Measuring moisture content on green poplar veneer using camera and light diffusion in wood cells
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study proposes an original methodology for the online measurement of local moisture content (MC) in poplar veneer, combining colour imaging and laser scattering techniques. A database of poplar samples was built, including colour images and a grid of scattering patterns caused by the tracheid effect, acquired in both reflection and transmission modes. The analysis shows that colour becomes a discriminant parameter as MC increases. However, colour information alone proved insufficient for accurate MC prediction, with absolute errors exceeding 100% compared to reference values. In contrast, laser scattering yielded superior results, particularly when using the ellipse area and minor axis as predictors. Both approaches were significantly influenced by the wood zone within the log, i.e. whether the veneer originates from sapwood or heartwood. A classification method was therefore developed to discriminate between these two zones. Finally, local MC maps were estimated on samples from two poplar clones (I214 and Dorskamp) using dedicated analytical models.
Source: Wood Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7161239761