Locating knots by industrial tomography- A feasibility study

Abstract

Industrial photon tomography was used to scan four southern pine logs and one red oak log. The logs were scanned at 16 cross-sectional slice planes located 1 centimeter apart along their longitudinal axes. Tomographic reconstructions were made from the scan data collected at these slice planes, and a cursory image analysis technique was developed to locate the log perimeter and identify and locate internal knots from the reconstructed tomographic images. After scanning, the logs were cut into l-centimeter-wide cross sections (width included saw kerf) which corresponded to the scan slice planes. It was found that the log perimeters and knot locations identified through the image analysis of the tomograms compared favorably to those same entities found on the actual log slices.

Citation

Taylor, Fred W.; Wagner, Francis G., Jr.; McMillin, Charles W.; Morgan, Ira L.; Hopkins, Forrest F. 1984. Locating knots by industrial tomography- A feasibility study. Forest Products Journal 34(5):42-46