Weed removing apparatus and weed removing method for rice field

Abstract

The application discloses a weeding robot for rice field and a method thereof, and relates to the field of agricultural machinery, comprising a traveling assembly, a visual identification assembly, a clamping assembly, a control module, a rotating assembly and a jet cleaning assembly. The visual identification assembly is installed at the front end of the traveling assembly for identifying targets; the clamping assembly is installed through a mechanical arm for clamping and pulling out weeds; the rotating assembly is connected to the top of the clamping assembly for rotating and throwing off weeds after pulling out; and the jet cleaning assembly is arranged in front of the traveling assembly for jet cleaning the clamping end. A water filtering assembly is arranged in the traveling assembly for collecting floating weeds. The method comprises the following steps: patrolling the field and identifying the green target breaking water as weeds in the germination window period after seeding; driving the rotating assembly to rotate and throw off weeds and jet clean after the clamping assembly clamps and pulls out weeds; and guiding floating weeds into the water filtering assembly for collection by using the water flow generated by the robot traveling. The application simplifies the identification of weeds in the window period and realizes efficient weeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of agricultural machinery technology, and in particular relates to a weeding device and weeding method for paddy fields. Background Technology

[0002] In rice cultivation, weeds that rely on the rice's nutrients for growth need to be removed to prevent them from affecting the rice's normal development and growth. Observations have shown that rice has a germination window of approximately 2-3 days after sowing. During this period, rice seeds have not yet emerged from the water, while some weeds have already germinated and surfaced. This biological time difference provides an ideal window for physical weeding, but traditional manual or large-scale machinery is difficult to operate at this stage and can easily damage the field surface. Existing field weeding equipment mostly focuses on weeding between rows or plants in the mid-to-late stages of growth, relying on complex image algorithms to distinguish between crops and weeds. These systems are complex, costly, and not optimized for the aforementioned specific early germination window.

[0003] In addition, after weeding, existing equipment often leaves weeds on the water surface, which affects the judgment of subsequent operations and the cleanliness of the field. Therefore, this invention designs a weeding equipment and method for paddy fields. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the prior art, and to propose a weeding device and weeding method for paddy fields.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a weeding device for paddy fields, comprising: Propeller components; A visual recognition component, installed at the front end of the traveling component, is used to identify targets breaking the water surface within the rice paddy operation area; A gripping assembly, mounted on the traveling assembly by a robotic arm, is used to grip and remove the target; The control component is communicatively connected to the visual recognition component, the traveling component, and the clamping component, and is configured to: during a preset germination window period after rice sowing, control the traveling component and the clamping component to coordinate their actions based on the recognition result of the visual recognition component, so as to remove the identified green target; The clamping assembly is connected to a rotating assembly at its top, which drives the clamping assembly to rotate, so that weeds and silt are shaken off after the target is removed by rotation. A jet cleaning assembly is provided in front of the traveling assembly. The jet cleaning assembly includes an air pump and multiple jet heads connected to it via pipes. The jet direction of the multiple jet heads is directed towards the clamping assembly.

[0006] In the above-mentioned device, a water filtration assembly is provided in the middle of the traveling component. The water filtration assembly includes a water filtration tank fixed in the middle of the traveling component. A filtration collection channel is provided through the front and rear of the water filtration tank. The lower part of the filtration collection channel is immersed in water and a filter screen is provided inside it.

[0007] In the above-mentioned device, the clamping assembly includes a driving part and a clamping part. The clamping part is controlled by the driving part to contract and expand. The end of the clamping part includes a clamping finger made of flexible material, and the inner surface of the clamping finger is provided with an anti-slip structure.

[0008] In the above-mentioned device, the filter screen is configured as a ring structure and is installed on a rotating drum. The rotating drum is rotatably connected to the filter collection channel via a rotating shaft and closes the filter collection channel. The rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor at the top of the water filter tank. A filter box for collection is provided below the rotating drum.

[0009] In the above-mentioned device, the robotic arm includes a first arm and a second arm that are hinged to each other. The first arm is installed on the top of the water filter tank. The first arm and the second arm are connected to a hydraulic cylinder. The end of the second arm is hinged to the middle of the rotating assembly. The middle of the second arm is connected to the hydraulic cylinder, and its end is hinged to the top of the rotating assembly.

