Tree-Mendous Timber Evaluation

About this technology

Overview

As a veteran of the Gulf War with experience in counter-intelligence, Adam Rousselle was very familiar with the advances of satellite surveillance and high-resolution photography. This led him to NASA, where he learned about opportunities available through the Affiliated Research Center program. With help from a NASA research grant, Rousselle was able to identify high-value pockets of timber using remote sensing, while additionally reducing environmental degradation by decreasing unnecessary logging. Based on these results and the further acquisition of timber-identification software, Rousselle hired expert foresters and geographic information system pros to form a company called Falcon Informatics. Without ever setting foot in a forest, paper companies, real estate investors, government agencies, public forest managers, and many other entities can improve the accuracy and usability of geographic information system data through Falcon Informatics' services. In combination with traditional ground-sampling, Falcon Informatics can rapidly collect a wealth of timber inventory and management data. The company's innovative timber assessment services are based on the Forest Assessment and Classification Tool (FACT) software that automatically interprets aerial photography and satellite imagery.