Cutting systems evaluation for a tree-pruning robot

Forests play a crucial role in limiting climate changes (i.e., through CO2 storage, and by using wood in construction, thus preventing the emission of CO2 for the production of alternative building materials like concrete and plastic) and in mitigating its adverse effects (i.e., soil erosion and flooding). In this context, the sustainable management of forests has gained significant attention in recent years. In spruce forests, to maintain the ecological health and preventing wildfire, a proper spruce-tree pruning could be a possible solution. Moreover, this operation allows to improve the quality of the timber, by limiting the growth/formation of dead-knots. However, it typically requires specialized labour and longer execution times. In this study, an additional step regarding the design and implementation of an automatic spruce pruning robotic system is presented. In particular, this paper focuses on the experimental evaluation and selection of the most suitable cutting system to equip this robot. The results show how the pruning shears are the tool that can guarantee a more precise cut and a faster execution without destabilizing the climbing platform during the cutting operation. In any case, the indicated pruning shears require a branch detection system and a fairly precise positioning system to be effective.