[0010] In the aforementioned device, the control component is also configured to support at least two operating modes: initiating a weeding mode during the germination window; and switching to a monitoring mode after the germination window ends to perform field monitoring tasks.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention provides a weeding method for the above-mentioned weeding equipment, comprising the following steps: S1: Determine the germination window period after rice sowing, and set the germination window period as the robot's working time threshold; S2: During the germination window period, control the robot to patrol the field and scan the water surface through the visual recognition component to identify green targets that break the water surface as weeds to be removed; S3: Control the movement of the traveling component and the flexible clamping component to the target position, and use the clamping component to clamp and remove weeds; S4: The clamping end of the clamping component is driven to rotate by the rotating component 3, and the weeds are thrown off by centrifugal force. The clamping end is then cleaned by air jet cleaning component. S5: Control the robot to continue moving forward. The water flow generated by the robot as it moves forward will naturally collect the weeds that have been shaken off and are floating on the water surface and guide them into the filter collection channel in the middle. S6: When floating objects pass through the filter collection channel, they are collected by the filter screen 53 in the filter collection channel, thereby achieving water surface cleaning.

[0012] In the above method, the clamping part of the clamping component uses flexible clamping fingers to perform adaptive envelope clamping.

[0013] In the above method, in step S2, by real-time monitoring of the field water level, the weeding action in step S3 is only executed when the conditions of rice germination window, water level within a preset range, and green targets breaking through the water are simultaneously met.

[0014] The above method also includes step S7, which involves controlling the weeding equipment to conduct a second field inspection of the weeded area after completing one weeding operation.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. By introducing a temporal judgment based on the germination window, the weed identification problem is simplified from complex image classification to time-based physical feature screening. Specifically, within a specific window period of 2-3 days after sowing, green objects breaking through the water surface are directly identified as weeds and removed. This method avoids the complex machine vision algorithms that require distinguishing between rice and weed morphology during the mid-growth stage, reduces the requirements for sensor accuracy and processor computing power, and improves the reliability and economy of the system in early-stage operation scenarios.

[0016] 2. Employing a mechanical structure combining rotary stripping, targeted jetting, and mobile collection, continuous automated operations of weeding, cleaning, and collection are achieved. After weeding, the gripping assembly uses centrifugal force generated by its rotational motion to separate weeds from the soil at the roots; the directional jetting device removes any remaining residue from the gripping ends; and the water flow generated during the robot's movement naturally guides floating weeds into the central filtration channel for collection. This integrated design eliminates the continuous impact of weed residue on the water surface, creating clean conditions for immediate re-inspection or subsequent operations within the same area, and improving the completeness of a single field inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of a weeding device for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of a weeding device for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping component in a weeding device for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the water filtration component in a weeding device for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0021] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the water filter tank in a weeding device for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a weeding method for paddy fields disclosed in this invention.

[0023] In the picture: 1. Traveling component; 2. Clamping component; 21. Drive unit; 22. Clamping part; 23. Anti-slip structure; 3 rotating components; 4. Jet cleaning assembly, 41. Air pump, 42. Jet head; 5. Water filtration assembly, 51. Water filtration tank, 52. Filtration collection channel, 53. Filter screen, 54. Rotary drum, 55. Drive motor, 56. Filter box; 6 robotic arms, 61 extension arm one, 62 extension arm two, 63 hydraulic cylinder one, 64 hydraulic cylinder two. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To facilitate understanding of this application and to make the aforementioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent, a detailed description of specific embodiments of this application is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application, and preferred embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application. This application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application; therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. In the description of this application, "several" means at least one, such as one, two, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementations. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is only for describing particular implementations and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0025] Reference Figure 1-6 A weeding device for rice paddies includes a traveling component 1, a vision recognition component, a clamping component 2, and a control component; The visual recognition component is installed at the front end of the traveling component 1 to identify targets that have broken the water surface in the rice operation area. In this solution, the main target is that after rice is transplanted, the growth rate is slower than that of weeds. Therefore, there will be a window period during which the plants that have broken the water surface are all weeds. In this solution, the weeds will be inspected and removed to complete the weed control work. The clamping assembly 2 is mounted on the traveling assembly 1 via a robotic arm 6 and is used to clamp and remove the target. The clamping assembly 2 includes a driving part 21 and a clamping part 22. The clamping part 22 is controlled by the driving part 21 to contract and expand. The end of the clamping part 22 includes a clamping finger made of flexible material. The inner surface of the clamping finger is provided with an anti-slip structure 23. The driving part 21 includes multiple electric telescopic rods. The electric telescopic rods drive the multiple clamping fingers in the clamping part 22 to produce a clamping movement that brings them closer together.

[0026] The robotic arm 6 includes a first arm 61 and a second arm 62 that are hinged to each other. The first arm 61 is installed on the top of the water filter tank 51. The first arm 61 and the second arm 62 are connected to a hydraulic cylinder 63. The end of the second arm 62 is hinged to the middle of the rotating assembly 3. The middle of the second arm 62 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 64, and its end is hinged to the top of the rotating assembly 3. The function of the robotic arm 6 is to send the clamping assembly 2 to the front above the weeds, and after the clamping part 22 clamps the weeds, it moves the clamping part 22 upward, thereby realizing the work of removing the weeds.

