Weeding boat and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a weeding boat and a control method of the weeding boat, and belongs to the technical field of agricultural weeding. The weeding boat comprises a boat body; the weeding devices are arranged on the two sides of the ship body; the visual module is arranged on the ship body and is used for identifying the boundary and obstacles of the operation land parcel; the positioning module is arranged on the ship body and at least used for collecting position information; and the control module is used for controlling driving of the ship body, the control module is electrically connected with the visual module and the positioning module, and the control module is at least constructed to control the ship body to run along the boundary of the operation land parcel when the visual module recognizes the boundary of the operation land parcel and control the positioning module to collect position information of the ship body so as to obtain the virtual boundary of the operation land parcel. Through the cooperation of the visual module and the positioning module, the weeding boat can quickly and efficiently determine the operation boundary without depending on a preset map or manual operation, manpower and material resources are saved, and the working efficiency of the weeding boat is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural weeding technology, and in particular to a weeding boat and a method for controlling the weeding boat. Background Technology

[0002] Weeding is a crucial aspect of rice paddy crop cultivation and management. Currently, in addition to manual, chemical, and mechanical weeding methods, remotely controlled unmanned weeding robots or weeding boats have been researched to some extent. However, current weeding boats lack the technical means to define operational boundaries efficiently and conveniently during practical use. This makes weeding boats relatively labor-intensive, resource-intensive, and time-consuming in actual use, limiting their potential to improve weeding efficiency and hindering further market expansion. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiency of existing weeding boats in the lack of efficient determination of the working boundary, and to provide a weeding boat and a control method for the weeding boat.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution: A weeding boat, the weeding boat comprising: hull; A weeding device is provided on both sides of the hull; A vision module, which is installed on the hull, is used to identify the boundaries of the work area and obstacles. A positioning module is installed on the hull and is used at least to collect position information; A control module is provided for controlling the movement of the vessel. The control module is electrically connected to the vision module and the positioning module. The control module is configured to control the vessel to move along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the vessel to obtain the virtual boundary of the work site.

[0005] Preferably, the control module is configured to at least control the hull to travel one full circle along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site; and / or, The control module is configured to at least control the hull to travel along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the hull at predetermined intervals.

[0006] Preferably, the control module is further configured to control the hull to travel within the virtual boundary according to a preset shrinkage algorithm after obtaining the virtual boundary.

[0007] Preferably, the weed-cutting boat further includes: A power unit, which is connected to the weeding device and is also electrically connected to the control module; The control module is also configured to control the activation of the power unit to drive the weeding device.

[0008] Preferably, the power unit includes an electrically connected solar receiver and a battery; and / or, The power unit is also electrically connected to the vision module and the positioning module.

[0009] Preferably, the weeding device includes a motor, a rotating part, and multiple gear hobbing components; The rotating part is electrically connected to the motor, and a plurality of the gear hobbing parts are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the rotating part.

[0010] Preferably, the control module includes a communication component and a motion planning module; The communication components include a local module, a cloud server, and a remote terminal; wherein... The local module is installed on the hull, and the local module and the remote terminal are respectively connected to the cloud server via signals. The local module is electrically connected to the motion planning module, and the motion planning module is electrically connected to the power unit.

[0011] Preferably, the vision module includes a camera and an image processing module, the camera being electrically connected to the image processing module, and the image processing module being electrically connected to the motion planning module; and / or, The positioning module is electrically connected to the motion planning module.

[0012] A control method for a weeding boat, the control method being applied to the weeding boat as described above; the control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the weeding boat in the work area and activate the vision module, positioning module and control module; S2: The vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and the control module controls the hull to travel around the boundary of the work site; during the travel of the hull, the positioning module collects the position information of the hull. S3: Based on the position information of the ship hull collected by the positioning module, the control module generates a virtual boundary of the work site.

[0013] Preferably, after step S3, the method further includes the following step: S4: The control module controls the hull to travel within the virtual boundary according to a preset shrinkage algorithm, and the control module controls the operation of the weeding device.

