Automated Acoustic Knot Detection

Solid Wood Innovation, Rotorua

2012

The University of Auckland (Mathew Legg and Stuart Bradley) and Solid Wood Innovation

The ability to predict the properties of a tree stem or felled log can have a significant effect on the profitability that can be achieved [1]. One factor that can affect the structural properties of wood is knots. Identification of the location of knots in saw milling processing plants is often performed using manual inspection. This project investigated an automated technique for detection knots using an acoustic camera.

Development of the novel ultrasonic hardware for pasture biomass estimation. Performed farm bike field trials with AgResearch, developed signal processing algorithms and analysed results. I initially work on this project as a Postdoc at the University of Auckland and under a subcontract when I joined Massey.