![](\"http:\/\/www.esa.int\/var\/esa\/storage\/images\/esa_multimedia\/images\/2016\/02\/treemetrics_woodland_laser_scan\/15791030-1-eng-GB\/Treemetrics_woodland_laser_scan_small.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\nA commercial forest seen through the \u2018eyes\u2019 of a 3D laser scanning system developed by the ESA-supported Treemetrics company.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe trees of planet Earth \u2013 recently estimated to number three trillion in total<\/a> \u2013 are both environmental and economic resources, and require careful stewardship.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWe estimate 20% of global forest resources are currently going to waste as they are harvested,\u201d explains Enda Keane, CEO of Irish company Treemetrics<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWhat Treemetrics aims to deliver is more wood from fewer trees, through a complete end-to-end forest management system. It combines forest mapping, assessment and valuing with decision-making tools for harvest planning as well as real-time monitoring of the cutting and collecting process.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nTreemetrics developed a project in collaboration with ESA\u2019s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme\u2019s Integrated Applications Promotion<\/a> to integrate satellite communications into its system, enabling managers to monitor their equipment and track harvesting as it happens, even from remote forest locations.\n<\/p>\n \nThe company can perform forest mapping through aerial and drone photography and \u2018laser radar\u2019 lidar, as well as satellite Earth observation \u2013 using missions including ESA\u2019s Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2.\n<\/p>\n \nThese maps are given a third dimension through \u2018ground truthing\u2019. Laser scanners perform a 360-degree survey at regular intervals to measure the straightness and health of trees \u2013 accurately estimating their quality as logs in advance of them being logged.\n<\/p>\n \nMr Keane adds: \u201cWe are very grateful for the great technical, financial and business planning support we received through ESA\u2019s IAP, which enabled the creation of a world class product for the global forest industry.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nThe company\u2019s customers to date include state forest agencies in 26 countries, as well as private forest owners and government agencies. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \nA commercial forest seen through the ‘eyes’ of a 3D laser scanning system developed by the ESA-supported Treemetrics company.\n<\/p>\n \nThe trees of planet Earth – recently estimated to number three trillion in total<\/a> – are both environmental and economic resources, and require careful stewardship.\n<\/p>\n \n“We estimate 20% of global forest resources are currently going to waste as they are harvested,” explains Enda Keane, CEO of Irish company Treemetrics<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n“What Treemetrics aims to deliver is more wood from fewer trees, through a complete end-to-end forest management system. It combines forest mapping, assessment and valuing with decision-making tools for harvest planning as well as real-time monitoring of the cutting and collecting process.”\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n