Last Updated on Monday, 01 March 2010 08:29
argus electronic gmbh Tree Inspections Instruments
The PiCUS sonic Tomograph was developed by the argus electronic gmbh in cooperation with the Institut für Gehölze & Landschaft Dr. Gustke GmbH. The development started in July 1997 by recording a set of sonic data of a tree in the laboratories of argus electronic gmbh using a one-channel transmitter – receiver system.
The worldwide launch of the PiCUS instrument was in 1999. It is now working in 26 countries on five continents.
To make the work with the PiCUS simpler, faster and more accurate we continuously develop new tools and software. Today our company offers a little product family for the detection of decay and defects in trees:
 | 1. PiCUS® Sonic Tomograph. The PiCUS Sonic Tomograph investigates the tree by using sonic waves. The instrument measures the time of flight of the sonic signals that have been generated by a hammer. By using accurate tree geometry information the software calculates the apparent sonic velocities and draws a “velocity” or “E-module” map of the tree. The velocity of sound in wood depends on the modulus of elasticity (MOE) and the density of the wood itself and therefore with the health of the wood. Full resolution tomograms can be recorded with as few as 6 to 8 sonic sensors by using the electronic hammer. |
 | 2. PiCUS : Treetronic® – Electrical Impedance (EI) Tomograph. The Treetronic uses electric current/voltage to investigate the tree. The result of the measurement is a 2 dimensional map of the apparent electrical impedance of the tree. Chemical properties of the wood affect the resistivity; most of all: water content, the structure of the cells, ion concentration and others. The chemical properties are changed if decay etc. is in the tree. The Treetronic can detect very early stages of decay above and to some extend below ground. |
 | 3. TreeQinetic - A static pulling test can be used to estimate the uprooting and breaking safety of a tree, which are the two major types of tree failure. The TreeQinetic system is designed to collect data during static tree pulling tests. The data of pulling tests can be analysed by using the ArboStat software. The TreeQinetic system can also be used to record the sway motion of trees in winds. |
 | 4. PiCUS Calliper. The PiCUS Calliper is an instrument to record the geometry of the tomography level quickly and accurately. This geometry data is needed for sonic and EI tomography inspections. It is particularly useful for testing large or irregularly shaped trees. The PiCUS Calliper has won the Design Award 2005 of the German Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. |