Autonomous forest regeneration for a sustainable bioeconomy (AutoPlant 3)

Purpose and goal:

The aim of Autoplant 3 is to further develop, scale up, and evaluate economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable autonomous technical solutions for gentle and productive forest regeneration. The objective is an autonomous forest regeneration system with high precision, low environmental impact, and a good working environment. The focus is on scaling up the tests of the systems developed in step 2, as well as to form prototypes of the autonomous system for site preparation and planting and the regeneration planning tool. A commercialization plan will also be developed.

Expected results and effects:

Expected results include gentle forest regeneration, automatic seedling management, route planning, planting spot detection and follow-up, as well as legislative changes enabling autonomous machinery in forestry. Effects: Swift and efficient forest establishment: reduced CO2 loss and better conditions for a bio-based society

Precision site preparation: more energy-efficient with less soil disturbances

Autonomous vehicles: improved work environment without harmful whole-body vibrations may attract new groups, promote gender equality, and ensure competence supply Approach and implementation:

The project develops an autonomous site preparation and planting system (WP1). Automatic planting follow-up, robustness, and below-ground obstacle detection (WP2), as well as gentle off-road driving and route planning (WP3), are tested. WP4 focuses on the work environment and human-machine interaction, including plant deliveries by drones or small autonomous machines.

Field trials in WP5 evaluate the system´s effectiveness in forest regeneration with minimal soil disturbances. WP6 aims to amend regulations for autonomous machinery use in forestry.