Jan 13, 2023

Sensor technology and AI detect potentially harmful insects in forests early

How can potentially harmful insect pests be detected in forests before they multiply en masse? Under the leadership of TU Dresden’s Chair of Forest Protection with partners from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig and industry partners from the IFU Private Institute of Analysis, the ForstView project seeks to do exactly that with the help of one innovative solution.

The goal of the project is to develop and test a modern and effective sensor technology procedure for the early detection of primarily nun moths (Lymantria monacha), oak processionaries (Thaumetopoea processionea), and European spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus)in the forest. Even minimal traces of typical scent patterns in these insects’ various stages of development could be detected using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and classified using artificial intelligence (AI) procedures. If this process is successful, it will be extended to other species of insects and scent sources in forests.

The Center of Production Engineering and Management (CIMTT) at TU Dresden is looking into user requirements for developing a portable device with a view to recognized standards of ergonomics and is responsible for preparing the research findings to be presented to the public and integrated into practice.

Unter Rindenschuppen verborgene Eiablage der Nonne (Lymantria monacha) — Egg deposit of the nun moth (Lymantria monacha)

The figure shows an exposed egg deposit of the nun moth (Lymantria monacha), which is typically hidden deep beneath the layers of bark. The ability to find such deposits using the envisaged procedure, without having to laboriously and systematically remove bark from trees, would revolutionize forest protection monitoring.

The project is being financed by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection with resources from the Forest Climate Fund (Waldklimafonds) from January 2023 until December 2025. The organization executing the project is FNR – the Expert Agency for Renewable Resources.