America's Seed Fund backs a computer vision system that helps equipment operators merchandise harvested trees for more value and less waste
Hendtech LLC has received a $1,246,560 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The award funds the two-year project "SBIR Phase II: Computer Vision for Merchandizing Forest Products." The project will turn Hendtech's field-validated Phase I prototype into a practical, AI-based system that guides logging equipment operators in real time as they grade, process and load harvested trees.
The Phase II project runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. It builds on Hendtech's NSF SBIR Phase I award, "SBIR Phase I: Computer Vision for Merchandizing Forest Products" (Award 2329601).
Logging faces a critical workforce challenge: a shortage of the highly skilled equipment operators who decide how each harvested tree is cut, sorted and loaded. Those merchandising decisions are made quickly, in the field, and they set how much value a harvest returns. Inconsistent calls lead to misclassified wood products, lost value, waste and costly rehandling.
Hendtech's system mounts on logging equipment and gives operators guidance in real time, right in the cab. It runs entirely on edge hardware, so it needs no network connection at remote job sites. By making merchandising decisions more consistent, the technology aims to:
Reduce costly misclassification of wood products
Improve value recovery from harvested timber
Cut waste and rehandling, and the trucking that goes with them
Help train and support a new generation of operators
Under Phase II, Hendtech will advance computer vision methods for tree segmentation, defect detection, dimensional measurement, tracking and weight estimation. The team will build and validate a multi-task AI framework that stays reliable through changing light, obstructed views, vibration and remote conditions. The work also covers real-time performance, tracking each stem across handling stages, and operator guidance that supports the best processing decision. Hendtech will carry out the field research in collaboration with the University of Georgia.
"Good merchandising takes years of experience, and it is a skill that can only be learned on-the-job, making skilled operators exceedingly rare," said Andy Henderson, founder of Hendtech and principal investigator on the project. "With NSF's Phase II support, we can take what we demonstrated in Phase I and turn it into a system to enable all loggers to perform like a skilled operator, so loggers, mills and landowners get more value from every tree."
The benefits reach beyond individual logging crews. Better use of harvested timber helps mills and landowners, strengthens domestic wood supply chains, and supports rural communities where forestry is a major employer. Hendtech plans to offer the system through a lease-based model that lowers upfront costs for logging businesses.
NSF SBIR Phase II awards go only to small businesses that have completed a Phase I award and passed a rigorous, competitive merit review. That review weighs both technical merit and commercial potential. Read the NSF award abstract.
This project is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2604322. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
About America's Seed Fund
America's Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America's Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
About Hendtech
Hendtech LLC is a computer vision company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Its _Visor product family, including ArborVisor™ and PartVisor™, uses AI-powered imaging to automate visual inspection and grading, from forest products to manufacturing. Learn more at hendtech.com.
Media contact
Andy Henderson, Founder, Hendtech LLC — andy.henderson@hendtech.com
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