¶ European Cooperation in Science and Technology project COST Action CA23135 “Bringing Digital Data and Reality Together - Augmented Reality in Forestry”
Recommended Technology
Description: The Horizon Europe COST Action CA23135 (ARiF) is a four‑year European research and innovation network (2024–2028) explicitly established to address the disconnect between rapidly expanding digital data resources and their practical use in field operations. The Action brings together researchers, technology developers, forest managers, and end users to explore how Augmented Reality can function as a delivery and interaction layer, translating digital forest inventories, remote sensing outputs, planning data, and digital forest twins into formats that are usable in real operational settings. Rather than developing core AR hardware, ARiF concentrates on use‑case development, workflow integration, data standards, positioning under canopy, and human‑centred design, explicitly acknowledging that the technology bottleneck in forestry is not sensing or modelling, but interpretation and application on the ground.
Within the ARiF framework, augmented reality is treated as an enabling interface rather than a stand‑alone solution. The COST Action documents position AR at an overall Technology Readiness Level of approximately 5–6, reflecting that while AR devices are commercially mature, forestry‑specific implementations remain largely at pilot or prototype stage. ARiF identifies key constraints - including unreliable GNSS under forest canopy, limited connectivity in remote estates, fragmented data formats, and the durability requirements of forestry environments - as central research priorities. Indicative implementation costs are therefore driven far more by software development, data preparation, and system integration than by hardware acquisition. For Australia, the relevance of the ARiF work lies in its explicit alignment with large, remote forest estates, high safety demands, and growing pressure to do more with fewer skilled workers. As framed by the COST Action, AR does not reduce labour or manage fuel loads directly; instead, it amplifies the effectiveness, safety, and consistency of forestry operations, and becomes increasingly valuable when combined with digital twins, operator‑assist systems, and mechanised or autonomous technologies.
Category: Safety & Worker Assistive Technologies
FWPA RD&E: 8.4
¶ Details
| Company | Country | Type | Website | Available in Australia? | Year | Status | Remarks | TRL | Employees | Colour | Inventors | Patent Model. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link | 2025 | 0.0 | Orange |