Satellite-based positioning precision test in harvesters

New satellite-based positioning systems make it possible to follow harvesters and felled trees with high precision. The technology opens the door to smarter machine control and digital traceability in the forest.

In harvesters, satellite-based positioning is used to facilitate navigation and to coordinate the production data reported from the machines. The positioning systems used so far have an accuracy of about +/- 5 meters, and in the production files, the position of the cab is recorded when the trees are felled.

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In 2023, Komatsu launched a new positioning system where the accuracy is significantly higher and the position of the cab can be determined at the centimeter level. Like other manufacturers, Ponsse launched a similar system in 2024, which has now been evaluated by the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden.

In both cases, the new positioning systems are used in conjunction with crane tip control. This makes it possible not only to record the position of the cab, but also to follow the harvester head and record the positions of the felled trees and logs. The new position information opens up a number of opportunities for improvement, such as partially automating forwarding work, introducing digital traceability and automating the registration of excavation alignment.

About the study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of Ponsse’s positioning system “Ponsse high-precision positioning” when determining the positions of the felled trees.

The study was conducted in August 2024 with SCA as land and machine host. The satellite-based positioning system was mounted on a Ponsse Giant with an H8 harvester head. The incoming signals from the satellites were received by two antennas mounted on the machine’s cab; Two antennas are used for directional determination. Positioning was done with network RTK, i.e. a more advanced positioning technique that requires continuous access to correction signals. These signals were distributed via mobile internet and the HxGN SmartNet service was used. The harvester was equipped with a crane tip control (Ponsse Active Crane) and Ponsse had implemented a calculation of the position of the tree during felling, which was recorded in the hpr file.

The left image shows the harvester used in the study, while the right image shows the location of the two antennas on the cab.

To evaluate the accuracy of the positioning system, an experimental design was used where data was collected in two steps. In a first step, the harvester felled 43 trees and the position of the harvester head when felling the trunks was recorded in the hpr file. For all trees, a manual note was made how the harvester head was set when felling, i.e. whether it was set clearly from the left or right side in relation to the direction of the crane, or whether it was set as an almost straight extension of the crane. In a second step, manual reference measurements were made of the position of the stumps from the 43 felled trees. The position of the stumps was measured with a GNSS receiver mounted on a measuring rod. Network RTK was used for positioning and the correction signal was retrieved from Swepos. At the positioning, a fix solution was obtained for all stumps, which means that the positioning accuracy in the reference measurement was at the cm level.

Manual reference measurement of the positions of the stumps.

During the analysis, the positions from the manual reference measurement were compared with the positions from the harvester and the deviation for each stump was calculated. In the analysis, an attempt was also made to identify the cause of deviations by utilising the information on how the head was employed during felling.

Here is a summary of the study’s results:

• Ponsse’s “Ponsse high-precision positioning” positioning system has a high accuracy that is on a par with the precise positioning system previously launched by Komatsu.
• There is a potential to further improve the precision of the system by adding information about how the harvester head is rotated during felling.

Source-Skogsforsk

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