MISTRA DIGITAL FOREST 2019 1
MISTRADIGITALFOREST Simulation-based design for o
ff-road driving By simulating machines and terrain, researchers at Umeå University develop knowledge that may support drivers of forest machines, and ultimately for self-driving machines. Martin Servin works at UMIT Research Lab at Umeå University. He is also co-founder of Algoryx, a university spin-off company in the field of physics-based simulation. Algoryx has expertise in the development of automation solutions for the construction, manufacturing and mining industries, know-how that is now being extended to the development of forest machines within Mistra Digital Forest. When heavy vehicles are driven in the forest, compaction and shearing can occur at some depth in the ground. This inhibits the formation of roots, and their growth. It can also affect the transport of nutrients and water in the soil. – This means that growth and the ecosystem in the forest can be negatively affected, resulting in both ecological and financial losses, says Martin Servin. But much is still unknown about how, and when, ground damage occurs and how serious it is. These are some of the challenges to which researchers want to find a solution. And they use digital terrain and vehicle models to assist them. – We develop digital solutions so that machines can register the sort of terrain they are in, and how they ought to behave to move efficiently and avoid getting stuck. We also look at what causes damage to the ground, and how that can be avoided. Our goal is that this will result in driver-assistance systems. In the longer term, this can be an important building block for self-driving or remote-controlled vehicles in rough terrain, concludes Martin Servin. Image: Skogforsk och Gösta Lindwall Ola Lindroos, professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), is interested in forest technology, that is the interaction between labour, machinery, forest resources and the environment, all with the aim of ensuring that forestry operations are carried out as efficiently as possible. Creating a new forest machine just because you can, isn’t enough. The new machine must make a positive difference – a change that really improves things. So, Ola Lindroos believes that developmental work in forest technology has to be directed towards appropriate solutions. – It is easy to get drawn into the – In the simulation we can study the behaviour of the entire vehicle, and the resulting wheel ruts in the soil. We can also visualise the network of forces in the ground where you drive, and in this way, we can analyse pressure fields and compaction, says Martin Servin. technological development, but it is important to stop and think, so that investments really do provide genuine, relevant improvements, says Ola Lindroos. Sweden is a world leader in forest machine technology. But we still have a way to go before we reach full automation. However, there are several driving forces that indicate that development of the processes is moving forwards. Technological development means that the same work can be carried out, but in a better way, while at the same time new products from forest raw materials, and new regulations, affect how forestry work is done – and how it should be. 8 Image: Viktor Wiberg P E h o S t o : N J o I h T a R n A O l s s M o n R V I N