Top image: Umeå Institute of
Design
- In collaboration with these creative and smart students, we
have had the pleasure of exploring new ways forward, with nature
and man in focus. It is these types of ideas and concepts that are
needed to take necessary steps towards the sustainable forestry of
the future, says Linda Nyström, CEO of the Cluster of Forest
Technology.
A platform for open dialogue between natures many
stakeholders. Self-propelled forwarders acting as responsive
employees in the forest. And drones that can be used both in
forestry and in school education at the same time. These are some
examples of what students at Umeå Institute of Design have come up
with during the project. Most of them come from the bachelor's
programme in industrial design, while some students from other
programmes at Umeå University participated in the project via an
independent course.
The project concept was created by Umeå Institute of Design in
collaboration with the Cluster of Forest Technology with the aim of
investigating new perspectives in design and forestry. All six
design concepts developed by the students are summarized briefly
below.
Monica Lindh Karlsson, senior lecturer in
industrial design at UID, led the project.
- By designating nature and man as a "client", we created an
interesting shift in perspectives. It allowed us to see
sustainability as a system in relation to other systems. The
students have dealt with a very complex reality and I am deeply
impressed by how they approached this challenge, says Monica Lindh
Karlsson, senior lecturer in industrial design at Umeå Institute of
Design.
A large number of stakeholders from the forest sector have
participated in the project: Sveaskog, Holmen, SCA, Norra Skog,
Cranab, Vimek, Algoryx, SLU and the forest contractors
Gallringsproffs AB. Recently, Magnus Bergman, head of forest
technology at SCA, followed the students' final presentations with
great interest and he believes that several concepts and ideas can
be useful in future efforts to develop the forestry
industry.
- The students make new perspectives around our industry
visible, giving me new and valuable insights. What at first glance
might give the impression that "it is not possible", can give you
food for thought that in the end makes you see whole new
opportunities.
Facts
Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University is a highly regarded
school for industrial design in Umeå. Recently, the school ranked
number one in the international Red Dot ranking, for the fifth year
in a row.
The Cluster of Forest Technology is an economic association that
supports the development of new technology for sustainable
forestry, through collaborations between the forest industry and
academia.
About the students' design concepts
A digital platform for open dialogue
Group: Emilia Bengtsson, Emma Sundin, Frida
Åberg, Isac Klemets, Oscar Némethy och Thea Burlin
The problem: In our research, we saw a need for
a platform for an open dialogue between nature's various
stakeholders. We therefore chose to investigate: How can a holistic
perspective on forestry improve our symbiotic relationship with
nature and contribute to creating a more sustainable future?
The solution: Our concept SYM is a digital
platform that aims to increase the symbiosis between man and nature
by opening up for a more democratic dialogue between all
stakeholders in nature.
The goal: The goal of our digital platform is
to create a stronger connection between man and nature, a
connection that increases our awareness by opening up for dialogues
in society where nature's conditions are put in focus.
The experience: The project has challenged and
broadened our perspectives. Who has the right to speak for nature?
Is it possible to make all perspectives heard? Who owns the forest
and how is ownership defined?
A human link between nature and machine
Group: Algot Gustafsson, Axel Höijertz, Dana
Hölzer, Karin Myhrberg and Stina Nilsson
The problem: Our basic problem was to ensure
the needs of both nature and the forest industry for a long-term,
healthy relationship.
The solution: Our concept is based on
separating man from machine in a new work role, the Forest Curator,
which is the communicating link between forest and technology. A
work role that can make decisions based on independent information
and thus have a long-term approach to both nature and industry.
The goal: We hope that this concept leads to a
healthier relationship between forest, industry and nature, where
more conscious choices are made and the results are environmentally
friendly while promoting nature's biodiversity.
The experience: Working with this project has
been very challenging and interesting. Both in terms of the
subject, having nature as a client, but also regarding the digital
work situation. We have all gained a new perspective on nature and
forestry during this project.
Artificial intelligence in the machine operator window
Group: Emanuel Berglund, Lisa Selin, Mathias
Nordin, Flora Jameson, Nina Långströma and Joel Bystedt
The problem: How can we ensure that the machine
operator receives relevant information, so that his or hers
decisions are effective, but also ethically and environmentally
sound.