[0014] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are at least as follows: In this invention, the weeding boat is equipped with a vision module and a positioning module. The vision module identifies the boundary of the work area, and the positioning module collects the boat's position information. Thus, the weeding boat can be controlled to travel along the boundary of the work area when the vision module identifies it. During this process, the positioning module collects the boat's position information, thereby forming the position information of the work area boundary and obtaining the virtual boundary of the work area. The cooperation between the vision module and the positioning module allows the weeding boat to quickly and efficiently determine the work boundary without relying on a preset map or requiring manual operation, saving manpower and resources and improving the working efficiency of the weeding boat. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a weed-cutting boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the internal modules of the weeding boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the weed-removing boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0019] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment discloses a weed-cutting boat, which includes: Hull 100; Weeding device 200, the weeding device 200 is installed on both sides of the hull 100; The vision module is installed on the hull 100 and is used to identify the boundaries of the work area and obstacles. A positioning module is installed on the hull 100 and is used at least to collect position information. The control module is used to control the movement of the hull 100. The control module is electrically connected to the vision module and the positioning module. The control module is configured to control the hull 100 to move along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the hull 100 to obtain the virtual boundary of the work site.

[0020] Furthermore, the weeding boat also includes: a power unit (not shown in the attached drawings), which is connected to the weeding device 200 and is also electrically connected to a control module; the control module is also configured to control the start of the power unit to drive the weeding device 200 to operate.

[0021] In this embodiment, the power unit includes a solar receiver and a battery that are electrically connected. The solar receiver can be an existing structural component such as a solar panel, which converts light energy into electrical energy and stores it in the battery. The battery is connected to the weeding device 200 to provide power for the operation of the weeding device 200, and the power output of the battery is controlled by a control module, so that the control module can control whether the weeding device 200 operates by controlling the power output of the battery (or the power unit).

[0022] The power unit is also electrically connected to the vision module and positioning module, providing power support for the operation of this part.

[0023] In other alternative implementations, the power unit can be configured as other existing forms, such as a fuel engine. Of course, the power supply for the vision module and positioning module can also be separate from that for the weeding device 200.

[0024] See Figure 1 The weeding device 200 includes a motor (not shown in the figure), a rotating part 201 and a plurality of gear hobbing parts 202; the rotating part 201 is electrically connected to the motor, and the plurality of gear hobbing parts 202 are arranged at intervals around the rotating part 201.

[0025] Specifically, the motor is electrically connected to the power unit. After receiving rotational power, the motor drives the rotating part 201 to rotate, which in turn causes multiple geared components 202 to rotate. During the operation of the weeding boat, the rotating geared components 202 can stir, pull out, or damage the root systems of newly sprouted or soon-to-be-sprouting weed seedlings. They can also significantly increase the turbidity of the water by stirring the bottom mud of the paddy field, effectively blocking sunlight penetration, thereby inhibiting the photosynthesis of newly sprouted weeds and hindering their growth, thus achieving the purpose of weeding. In addition, the geared components 202 also play a role in assisting movement. When the weeding boat is traveling in shallow water, the bottom of the boat is prone to hitting the bottom, affecting the movement of the weeding boat. The geared components 202 can act as "wheels," helping the hull 100 move on the bottom of the paddy field and enhancing the maneuverability of the weeding boat.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the control module includes a communication component and a motion planning module; The communication components include a local module, a cloud server, and a remote terminal; among them, The local module is installed on the hull 100, and the local module and the remote terminal are respectively connected to the cloud server by signal. The local module is electrically connected to the motion planning module, and the motion planning module is electrically connected to the power unit.

[0027] Furthermore, the vision module includes a camera and an image processing module, with the camera electrically connected to the image processing module and the image processing module electrically connected to the motion planning module; the positioning module is electrically connected to the motion planning module.

