A Concept Forwarder
Abstract |
Inspiration |
Method |
Result
| Presentation Video
Abstract
Nowadays forestry machinery is seen as a part of forest management rather than logging equipment alone. Forest owners and operators are adopting an outlook and a set of logging practices that give more consideration to the forest they leave behind than to the timber they harvest. An operator with this kind of attitude sees a tree-logging machine as a tool to increase the value of the forest in which he works.
Inspiration
Positive impact forestry is predicated on the idea that human use of forests does not need to be inherently destructive, and that it is possible to achieve an indefinitely sustainable complement of benefits without altering or destroying the essential ecosystem functions that support them.
Method
The project was carried out in collaboration with Komatsu Forest, therefore field-research and operator interviews were done in nearby logging areas. The main values of the Komatsu brand were investigated and applied in the final design. Scale and full-scale mock-ups were developed to test certain design features. Furthermore, sketches were done to find the right design language to fit into the Komatsu product family.
Result
There is a big concern that the loss of forest soil nutrients is the effect of timber extraction methods and equipment on soil flora and fauna, and on fine root system of trees. The more we learn about forest roots, the more we know how important it is to protect the forest floor from skidders, forwarders, and other heavy equipment - even horses. Therefore, my project - a low-impact forwarder, aims to decrease the negative effects on its working environment (forest) and still retain the productivity of the current machines.