The solution: The concept consists of two
parts; an app that both forest owners and machine operators use and
an AR heads-up display that is located in the forest machine's
glass pane. The AR box is designed to help the driver make the
right decision in the forest, based on the need for biodiversity
and efficiency. It can, for example, show which trees should be cut
and which should be saved, and wetlands that should be
avoided.
The goal: We hope that our concept can lead to
forestry becoming more sustainable and at the same time the machine
operators find it easier to make the right decisions.
The experience: It has been very interesting to
work with this project, especially with nature as a client. It has
opened up completely new perspectives and given us a completely
different understanding of the needs of nature and how we humans
often completely overlook these needs in order to instead focus on
economic gain.
Autonomous frowarders as responsible employees in the
forest
Group: Ellinor Werner, Petra Persson, Oscar
Olsson, Lisa Holmgren and Nikita Zatonskiy.
The problem: We saw a problem with soil
compaction. A fully loaded forwarder can today weigh 40 tons, which
is very stressful for the ground. In a future climate where more
precipitation is expected, this problem will be further exacerbated
due to the softer composition of the soil.
The solution: We call our solution the Ambulo
System. The system consists of a new, autonomous, forwarder with
legs instead of wheels. These smaller and lighter forwarders work
together in groups in order to spread the total weight while at the
same time maintaining a satisfactory production. The other part of
the system is the planner, who has the important task of
coordinating the forwarders' routes with the help of a digital map
you wear on your arm and a stick that takes soil samples.
The goal: We hope that this project will be
inspiring for the forest industry. Our project aims to shed light
on current problems in timber transport at the felling site, and to
contribute with a concept for a future solution.
The experience: It has been a challenge! We
have had nature as our client, which was new to all of us. This
raised interesting questions during the design process that have
allowed us to develop or thinking. We have also gained great
insight into the Swedish forest industry and the importance of
sustainable forestry.
Technology uniting foresters and school children
Group: Daniel Wikström, Emma Dahlgren, Linn Yue
Thomessen, Lisa Karlsson, Lotta Sahlin, Patrik Härnvall and William
Lantz Winberg.
The problem: Can drones be used as a tool to
improve the relationship between nature and man?
The solution: A system with ground-going
vehicles, with associated drones to efficiently collect data from
forestry. This data should be easy to share between forest owners
and can also be used in school, as educational material. For the
educational material, there is an interactive AR-based app,
developed for children, to help them learn more about the forest,
nature and forestry.
The goal: A healthier view of forestry with
greater transparency and more sustainable thinking. We also hope to
give people in modern society a stronger connection and
relationship to nature.
The experience: We have learned how difficult
it is to have nature as a "client" and how different views and
ideas us humans can have on what nature really is.
Encouraging entrepreneurs to rethink business models
The group: Hadi Hussein, Frida Ylitalo, Hanna
Nilsson, Sanna Riihimäki, My Enetjärn, Mika Sinclair and Jesper
Mattsson
The problem: How can we create conditions for
biodiversity and move the forest industry towards a more
sustainable generational legacy? We saw two narratives that were
connected but required different solutions. Partly how we humans
value nature and in the long run create companies based on these
values, partly the forest industry's twofold demands to protect
biodiversity and to meet the market's need for materials.
The solution: Part of our solution is Credula
Scanner, a heat-seeking software that interactively affects the
user emotionally, by illuminating life in nature that is otherwise
invisible to the naked eye. We also propose a new system for
dividing the forest into sections that help the forest user to
separate the areas and protect larger parts of the forest from a
natural occurrence.
What do you hope this could lead to?
We hope to inspire the individuals behind the companies to
reflect on their personal values and investigate whether these
are expressed in their business models. The objective solutions are
practical and can be implemented today, and we hope to be able to
inspire change.
The experience: We can all agree on the
importance of biodiversity. It permeates all systems and is the
basic complex foundation on which all life depends. We can argue in
an emotional and rational way with a research basis for our
solutions, and that knowledge is highly valued by all members of
the group.