[0027] The control component is communicatively connected to the vision recognition component, the traveling component 1, and the clamping component 2, and is configured to: during the preset germination window period after rice sowing, control the traveling component and the clamping component to coordinate their actions based on the recognition result of the vision recognition component to remove the identified green targets. The control component is also configured to support at least two operating modes: a weeding mode is activated during the germination window period; and a monitoring mode is switched after the germination window period ends to perform field monitoring tasks. In the weeding mode, the control component controls the recognition component, the traveling component 1, and the clamping component 2 to work for weeding. In the inspection mode, the device only inspects between the field ridges to observe the normal state of the rice. At this time, the clamping component 2 and the robotic arm 5 are not working.

[0028] The top of the clamping component 2 is connected to a rotating component 3, which is used to drive the clamping component 2 to rotate, so that after the target is removed, the weeds and silt are shaken off by rotation. This is because most weeds grow in the soil of paddy fields. Therefore, in order to completely remove the roots of the weeds during the clamping operation, the clamping component needs to be pressed downward into the soil. Therefore, after the weeding is completed, the end of the clamping part 22 will inevitably be covered with surface soil. Therefore, by swinging the rotating component 3, this part of the silt and the weeds that have not been removed can be shaken off to avoid affecting the subsequent weeding work. A jet cleaning component 4 is provided in front of the traveling component 1. The jet cleaning component 4 includes an air pump 41 and multiple jet heads 42 connected to it through pipes. The jet direction of the multiple jet heads 41 is directed towards the clamping component 2. The function of the jet cleaning component 4 is to use airflow to impact the end of the clamping part 22, so that the sludge attached to the end can be quickly removed. In combination with the swinging of the clamping part 22 by the rotating component 3, the cleaning effect of the clamping part 22 is further improved.

[0029] A water filtration assembly 5 is provided in the middle of the traveling component 1. The water filtration assembly 5 includes a water filtration box 51 fixed in the middle of the traveling component 1. The water filtration box 51 has a filtration collection channel 52 that runs through it from front to back. The lower part of the filtration collection channel 52 is immersed in water, allowing it to filter weeds floating on the water. Simultaneously, a filter screen 53 is provided inside the filtration collection channel 52. The filter screen 53 has a ring structure and is mounted on a rotating cylinder 54. The rotating cylinder 54 is rotatably connected to the filtration collection channel 52 via a rotating shaft, thus closing the filtration collection channel 52. Therefore, the removed weeds are naturally filtered into the filtration collection channel 52 and filtered by the filter screen 53. The rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor 55 at the top of the filter tank 51. The drive motor 55 drives the filter screen 53 to rotate, so that each part of the annular filter screen 53 can collect weeds, improving collection efficiency and preventing the filter screen 53 from becoming clogged. A filter box 56 is provided below the rotating cylinder 53 for collecting filtered weeds. The principle of the filter box 56 collecting the filter screen 53 is that there is a certain gap between the filter box 56 and the filter screen 53. The filter screen 53 is inserted into the filter box 56. Therefore, when the device is not immersed in water, the weeds on the surface of the filter screen 53 will naturally fall into the filter box 56 below during the rotation process, forming a collection.

[0030] In addition, the present invention also provides a weeding method using the above-mentioned equipment, comprising the following steps: S1: Determine the germination window period after rice sowing, and set the germination window period as the robot's working time threshold. Within this working time threshold, the rice has not yet broken through the soil, so the green plants that have broken through the soil are all weeds, and weeds are taken as the robot's working target. S2: During the germination window period, the robot is controlled to patrol the field and scan the water surface through the visual recognition component. Green targets that break the water surface are identified as weeds to be removed. In step S2, the water level of the field is monitored in real time. The weeding action in step S3 is only performed when the conditions of rice germination window period, water level within preset range, and green targets breaking the water surface are identified. S3: Control the movement of the traveling component and the flexible clamping component to the target position, and use the clamping component 2 to clamp and remove weeds. The clamping part 22 of the clamping component 2 adopts flexible clamping fingers to perform adaptive envelope clamping. S4: The clamping end of the clamping component 2 is driven to rotate by the rotating component 3, and the weeds are thrown off by centrifugal force. The clamping end is cleaned by air jet cleaning component 4, so as to avoid the silt adhering to the end of the clamping component 2 and forming hard impurities after long-term use, which will affect the subsequent weeding operation. S5: Control the robot to continue moving forward. The water flow generated when the robot moves forward will naturally collect the weeds that have been shaken off and are floating on the water surface and guide them into the filter collection channel 52 in the middle. S6: When floating objects pass through the filter collection channel, they are collected by the filter screen 53 in the filter collection channel 52, thereby achieving water surface cleaning.

