Abstract: An apparatus or system for identifying a conduit, having a flexible wall, and comprising at least one open end. The apparatus or system has a gas pressure signal generator for applying a pressure signal at the open end of the conduit to be identified to cause the conduit to be subjected to an increase in internal gas pressure. At least one sensor is provided for measuring, at a measuring location remote from the open end, at least one of the following variables a) width of the conduit, b) diameter of the conduit, c) temperature of the conduit wall, d) load on the conduit wall, and e) strain on the conduit wall. The conduit is identified when the sensor(s) detect(s) a change or changes in the variable(s) experienced by the conduit so identified in response to the gas pressure signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a characteristic, such as the stiffness, of a portion of a wood specimen characterised by the steps of a) producing an acoustic signal in the wood specimen part way along the length of the wood specimen, and b) sensing a response in the wood specimen part way along the length of the wood specimen including a reverberation from a first end of the wood specimen, and c) calculating a characteristic of a portion of the wood specimen from analysis of the sensed response. A related method and apparatus may be used to determine a characteristic of a portion of a tree stem during harvesting of a tree and the characteristic used to optimise the value of a log cut from the stem.