«Industry 4.0»: information technologies utilization for reducing the man-made impact of tree harvesting machines

Abstract

This article considers an actual question about which technological changes affect the modern logging machines and all forestry within the frameworks of «Industry 4.0» conception. There is disclosed the concept as «Forestry 4.0», is given the characteristic of its basis: «The Real Environment», «The Internet of Forest», «NextGen Fibre Supply Chain», «Data Analytics». There is given an assessment to changes, which involve a hardware-software component of technics and the scheme of interactions between machines and systems within the frameworks of «Industry 4.0» (symbiosis of machines, Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems). There is provided an empirical formula, by the means of it one can to estimate correspondence of logging machine’s technique to this conception, and use recommendations are given. There are stated main unfavorable factors caused by forest technics, namely: negative impact on the ground and soil oil pollution. There are distinguished some models of «future» logging machines, their relevance for forestry on the current level of progress is estimated. There is discussed a point, tied to remotely-operated tree harvesting machines, are singled out existing combinations of telecontrolled machines. An urgency of their use is highlighted (where human performance is forbidden).  There are made conclusions about prospects of «Industry 4.0» technologies adoption in Russian wood harvesting organizations and Russian-sourced logging machines. There are brought main factors, braked their progress, f.e.: psychological people’ unreadiness to accept the innovations and absence of required skill set and necessity of engineering plans rebuilding, which were formed by years.