Scanning System -- Technology Worth a Look

Editor’s note: In an effort to help automate the inspection for lumber defects, optical scanning systems are emerging as an alternative to the human eye. Although still in its infancy, scanning technology is being explored by machine companies and universities. The following article was excerpted from “Machine Vision Systems for Grading and Processing Hardwood Lumber, ” by Philip A. Araman and Daniel L. Schmoldt, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station; Richard W. Conners, Bradley Dept. of Electrical Engineering; and D. Earl Kline, Dept. of Wood Science and Forest Products. Their report is based on scanning technology research conducted at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va.