Predictive Maintenance in Forestry

Summary

Forest damage caused by the bark beetle is increasing due to extreme weather events and rising temperatures across Europe. Witasek Pflanzenschutz GmbH, in collaboration with Embever, has developed a biotechnological IoT solution to combat this issue. The smart monitoring system helps forest owners and foresters detect infestations early, enabling timely countermeasures to prevent widespread damage.

Challenge

At the start of the collaboration, some of Witasek’s customers faced significant challenges, especially in regions requiring intensive monitoring of bark beetle populations.

Timely Detection of Infestations

In certain high-risk areas, early detection of bark beetle swarming and population density is crucial to prevent mass reproduction and forest damage. Climate change has exacerbated the spread of infestations, making timely detection even more critical in these specific cases. Traditional monitoring methods were labor-intensive and conducted infrequently, resulting in delayed reaction times that could not keep pace with the rapid spread of beetles in these regions.

High Personnel Costs

Monitoring large forest areas manually with pheromone traps required significant personnel resources. Traps needed to be checked and cleaned regularly, leading to high operational costs and delayed responses to infestations.

Inaccessible Monitoring Locations

Due to high costs and logistical difficulties, monitoring traps were often placed only in easily accessible areas, overlooking critical zones where infestations could initiate. This left many high-risk areas unmonitored, allowing infestations to go undetected until they caused significant damage.

Solution

In response to these challenges, Witasek and Embever developed a Digital Bark Beetle Counter to enhance forest protection.

Reliable Measurement Methods

We embarked on an extensive collaborative process to develop and test a reliable technical counting method. Various prototypes were created and rigorously tested over an extended period, ensuring the highest accuracy and dependability.

Versatile Forest Digitalisation Platform

Our hardware development was carried out in an agile, iterative process alongside our client, ensuring suitability for outdoor requirements. Prototypes were promptly produced and tested. The trap consists of a measurement and transmission unit, as well as a sensor unit, which can be adapted to different conditions.

Comprehensive Industrialisation to Mass Production

We fully industrialised the product, incorporating mass production provisions, certification, and cost optimisation by defining, optimising, and establishing efficient and high-quality production processes.

Dashboard

• Magement Dashboard: An admin dashboard for Witasek allows for the allocation of traps to customers and their provisioning.
• End User Dashboard: A customer dashboard provides region-specific trap management, displays geodata, and offers export options for scientific research.

The Outcome

The collaboration between Witasek and Embever has led to significant improvements in forest protection against bark beetle infestations. The IoT monitoring solution enables proactive measures, reducing the risk of large-scale forest damage. This innovation not only enhances the efficiency of forest management but also lowers operational costs by reducing the need for manual inspections.

About Witasek

Witasek Pflanzenschutz GmbH is a leading provider of forest protection solutions, specializing in innovative biotechnological methods to combat pest infestations. Embever, a spin-off of the University of Magdeburg founded in 2017, specializes in hardware, embedded systems, and cloud applications, providing advanced IoT solutions to enhance operational efficiency and reliability in various industries.