Accuracy of a Novel Smartphone-Based Log Measurement App in the Prototyping Phase

Area of Science:

• Forestry Science
• Digital Technology in Wood Industry

Background:

• Smartphone apps are increasingly used in wood supply chain management.
• Digital tools can bridge the digital divide in the timber business.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of the Tree Scanner (TS) smartphone app prototype.
• To assess its accuracy and efficiency in estimating log volume via digital measurement.

Main Methods:

• LiDAR-based smartphone app prototype (Tree Scanner) was used for digital log measurements.
• Two researchers performed repeated measurements, comparing digital to standard manual methods.
• Accuracy (R², RMSE) and measurement time efficiency were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Strong agreement between digital and manual log volume estimates (R² > 0.98, RMSE = 0.0668 m³).
• High intra- and inter-user consistency in measurements.
• Significant productivity improvement of 38% with digital measurements (21s vs 29s per log).

Conclusions:

• The Tree Scanner app provides accurate and efficient log volume estimation.
• Its features facilitate integration into wood traceability systems.
• The app offers a user-friendly tool for modernizing wood supply chain management.