Forestry UAV

Purpose and goal

The project had three main objectives. (1) Three new prototypes were built with the final prototype (v 6.0) successfully meeting the customer’s needs. The final prototype significantly outperformed the initially proposed objectives in terms of data acquisition speed and point cloud quality yet under-performed in terms of ruggedization. (2) Efficacy and profitability were validated in a 1ha pilot project. The drone gathered 3D data at 20min/hectare/drone. (3) Deep Forestry AB was established with a new workshop, new investors, new customers (SCA), and patent pending status.

Expected results and effects

The Skogsbruk UAV project successfully developed a final working prototype that flies below the canopy of the forest, in-between the trees, while making 3D maps (point clouds) of a forested area. Deep Forestry AB was established with new investors and new upcoming projects for continued development with IBM, PiiA, and the ESA. A pilot study with Bergvik Skog was successfully undertaken, demonstrating 3D data acquisition rate of 20min/hectare/drone. SCA became the first customers of Deep Forestry AB, purchasing a pilot project similar to the Bergvik Skog pilot project.

Planned approach and implementation

The tech and business KPI’s retrieved from this project were used to obtain investor capital for Deep Forestry AB and as the foundation for a number of follow-up project applications. The KPI’s and business model were reviewed by many of Europe’s most qualified tech and business analysts and resulted in multiple new funding and business opportunities including: (1) Receiving the “Seal of Excellence” from the European Commission SME instrument (2) a two year incubation with the ESA, (3) Funding for our AI algorithm by PiiA/Vinnova, and (4) an incubation opportunity with IBM.

External links

Deep Forestry has built a drone that can build 3D maps of forests while flying below the canopy, in-between the trees.