. Simultaneously, the location of objects (logs) are registered by a GPS system aiding the tracking of the objects. The load and unload operations are typically performed by machineries such as harvesters, forwarders or trucks all equipped with a crane. On such machines digital cameras are mounted on jib arms and a computer system is attached. A GPS system is mounted on the machines too and the computer system is attached here as well. Thus the real time processing of stereo images can be accomplished and the volume, shape and surface of the 3D objects are computed simultaneously with their location in space. The resulting data are sent to a central database that keeps track of objects and their locations. These data are then again available for the following step in the procurement line as “a priory” information, facilitating the computation of the size, shape, surface and location of logs (objects) at the current load/unload operation. A chain of information provided by this invention will profoundly increase efficiency of any production chain subjectable to the presented method.
17 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of tracking objects among a plurality of like objects being transported from a geographical location, the method comprising the steps of
determining the geographical location of each individual object, taking at least one image of the object, determining, from the at least one image of the object, characteristic data about each object enabling identifying the object, transporting a plurality of objects, whose geographical location and characteristic data have been determined, from their geographical location to a handling station, handling, at the handling station, a bundle comprising at least one of the objects and with at least a part of each object being visible, the handling including taking at least one image of the bundle of objects, and identifying, from the at least one image of the bundle of objects, each object in the bundle.
Specification