Last week, the AI Forum (that’s Artificial Intelligence – not Artificial Insemination) released a major study about the potential for AI in New Zealand. For those interested, it is available free on the AI Forum website: Artificial Intelligence: Shaping a Future New Zealand. The report is the culmination of nearly a year’s work with research partners IDC and Sapere, examining …
International expertise for Woodflow 2018
As part of the upcoming two-yearly tech update for forestry, wood harvesting and transport companies around Australasia, the very latest international and local developments around vehicle fleet operations, planning and safety as they apply to the wood transport businesses, new log measurement systems and resource and transport scheduling are being unveiled. Outside of tech specialists drawn from across New Zealand …
Sensors for monitoring employees’ emotions
Is this a future safety tool for workers in higher risk occupations? Companies throughout China are using brainwave sensors to train workers and screen for mental fitness, South China Morning Post reports. More than a dozen factories are requiring workers to wear devices that use artificial intelligence to monitor their emotions. While officials say this saves money, the implications for …
Evaluating drones for aerial mapping
How often have we wanted to get a bird’s eye view with location intelligence from a certain height? A drone gives you the chance to view everything from an aerial point of view. So, how do you select the right drone for your mapping needs? If you are looking to outsource this service, how can a commercial drone service be …
Nearly 2,000 forest owners testing virtual forest
The virtual forest developed by Metsä Group, Tieto and CTRL Reality runs on all VR devices, and it can simulate different forest management methods and their impact on income and the landscape, for example. The solution can replace actual visits to the forest, and it helps to illustrate the impact of forest management activities, among others, to forest owners. “Metsä …
Drone and satellite imagery combined
Airbus Aerial and DroneBase have announced a partnership that will be interesting reading for any organization that relies on aerial imagery to make better decisions. The two plan to deliver the world’s first “multi-source data service solution for aerial imagery and data from a single provider”. In English, that means the companies will seek to offer a combined service that …
NZ$830,000 funding for securing LiDAR data
New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries’ Erosion Control Funding Programme (ECFP) is providing NZ$830,000 to the Gisborne District Council to undertake high definition digital 3-D aerial mapping of its region to enable better informed erosion control and business decisions. LiDAR is a remote sensing tool which uses laser pulses to generate large amounts of highly accurate geographical terrain data. “With …