Environment & Forestry
Early pine wilt detection with ultrasonic NDT
- Client
- Korea Forest Research Institute
- Industry
- Environment & Forestry
- Duration
- Research project
Challenge
Pine wilt disease control starts with finding infected trees early, but early-stage infection shows almost no visible symptoms. Existing tree diagnostics needed specialists and long inspection times, which made them hard to scale for forest disaster response.
Approach
We built ultrasonic NDT equipment and a field reading interface that tracks changes in ultrasonic propagation inside trunks. Data is captured and read on site, without an external network. Korean physical AI, proven in forestry fieldwork.
Outcomes
- Earlier detection via ultrasonic analysis
- Single on-site scan and read workflow
- Less dependence on specialists
- Detection of internal change in visually healthy trees
Project summary
- Diagnostic method
- Ultrasonic NDT scan
- Data processing
- On-site interpretation
- Equipment form
- Portable field unit
Solution details
A field diagnostic system that reads internal tree changes with non-destructive ultrasonic inspection.
It detects infection signs such as pine wilt disease on site, without an external network.
- Non-destructive ultrasonic inspection
- Earlier infection detection
- On-site reading interface
- Works without an external network
- Portable field unit
- Signals
- Ultrasonic propagation, attenuation, and phase shifts
- Deployment
- Portable scan equipment with a reading interface
- Can it detect pine wilt disease early?
- Changes in ultrasonic propagation patterns reveal internal changes in trees that look healthy, enabling earlier infection calls.
- Does it work in the field without a network?
- Yes. The portable field unit collects and reads on site without an external network.