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Forest Products Laboratory
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

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Detecting Termites from Afar

Bridges, homes, and other wooden structures in remote areas can require the time-consuming task of professionals physically traveling to and from the structures for periodic termite infestation inspections. Convinced there had to be a better way, researchers from the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) investigated the use of remote sensing technologies to monitor the structural components of bridges and homes and transmit the findings to the internet cloud for interpretation. Early detection of termite activity could dramatically reduce the costs...view  »


The NewsLine 2015, Volume 14, Issue 2 includes:

  • Deck Demise: Corroded Fasteners Pose Hidden Dangers
  • New Treatment Plant Ushers in Next Century of Wood Preservatives
  • Turning Research into Reality: Demo House Showcases Energy-Efficient Engineering
  • "Landmark Book" Covers Nondestructive Testing of Wood
  • more ...

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These New Computer Chips Are Made From Wood Smithsonian Magazine
June 3rd, 2015


UW Researchers Design Wood-Based Computer Chip Channel 3000
June 2nd, 2015

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FPL's History

FPL Overview:
Building a world of possibility