Accuracy, repeatability and time consumption of selected digital measurement methods of roundwood stacks

One of the key steps in the roundwood supply chain is the precise calculation of harvested timber volume, which is essential for billing. Measuring timber stacks manually is a time-consuming task for foresters. Recently, integrating LiDAR sensors into iPad Pro cameras has been suggested for measuring stacked timber. This study aimed to assess the accuracy, repeatability and time-consumption of volume calculation by digital devices through complex measuring tests on two photo-optical applications for timber measurements versus manual measurements. In total 418 measurements were made. Results indicate that photo-optical solutions are as accurate as manual measurement but faster and more efficient. The highest repeatability was attained by LogStackLIDAR. The User’s contribution to the final measurement time was notable in every tested method. LiDAR technology increased data collection speed by over eight times compared to manual methods. Including reference in photo-optical solution resulted in a remarkable speed enhancement of over three times.