[0031] S7: After completing one round of weeding, control the weeding equipment to conduct a second round of field inspection to re-inspect the weeded area, thereby avoiding missed inspections and ensuring complete removal of weeds from the weeded area.

[0032] As is known from common technical knowledge, this invention can be implemented through other embodiments that do not depart from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not exhaustive. All modifications within the scope of this invention or its equivalents are included in this invention.

Claims

1. A weeding device for rice paddies, characterized in that, include: Traveling component (1); A visual recognition component, installed at the front end of the traveling component (1), is used to identify targets breaking the water surface within the rice paddy operation area; The clamping assembly (2) is mounted on the traveling assembly (1) by a robotic arm (6) for clamping and removing the target; The control component is communicatively connected to the visual recognition component, the traveling component (1) and the clamping component (2), and is configured to: during the germination window period after rice sowing, control the traveling component and the clamping component (2) to work together according to the recognition result of the visual recognition component to remove the identified green target; The clamping assembly (2) is connected to a rotating assembly (3) at its top, which is used to drive the clamping assembly (2) to rotate, so that the weeds and silt are shaken off by rotation after the target is removed; A jet cleaning assembly (4) is provided in front of the traveling assembly (1). The jet cleaning assembly (4) includes an air pump (41) and a plurality of jet heads (42) connected thereto via pipes. The jet direction of the plurality of jet heads (41) is directed toward the clamping assembly (2).

2. The weeding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A water filtration assembly (5) is provided in the middle of the traveling component (1). The water filtration assembly (5) includes a water filtration box (51) fixed in the middle of the traveling component (1). The water filtration box (51) has a filter collection channel (52) that runs through the front and back. The lower part of the filter collection channel (52) is immersed in water and has a filter screen (53) inside.

3. The weeding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping assembly (2) includes a driving part (21) and a clamping part (22). The clamping part (22) is controlled by the driving part (21) to contract and expand. The end of the clamping part (22) includes a clamping finger made of flexible material. The inner surface of the clamping finger is provided with an anti-slip structure (23).

4. The weeding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The filter screen (53) is configured as an annular structure and is installed on the rotating drum (54). The rotating drum (54) is rotatably connected to the filter collection channel (52) via a rotating shaft and closes the filter collection channel (52). The rotating shaft is connected to the drive motor (55) at the top of the water filter tank (51). A filter box (56) for collection is provided below the rotating drum (53).

5. The weeding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robotic arm (6) includes a first arm (61) and a second arm (62) that are hinged to each other. The first arm (61) is mounted on the top of the water filter tank (51). The first arm (61) and the second arm (62) are connected to a hydraulic cylinder (63). The end of the second arm (62) is hinged to the middle of the rotating assembly (3). The middle of the second arm (62) is connected to a hydraulic cylinder (64) and its end is hinged to the top of the rotating assembly (3).

6. The weeding equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The control component is also configured to support at least two operating modes: initiating a weeding mode during the germination window and switching to a monitoring mode after the germination window ends to perform field monitoring tasks.

7. A method for weeding paddy fields based on the weeding equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Determine the germination window period after rice sowing, and set the germination window period as the robot's working time threshold; S2: During the germination window period, control the robot to patrol the field and scan the water surface through the visual recognition component to identify green targets that break the water surface as weeds to be removed; S3: Control the movement of the traveling component and the flexible clamping component to the target position, and use the clamping component (2) to clamp and remove weeds; S4: Drive the clamping end of the clamping component (2) to rotate by rotating component (3), use centrifugal force to throw off the weeds and silt that have not been detached, and use air jet cleaning component (4) to clean the clamping end by air jet; S5: Control the robot to continue moving forward. The water flow generated when the robot moves forward will naturally collect the weeds that have been shaken off and floating on the water surface and guide them into the filter collection channel (52) in the middle. S6: When floating objects pass through the filter collection channel, they are collected by the filter screen (53) in the filter collection channel (52), thereby achieving water surface cleaning.

8. The method for weeding paddy fields according to claim 7, characterized in that, The clamping portion (22) of the clamping assembly (2) employs flexible clamping fingers to perform adaptive envelope clamping.

9. The method for weeding paddy fields according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S2, by monitoring the water level on the field surface in real time, the weeding action in step S3 is only executed when the conditions of rice germination window, water level within a preset range, and green targets breaking through the water are simultaneously met.

10. The method for weeding paddy fields according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes step S7, which involves controlling the weeding equipment to conduct a second field inspection of the weeded area after completing one weeding operation.

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