• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.556-565
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• 2009

Automated visual grading system of lumber needs correct input image. In order to create a correct image of domestic red pine lumber 3.6 m long feeding on a conveyer, part images were captured using area sensor and template matching algorithm was applied to merge part images. Two kinds of template matching algorithms and six kinds of template sizes were adopted in this operation. Feature extracted method appeared to have more excellent image merging performance than fixed template method. Error length was attributed to a decline of similarity related by difference of partial brightness on a part image, specific pattern and template size. The mismatch part was repetitively generated at the long grain. The best size of template for image merging was $100{\times}100$ pixels. In a further study, assignment of exact template size, preprocessing of image merging for reduction of brightness difference will be needed to improve image merging.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.308-311
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• 2010

Porous SiC samples were prepared with three types of wood (poplar, pine, big cone pine) by simply embedding the wood charcoal in a powder mixture of Si and $SiO_2$ at 1600 and $1700^{\circ}C$. The basic engineering properties such as density, porosity, pore size and distribution, and strength were characterized. The samples showed full conversion to mostly $\beta$-SiC with good retention of the cellular structure of the original wood. More rigid SiC struts were developed for $1700^{\circ}C$. They showed similar bulk density ($0.5{\sim}0.6\;g/cm^3$) and porosity (81~84%) irrespective of the type of wood. The poplar sample showed three pore sizes (1, 8, $60\;{\mu}m$) with a main size of $60\;{\mu}m$. The pine sample showed a single pore size ($20\;{\mu}m$). The big cone pine sample showed two pore sizes (10, $80\;{\mu}m$) with a main size of $10\;{\mu}m$. The bend strength was 2.5 MPa for poplar, 5.7 MPa for pine, 2.8 MPa for big cone pine, indicating higher strength with pine.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

Frost ring formed in the secondary xylem of Pinus radiata was examined using various microscopic techniques. Cell walls in a frost ring were poorly developed, lacking in the proportion of wall components. Formation of secondary cell wall was imperfect and thickness of secondary wall was varied. Cytochemical examinations provided the evidence that the synthesis of structural polysaccharides and lignin was inhibited, resulting in the malformation of secondary cell walls. Judging by the highly irregular nature of the cell wall, it appears that cellulosic/hemicellulosic framework was affected and the template for lignification by frost.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2009

For the inspection of wood, machine vision is the most common automated inspection method used at present. It is required to sort wood products by grade and to locate surface defects prior to cut-up. Many different sensing methods have been applied to inspection of wood including optical, ultrasonic, X-ray sensing in the wood industry. Nowadays the scanning system mainly employs CCD line-scan camera to meet the needs of accurate detection of lumber defects and real-time image processing. But this system needs exact feeding system and low deviation of lumber thickness. In this study low cost CCD area sensor was used for the development of image processing system for lumber being fed. When domestic red pine being fed on the conveyer belt, lumber images of irregular term of captured area were acquired because belt conveyor slipped between belt and roller. To overcome incorrect image merging by the unstable feeding speed of belt conveyor, it was applied template matching algorithm which was a measure of the similarity between the pattern of current image and the next one. Feeding the lumber over 13.8 m/min, general area sensor generates unreadable image pattern by the motion blur. The red channel of RGB filter showed a good performance for removing background of the green conveyor belt from merged image. Threshold value reduction method that was a image-based thresholding algorithm performed well for knot detection.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.498-506
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• 2010

To use domestic softwood for structural lumber, appropriate grading system for quality, production and distribution condition of domestic lumber should be prepared. Kim et al. developed an automatic image processing system for grading domestic structural lumber (2009a and b). This study was carried out to investigate optimal image merging conditions for improving performance of image input system which is the key technique of image processing system, developed in the previous paper. To merge digital images of Korean larch lumber, choosing the green channel information of obtained image data showed the most accurate merging performance. As a pre-treatment process, applying Y-derivative Sharr's kernel filter could improve the image merging accuracy, but the effect of camera calibration was imperceptible. The optimal size of template image was verified as 30 pixel widths and 150 pixel heights. When applying the above mentioned conditions, the error length of images was 3.1 mm and the processing time was 9.7 seconds in average.