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Sopra Steria contributed to the project with a web-based solution where customers can use artificial intelligence to replace manual processes.
The customer's situation
Biodrone is specialised in drone services in the forestry and agricultural industry. They deliver a range of sustainable and innovative solutions and take on assignments throughout Norway. Their services include mapping, seeding, spraying, and fertilising
from the air.
Modern and sustainable forestry is about measuring and analysing the forest, so that we can utilise and take care of its resources in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. Biodrone wanted to create a simple and accessible method for analysing
forests using drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to contribute to sustainable precision forestry.
This is done by creating a web portal that can be used by everyone in forestry, without them needing expertise in geographic information (GIS), photogrammetry or AI.
Sopra Steria contributed to the project with a web-based solution where customers can use AI to replace manual processes.
Sopra Steria's contribution
The project uses state-of-the-art AI technology in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to recognise forest and plant varieties from images taken with a drone from a height of up to 200 meters. Our expertise in developing the infrastructure required
for training, testing, and validating machine learning models was pivotal in the design for the solution. Through Active Learning, the system also supports fine-tuning of the models, which is necessary when photos are taken in different light, seasons,
angles, and with different camera sensors. In addition, other systems can be integrated into the modelling for the mapping and analysis of objects.
The portal’s purpose is to offer the forestry industry a simple and intuitive system that uses drone technology to manage forestry, allowing everyone to use it regardless of expertise.
Sopra Steria has developed a web-based solution where the customer can upload images or video, process data, and use AI to replace otherwise manual processes. The customer gets several ways to analyse the images and view statistics in a map-based interface.
Value for the customer
With this solution from Biodrone, their customers can fly drones over the forest, take pictures and upload them to the web portal. They are given a density map that describes the number per tree species and the average height per tree species. This provides
significant information and is much more accurate than the manual method used today.
Forests require continuous management. Many incidents require measures that must be implemented relatively quickly to ensure good forest health - a prerequisite for efficient and sustainable forestry. Therefore, it is important to quickly map, identify
and implement measures to reduce the consequences of, for example, tree falls, top breaks and driving damage. Windfall and peak break must also be reported to insurance companies, and on Biodrone's web portal you can easily get an overview of the
changes. Driving damage is time-consuming to identify and measure, but has a major effect on future planting, drainage and forest health.
Unwanted plant species, or disease in the plants, can have a major impact on the condition of the forest if not detected early enough. Identification of these is time-consuming and, in many cases is completely random. By the time it’s detected it’s
often too late.
This project allows Biodrone to offer an innovative service for everyone in the forest industry from forest owners, via cooperatives and contractors to management. The solution opens up new opportunities to conduct efficient and sustainable precision
forestry. Users can standardise reporting and documentation, which is important in dialogue between different actors.
Sopra Steria shows an unwavering professionalism in all parts of the project. Their professionals have a high level of expertise and expertise. This ensures precision and attention to detail in the project. They have also demonstrated an incredible ability
to adapt to new circumstances, both in terms of changing project requirements or facing unexpected challenges. Sopra Steria has a clear and effective communication style characterised by openness, collaboration and trust. All of this makes it a pleasure
to work with them CEO Atilla Haugen, of Biodrone AS.
Forest owner
Forest owners can map their own forest and ask for price quotes from several organisations, or carry out their own based on drone data. Forest owners now have the opportunity to map much larger areas more accurately. They can track developments over time
to confirm the effect of the measures and get a better basis for securing the best price from more contractors.
Entrepreneur
Contractors use the portal as a work tool to identify where measures are needed and to calculate the price and time spent on young forest care. This results in a price that aims to provide more detailed information, ensuring it is the most competitive.
The contractors can document completed work and prove the effect.
Management
Forest managers use the platform as a tool as documentation of carried out regeneration and young forest management, and to increase their own efficiency in this work. This provides more control and monitoring of the measures, and more accurate measures
mean lower costs. By identifying unwanted plant species earlier, forest managers can take action to prevent their spread.
Today, customers use the portal to analyse several hundred forest areas in Norway and Sweden. Biodrone has also secured an agreement on continuous mapping and analysis for Trøndelag county municipality, which means monitoring tens of thousands
of hectares per year. Similar agreements are underway with Oslo and Viken. The world's largest drone manufacturer, DJI, has also partnered with Biodrone as its partner in forestry. Together, they will demonstrate how drones can be used to revolutionise
forestry.