[0028] The remote terminal is used by operators to remotely control the operation of the weed-cutting boat; in this embodiment, the remote terminal is a mobile phone (more precisely, a built-in APP application software on the mobile phone). The local module is used to receive operation instructions from the remote terminal and notify the motion planning module to process the operation instructions; in this embodiment, the local module is a 4G module.

[0029] Both the remote terminal and the local module are connected to the cloud server via 4G signal or WiFi. The cloud server acts as a relay station for communication between the remote terminal and the local module. Operators issue operating commands via the remote terminal, and the cloud server forwards these commands to the local module. The local module is electrically connected to the motion planning module. Upon receiving the command, the motion planning module first instructs the camera to operate. The camera then starts capturing images of the surrounding environment and transmits the images to the image processing module. The image processing module analyzes the images, locates and identifies the boundaries of the work area (e.g., field ridges, waterlines), and then notifies the motion planning module. The motion planning module plans the work route and activates the power unit, causing the vessel 100 to travel along the boundaries of the work area. During this process, the positioning module operates and collects the position information of the vessel 100. This information is transmitted to the local module via the motion planning module, and then uploaded to the cloud server. The cloud server then returns the position data to the remote terminal.

[0030] The control module is configured to control the hull 100 to travel one lap along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site.

[0031] Thus, as the vessel 100 travels around the boundary of the work site, the positioning module collects the position information of the vessel 100, which in turn obtains the position information of the boundary of the work site, thereby generating an "electronic fence".

[0032] Furthermore, the control module is also configured to control the hull 100 to travel along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the hull 100 every predetermined distance.

[0033] To control data acquisition costs, this implementation selects the positioning module to collect the position information of the hull 100 at predetermined intervals. For example, the control module collects position information and generates a coordinate point every 0.5 meters the hull 100 travels. After the hull 100 has traveled one full circle along the boundary of the work site, the control module connects several coordinate points into a closed line segment, generating the virtual boundary of the work site. In other optional implementations, an appropriate position information acquisition distance can be selected based on the actual size of the work site and the required accuracy of the virtual boundary.

[0034] In addition, the control module is configured to control the hull 100 to travel within the virtual boundary according to a preset shrinkage algorithm after obtaining the virtual boundary.

[0035] Based on virtual boundaries and a preset operating width, the control module can automatically plan the inward movement path of the hull 100, ensuring comprehensive and efficient coverage of the entire operating area. This effectively solves the problem of automated full-coverage operation in paddy fields with complex (or irregular) shapes. The inward movement algorithm has been applied in unmanned vessels, drones, and other equipment that require reciprocating operations and is considered existing technology. Therefore, its specific implementation will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0036] The motion planning module and the image processing module can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment also discloses a control method for a weed-cutting boat, which is applied to the weed-cutting boat described above; the control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the weeding boat in the work area and activate the vision module, positioning module and control module; S2: The vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and the control module controls the hull 100 to travel around the boundary of the work site; during the travel of the hull 100, the positioning module collects the position information of the hull 100. S3: Based on the position information of the ship 100 collected by the positioning module, the control module generates the virtual boundary of the work site.

[0038] Furthermore, after step S3, the following step is also included: S4: The control module controls the hull 100 to travel within the virtual boundary according to the preset shrinkage algorithm, and the control module controls the weeding device 200 to operate.

[0039] That is, when the weeding boat is first placed in the work area, the virtual boundary of the work needs to be determined by steps S1 to S3. Then, the weeding boat can be controlled to move within this virtual boundary and complete the weeding operation according to step S4.

[0040] During the weeding operation, the vision module identifies obstacles (such as utility poles, dry raised areas, etc.), and the control module (specifically the motion planning module) automatically plans a route to avoid the obstacles.

