ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Robot 中大機械人 學毛蟲爬樹)

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Dear Station Members,

Below is a set of news a while ago about a mechanical device which claimed to be able to climb trees for aerial inspection & maintenance work. Additional information of this device can also be viewed at http://arl.mae.cuhk.edu.hk/node/678  .

Tree Climbing with ropes & harnesses were invented about a hundred years ago in western countries to primarily prune trees for maintenance & firewood. Hardly any two trees in the world would have an identical lattice structure in the canopy. Many are bending & twisting, according to the genetics & growing environment of sun & wind. Any qualified Tree Climber would know that the most efficient way to travel around the tree canopy, is to rely on positioning himself in a stable manner, & advance towards the working point with ropes as Fall Arrest. Tree Climber would usually carry hand saw or chainsaw for pruning work, which can be rather heavy.

Once at position in the canopy, if the cut log is to be lowered in a controlled manner, Rigging would be performed. This will involve more ropes, pulleys & other mechanical devices attaching at various parts of the tree for mechanical purposes. Communication between the Tree Climber above & the Ground Crew below is important, to ensure the wood piece is lowered at a time when both sides are ready. This is particularly true for Tree Work in urban area where there may be traffic & pedestrians below. It would be the Tree Climber who would fix on all the ropes & mechanical devices aloft to the cut log by tying knots. The cut by chainsaw is also carried out by the Tree Climber, under the watchful eyes of the Ground Crew below.

Tree Climber would need to work in the rain in emergency cases, e.g. in typhoon, in our territory. Getting wet all over is a common experience. Ask any Certified Tree Worker (http://www.isa-arbor.com/ ) in our territory who has never been wet while working aloft. The answer would be a cheering smile.

As for all these, the designer of the Tree Robot may first need to understand the nature of Tree Climbing & Tree Work in the canopy, before he can put up a machine that can replace, or work along, a qualified Tree Climber. The machine will need to be waterproof, to be able to work in sun, wind & rain. It must be efficient & flexible enough to tackle the ever-changing branch architecture, to be able to carry chainsaws of different sizes to cut wood pieces, & to lower them onto the ground with ropes & pulleys.

If such a machine can finally be invented by a genius, how much would it weigh, & how much would it cost ???

best regards,

Sammy Au
President (Station Manager) of ISA HK/China
Registered Consulting Arborist no. RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist / Certified Tree Worker no. HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
Independent Practicing Arborist no. IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html)

"Providing treatment without in-depth diagnosis & research support is professional misconduct. "

"Casual tree assessor delivers wanton tree assessment. Mother Nature makes the rules."

各位会员:

下面是一则最近的新闻，介绍了一个据称能够爬上树木进行空中检查及保养工作的机械人。此机械人的附加资枓可在以下的网站找到:

http://arl.mae.cuhk.edu.hk/node/678 。

在大约一百多年前，西方国家发明了使用绳索和安全带的树木攀爬，主要应用在以保养或生产木柴为目的树木修剪。世界上没有两棵树拥有相同的树冠结构，主要是受到不同的遗传基因或生长时的环境因素, 例如阳光或风的影向，导致树木产生不同方向和程度的弯生和扭曲。任何合资格的攀树师，都会懂得以绳索为辅助，去有效地及安全地在树上定位及前进, 来处理树上的工作。他们通常会携带沉重的手锯或电锯，以进行修树工作。

在树冠的合适位置，可以利用 “流缆” 的方式来进行受控的木块切割。这一般会在树上不同的部位, 采用许多绳索、滑轮以及其他机械设备来进行。在树上的攀树师及地上的支援人员, 都需要紧密的互相沟通，从而确保木块在双方都准备好之后才予以切割。 在交通繁忙及高人流的市区工作之时，团队合作尤需紧密。攀树师会先在树上以绳索绑好将会切割的木头，滑轮及其他的机械设备之后，才会在地上支援人员的注示下, 以电锯切割木块, 和用绳缆操控其下降。

在华南地区里，攀树师需在紧急情况下，在雨中或在台风中工作。全身湿透是本地攀树师的一个共同经历。 如果问当地的攀树师：有没有人在高空工作而没有弄湿? 答案将是一个微笑。

攀树机器人的设计者可能需要先了解攀树及树上工作的性质， 才可以设计出一台可以取代，或可以与合资格攀树师一起工作的机械人。 此机械人需要防水，能够在太阳或雨天下工作。 它必须是高效的及具有足够的灵活性，以应付千变万化的树木分支结构， 能够举行不同大小木块的电锯切割， 及利用绳索及滑轮把木头安全地放回地面。

如果有人最终发明这样的机器，它的价值是多少呢？？有多重啊??

此致

国际树木学会 中国地区分会 会长

欧永森
顾问树艺师号 RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
资深树艺师 / 注册攀树师号 HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
执业树艺师号 IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-tree-news-14410-report.html)

“没有深入诊断及探究支持去作出治疗，是专业失误。”


“速成出来的树木评估员，只会作出胡乱的树木评估。大自然会决定成败。”

(以上由莊俊榮 ‘注册树艺师 /市政树艺师’号 HK-0009AM 翻绎。 一切内容以英文版本为准。)

中大機械人 學毛蟲爬樹

爬樹機械人可用人手操控，亦懂得自動爬行，而且能夠自由伸縮和彎曲。

【專訊】中大機械與自動化工程學系最近研發出一種爬樹機械人（Treebot），機械人的設計概念來自毛蟲以身體蠕動的特性，配合特製的機械爪，令機械人靈活度大大增強。該款機械人目前仍在試驗階段，學系教授希望機械人推出市面後，能幫助進行樹木保養和檢測工作。

配備鏡頭助驗樹

發明機械人的中大現代機器人實驗室主任徐揚生教授及博士後研究員林天麟表示，他們平日熱愛行山，從昆蟲、鳥類等動物中得到啟發，研發出爬樹機械 人，其中觸感機械爪的部分就是參考了尺蠖憑觸覺在樹上行走的特性。徐教授說，過往只能靠肉眼監測樹木健康狀，人員要花大量時間爬樹。有爬樹機械 人協助，就透過鏡頭監測，免卻人員爬樹的麻煩。

爬樹機械人以金屬、塑膠等物料製成，重量有600克，由兩部分組成，分別是主身體以及一對機械爪，主身體由3個有伸縮功能的連接桿組成，能像毛蟲 一樣蠕行。而機械爪配備觸覺傳感器，讓機械人透過對樹面的觸感選擇最合適的爬行路線。林天麟表示，機械人體積輕巧，除了能負載比機身重3倍的儀器 之外，更比其他地區的爬樹機械人靈活，「其他爬樹機械人只能爬直的樹幹，不能爬分支，我們的爬樹機械人則可以爬不同的樹，粗樹、竹樹也可以。」

目前爬樹機械人仍在試驗階段，爬行的速度比較不穩定，如雨天濕滑時會爬行速度較慢，研究人員會加強其穩定性，期望能於1年後將機械人推出市面。徐 教授透露已有內地政府部門表示對機械人有興趣，但他們亦考慮與本地樹木辦合作，讓機械人輔助監測樹木。
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