| This thesis reports on a study that investigated the viability of using GPS to navigate forest harvesting equipment. The focus of the research investigation was to determine the viability of on-board, real-time GPS technology, teamed with GIS, in partial harvesting navigation. The viability of the system was determined on the basis of its ability to satisfy the same post-harvest quality assessment criteria and harvest productivity rates as exist in present practice.;Motivated by the savings that would result if costly harvest block layout procedures could be eliminated, the study examined GPS navigation performance using Valmet and Timberjack single-grip harvesters in partial harvesting experiments in Sussex, New Brunswick and Hinton, Alberta, respectively. The New Brunswick experiment involved a late autumn harvest in a mixed-wood condition, while the Alberta experiment was carried out in a pure softwood condition under severe winter conditions. The treatment involved GPS-assisted navigation of the desired harvesting pattern displayed over covertype map detail on a pen-based PC computer connected to a real-time differential GPS receiver. The control for the test used a portion of the harvest block in which no navigational assistance was utilized. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