[0041] Therefore, in this embodiment, the hull 100 of the weeding boat is equipped with a vision module and a positioning module. The vision module identifies the boundary of the work area, and the positioning module collects the position information of the hull 100. The weeding boat is controlled to travel along the boundary of the work area when the vision module identifies it. During this process, the positioning module collects the position information of the hull 100, thus forming the position information of the work area boundary and obtaining the virtual boundary of the work area. The cooperation between the vision module and the positioning module enables the weeding boat to quickly and efficiently determine the work boundary without relying on a preset map or requiring manual operation, saving manpower and resources and improving the working efficiency of the weeding boat.

[0042] Furthermore, based on the collaborative interaction of the positioning and control modules, staff can generate maps of the work area on the remote terminal, intuitively displaying the location information of the work area and the weeding boat; and can also realize monitoring functions such as real-time viewing of the weeding boat's location, recording and viewing the work trajectory, and confirming the coverage of the work. The remote terminal can also be set to control the weeding boat to return to a designated location with one click, and to set timed start and stop of weeding operations, reducing manual labor. Of course, the remote terminal can also be further set to a manual takeover function, so that the weeding boat can be manually controlled by staff to exit the automatic operation mode. All of the above functions can be implemented by writing corresponding algorithms into the control module.

[0043] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention should be understood in their ordinary sense by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "an," "a," or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

Claims

1. A weed eradication boat characterized by, The weed-clearing boat includes: hull; A weeding device is provided on both sides of the hull; A vision module, which is installed on the hull, is used to identify the boundaries of the work area and obstacles. A positioning module is installed on the hull and is used at least to collect position information; A control module is provided for controlling the movement of the vessel. The control module is electrically connected to the vision module and the positioning module. The control module is configured to control the vessel to move along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the vessel to obtain the virtual boundary of the work site.

2. The weeding boat according to claim 1, wherein The control module is configured to at least control the hull to travel one full circle along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site; and / or The control module is configured to at least control the hull to travel along the boundary of the work site when the vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and to control the positioning module to collect the position information of the hull at predetermined intervals.

3. The weeding boat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The control module is also configured to, after obtaining the virtual boundary, control the hull to travel within the virtual boundary according to a preset shrinkage algorithm.

4. The weed-removing boat as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The weed-clearing boat also includes: A power unit, which is connected to the weeding device and is also electrically connected to the control module; The control module is also configured to control the activation of the power unit to drive the weeding device.

5. The weed-removing boat as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The power unit includes an electrically connected solar receiver and a battery; and / or, The power unit is also electrically connected to the vision module and the positioning module.

6. The weed-removing boat as described in claim 1, 4, or 5, characterized in that, The weeding device includes a motor, a rotating part, and multiple gear hobbing components; The rotating part is electrically connected to the motor, and a plurality of the gear hobbing parts are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the rotating part.

7. The weed-removing boat as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The control module includes a communication component and a motion planning module; The communication components include a local module, a cloud server, and a remote terminal; wherein... The local module is installed on the hull, and the local module and the remote terminal are respectively connected to the cloud server via signals. The local module is electrically connected to the motion planning module, and the motion planning module is electrically connected to the power unit.

8. The weed-removing boat as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The vision module includes a camera and an image processing module, wherein the camera is electrically connected to the image processing module, and the image processing module is electrically connected to the motion planning module; and / or, The positioning module is electrically connected to the motion planning module.

9. A method for controlling a weed-cutting boat, characterized in that, The control method is applied to the weed-removing boat as described in any one of claims 1-8; the control method includes the following steps: S1: Place the weeding boat in the work area and activate the vision module, positioning module and control module; S2: The vision module identifies the boundary of the work site, and the control module controls the hull to travel around the boundary of the work site; during the travel of the hull, the positioning module collects the position information of the hull. S3: Based on the position information of the ship hull collected by the positioning module, the control module generates a virtual boundary of the work site.

10. The control method for the weed-removing boat as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Following step S3, the following step is also included: S4: The control module controls the hull to travel within the virtual boundary according to a preset shrinkage algorithm, and the control module controls the operation of the weeding device.

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