CONCURRENT SESSION 3
Stream A & B - Speaker Bios
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Room Richelieu
Inna Sharf, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University
Presenting: A discussion on why increasing the autonomy of timber-harvesting machines is particularly challenging and introducing the main elements of the autonomy pipeline for a timber-harvesting machine and highlight some of their work on motion planning and decision-making problems for a feller-buncher. Professor Sharf will conclude with planned collaborative projects with FPInnovations and her vision for bringing robotics to forestry machines.
Bios
Inna Sharf is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She received her B.A.Sc. in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and her PhD at the Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto. After 10 years on faculty at the University of Victoria, she relocated to McGill in 2001 where she teaches and conducts research in dynamics, control, motion planning and state estimation. Over the years, she has worked on robot manipulators, space robotic systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, legged robots, and recently, on articulated machines for forestry applications. Sharf has published over 200 conference and journal papers on her academic research. She is an associate fellow of AIAA and a member of IEEE. Email: inna.sharf@mcgill.ca
Philippe Giguere, Professor, Université Laval
Presenting: In the first part of this presentation, we go over a number of past and current projects. These range from forest inventory using 3D lidar, all the way to automation of log picking using deep learning. Then, we go over various lessons learned, so that other practitioners can learn from our experience.
Bios
Philippe Giguère, eng. (Ph.D. in Computer Science, McGill U.) is a full professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering department at Laval University. He cumulates twenty years of experience in field robotics, artificial intelligence and sensor fusion. His recent research focuses on the increase of autonomy for cyber-physical systems in unstructured environments, particularly in the context of forestry operations.
Email: philippe.giguere@ift.ulaval.ca
Heshan Fernando, Researcher, FPInnovations
Presenting: This presentation is about the development of a robotic system at FPInnovations for automating log loading operations in forestry. The various functions of the autonomy pipeline will be described, with current performance results and next steps for scaling up the technology.
Bios
Heshan Fernando is a researcher specializing in the development of Field Robotics and Automation Systems at FPInnovations. He obtained his Ph.D. (2021) and M.ASc. from Queen’s University (Kingston, ON) and his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria (Victoria, BC). Heshan has worked on several robotics and automation projects for mining and construction automation, where he has conceived, designed and built full-scale prototype robotic systems with hardware/software system integration, drive by wire and remote control. He has also authored multiple technical reports, research papers and a thesis to communicate research methods and results.
Email: heshan.fernando@fpinnovations.ca
Pierre Cormier, VP Forestry and Woodland Operations for Quebec-Ontario, Resolute
Presenting: Transportation plays a vital role in the success of the forest industry, which in total contributed around 33 billion dollars to Canadian GDP in 2022. The ongoing shortage of truck drivers is causing industry production losses of around $450 million. The average age of drivers in the forest sector is 14% higher than the age of drivers in general transport, creating an urgent need to find solutions to avoiding mill shutdowns due to lack of drivers.
FPInnovations Autonomous Trucking and Platooning Initiative aims to accelerate the use of advanced autonomous truck technology in the natural resources sector, with a focus on the forestry sector, as a solution to the truck driver labour shortage.
The initiative is targeting to demonstrate SAE Level 4 autonomous platoon driving solutions, using one driver to lead a convoy of Class 8 trucks that are capable of operating in four-season moderate-to-severe weather, along typical terrain encountered on resource road conditions in Canada. The technology developed will be used as a tool to advance the skills of drivers and maintenance staff, while facilitating reliable, and safe, transportation of goods within remote resource environments.
Bios
Pierre Cormier has dedicated his career to the sustainable management of Canada’s forests. In his role as VP Forestry and Woodland Operations for Quebec-Ontario, he oversees the supply chain for 13 sawmills, managing an impressive volume of 2.4 billion board feet.
