SHARC™ is an autonomous, barge-mounted system incorporating proven forestry and marine equipment into a proprietary platform. The four main components include a self-propelled barge, excavator, a telescopic arm, and grapple-cutting head.

A single pilot operates the SHARC™, with all navigational, cutting, tracking and retrieval software integrated into the cab. Information from video, maps and sonar is available on interactive multi-view displays to help guide the pilot to the target trees.

After trees are located using sonar and video, the telescopic arm extends the cutting head to the base of the tree, where the grapple attaches to the tree and the saw cuts as close to the lakebed as possible. The tree stem is raised to the surface and into a floating bunk storage system. These detachable bunks are then towed by tugboat to the shore for sorting, milling and transportation.

SHARC™ features include:

• Powerful, industrial-grade machine components for wide range of tree sizes
• GPS-guided thrusters with Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) for automated navigation
• Ability to harvest with precision from above without need for pre-clearing detachable bunks for continuous operation
• Biodegradable hydraulic fluids for environmentally friendly operation