The SINTETIC project has successfully conducted a field demonstration in Finland, testing a real-time optimal bucking approach under operational conditions. The system uses mobile LiDAR technology mounted on a PONSSE harvester.
In practical terms, the approach aims to automatically retrieve information from standing trees while the machine is operating, and to use this data to support harvesting decisions in real time. This entails questions such as which trees should be harvested, how stems should be bucked to maximise added value, and how digital information could be integrated into forest operations in a more direct and useful way.
Although this is still an early step, the demonstration clearly highlights the potential of combining mobile LiDAR, tree-level data, optimisation approaches, and operator support tools in future harvesting workflows.