Mr. Cormier obtained his F. Eng. diploma from Laval University and began his professional career as a Woodland Supervisor for REED Paper Ltd in Forestville. Over the years, he took on increasingly influential roles, from planning and supervision at Donohue to managerial positions at Boisaco, Produits Forestiers Alliance, Abitibi-Bowater, and finally, Resolute Forest Products in 2014. Email: pierre.cormier@resolutefp.com
Ballroom AB
Claudie-Maude Canuel, PhD candidate, Université Laval, Canadian Wood Fibre Centre
Presenting: Surplus forest growth is a crucial feedstock for the energy transition. However, high supply costs often impede the profitability of using this biomass for forest bioenergy. Additionally, the substantial variability in stand characteristics among Canadian forests poses an operational challenge for biomass procurement. Integrated forest operations offer potential solutions to reduce biomass supply costs in accordance with sustainable forest management principles.
What if harvesting biomass not only fueled the growing bioeconomy but also served as a silvicultural tool for stand renewal? Could it reduce costs for site preparation and planting while enhancing carbon sequestration through efficient regeneration?
Over the past five years, we conducted research at six experimental sites located across the province of Quebec in Eastern Canada to address these questions. We aimed to identify stand characteristics that would favor biomass supply in both temperate and boreal forests, focusing on cut-to-length harvesting systems. This presentation offers an overview of our key findings to date.
Bios
Mrs. Claudie-Maude Canuel is a forest engineer and a PhD candidate in forest sciences in Quebec. She is affiliated with Université Laval and the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre of Natural Resources Canada. For eight years, she has been contributing to and conducting research in the fields of forest operations, forest ecology, and silviculture in eastern Canada. Her work focuses on integrating forest biomass supply into harvesting operations. She is primarily interested in the complex relationship between increasing harvest intensity and stand characteristics and its impact on the wood fibre flow, from the regeneration of forest stands to end-products. Email: claudie-maude.canuel.1@ulaval.ca
Vesa Leppanen, CTO, Arbonaut
Presenting: LiDAR is a powerful tool in effective wildfire management, not only providing the best data for fire simulations but also offering unmatched ability to map fuel and operating conditions, leading to much faster and efficient response. Fuel treatment and machine work can be also executed much more efficiently with LiDAR based information. Arbonaut is the leading provider of operative mapping data from LiDAR.
Bios
Vesa Leppänen, CTO of Arbonaut, holds a MSc in forest technology from University of Eastern Finland. He has worked in Arbonaut (Finland), Utility Risk Management Corporation (US) and Falcon Informatics (US) in the role of CTO during last 25 years. He manages R&D, product development and IP. His special interest is the design and development of LiDAR based mapping of timber and vegetation, field operating conditions and environmental value. Vesa has been working for example in the development of harvester operator and work planning maps, on fire management data and on crown level forest inventory issues during recent years. Email: vesa.leppanen@arbonaut.com
Brad Butt, Manager of Forest Management Planning, Department of Natural Resources and Renewables
Presenting: Following the release of the Independent Review of Forest Practices, the Nova Scotia government is fully committed to implementing the TRIAD model of forest management. This presentation will discuss how adaptive management, with a focus on current research, will guide the implementation of the TRIAD including ecological prescriptions such as the irregular shelterwood system.
Bios
Brad has been working as a forester in Nova Scotia for over 20 years with a focus on both operational and landscape level planning. Having transitioned from industry to government 5 years ago, Brad is currently the Manager of Forest Management Planning with Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. Email: brad.butt@novascotia.ca
Ryan Hunter, Product Specialist, Logmax Forestry
Presenting: Introducing the PlantmaX machine, discussing what solutions it provides, how it functions, results from Canadian trials and how it will impact the silviculture programs nationwide.
Bios
Ryan holds a degree in engineering and have a diverse background in the forestry industry. His experience includes supervising and auditing forestry operations, working as a commercial thinning contractor, and implementing a new operation for PCT treatments using an excavator. Currently, Ryan is the product specialist for the PlantmaX machine, using its technology to further advance his planting programs across Canada. Email: ryan.hunter@logmax.ca
Continue to Plenary Session 3
Speaker Bios
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