Insect production control device

Abstract

To provide an insect production control device capable of saving labor for measuring the weight of insects.SOLUTION: Provided is an insect production control device 10 for controlling production states of a plurality of crickets C, including: an image acquisition part 11 for acquiring image data ID including the plurality of crickets C; an insect recognition part 12 for recognizing the crickets C included in the image data ID and giving segmentation SG to each of the crickets C; a size information acquisition part 13 for acquiring the segmentation SG given to the crickets C and acquiring size information SI of the size of the crickets C included in the image data ID on the basis of on the segmentation SG; a storage part 17 for storing a size-weight relation SWR which is a predefined relation between size information SI and individual weight of crickets C; and a weight estimation part 15 for estimating a total weight of the crickets C included in the image data ID on the basis of the size information SI and the size-weight relation SWR.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insect production management device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a breeding device for breeding crickets, a type of insect. It describes that the breeding device provides a container in which absorbent cotton soaked in water is placed in order to provide water to the crickets, and provides a large number of lightly rolled newspapers in the breeding container so that the crickets can hide in the shade. At the time of shipping, adult crickets are counted and fed into cardboard boxes for shipping. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-191834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when shipping crickets, the total weight of the crickets may be required. In this case, according to the prior art, for example, the weights of each cricket may be measured individually and added up. However, this method is cumbersome and unrealistic.

[0005] Another option would be to measure the empty weight of the shipping cardboard box in advance, and then measure the weight of the cardboard box containing the crickets after all the crickets have been put in and subtract the empty weight of the cardboard box. However, if the volume of crickets to be shipped is large, the task of measuring the weight of the cardboard box becomes cumbersome.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an insect production management device that can reduce the labor required for measuring the weight of insects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is An insect production management device for managing the production status of a plurality of insects, An image acquisition unit that acquires an image including a plurality of the insects; an insect recognition unit that recognizes the insects included in the image and provides a segmentation for each of the insects; a size information acquisition unit that acquires the segmentation assigned to the insect and acquires size information related to the size of the insect included in the image based on the segmentation; A storage unit that stores a predefined size-weight relationship between the size information and the individual weight of the insect; and a weight estimation unit that estimates the total weight of the insects contained in the image based on the size information and the size-weight relationship. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, by capturing an image including a plurality of insects, the total weight of the insects contained in the image can be estimated. This can reduce the labor required for measuring the total weight of the insects. As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an insect production management device that can reduce the labor required for measuring the weight of insects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of an insect production management device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an insect production management device of embodiment 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the rearing apparatus of embodiment 1. [Figure 4] 3 is a main flow diagram showing the operation of the insect production management device of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing image data according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which segmentation has been applied to a cricket for image data according to embodiment 1. [Figure 7] 4 is a graph showing the size-weight relationship taking into account the shape-weight relationship regarding the presence or absence of wings in the insect production management device of embodiment 1. [Figure 8] 4 is a graph showing the size-weight relationship taking into account the shape-weight relationship relating to the posture of a cricket in the insect production management device of embodiment 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of an insect production management device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the rearing apparatus of embodiment 2, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Xa-Xa in FIG. 10B, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Xb-Xb in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an insect production management device of a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a graph showing the size-weight relationship taking into account information regarding the type of feed in the insect production management device of embodiment 2. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a rearing apparatus according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (Embodiment 1) The present invention is an insect production management device for managing the production status of a plurality of insects. The insects according to this embodiment are not particularly limited, and may be ones that undergo complete metamorphosis or ones that undergo incomplete metamorphosis when they grow. Insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis are insects whose larvae and adults have similar shapes and that metamorphose from larvae to adults by repeating molting without going through a pupal period. For example, Orthoptera can be suitably used as insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis. Examples of Orthoptera include crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers. In this embodiment, a cricket C is exemplified. In the following description, some of the configurations of multiple identical members may be given reference symbols, and the reference symbols may be omitted for other configurations.

[0011] 1. Overview of the insect production management device 10 An overview of an insect production management apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the insect production management apparatus 10 includes a rearing apparatus 20 for rearing crickets C. The insect production management apparatus 10 acquires various information from an operator via an input device 31. The insect production management apparatus 10 also teaches information to the operator via a teaching device 32. The input device 31 is not particularly limited, and any device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, or a voice input device can be appropriately selected. The teaching device 32 is not particularly limited, and any device such as a liquid crystal display, a tablet terminal, or the like can be appropriately selected.

[0012] 2, the insect production management device 10 includes an image acquisition unit 11, an insect recognition unit 12, a size information acquisition unit 13, a shape information acquisition unit 14, a weight estimation unit 15, an actual size information conversion unit 16, and a memory unit 17. In this embodiment, the image acquisition unit 11 is disposed in the rearing device 20. However, the image acquisition unit 11 may be disposed outside the rearing device 20 as long as it is capable of photographing the crickets C reared in the rearing device 20.

[0013] The storage unit 17 stores the image data ID, the size information SI, the size-weight relationship SWR, the shape information SHI, and the shape-weight relationship SHWR. The storage unit 17 is not particularly limited, and any storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive can be appropriately selected.

[0014] 2. Rearing apparatus 20 and cricket C As shown in FIG. 3, the rearing apparatus 20 is used for rearing crickets C. The shape of the rearing apparatus 20 is not particularly limited, and any shape can be appropriately adopted. The rearing apparatus 20 according to this embodiment is formed in a box shape that opens upward. The inside of the rearing apparatus 20 is a rearing area 20a in which the crickets C are housed and reared. A water supplying means (not shown) for providing water to the crickets C and a feeding means for providing food are arranged in the rearing area 20a of the rearing apparatus 20.

[0015] A reference object 21 formed in a predetermined shape is placed inside the breeding device 20. The reference object 21 is used when converting the size information SI about the cricket C photographed by the image acquisition unit 11 into actual size information. A specific part of the reference object 21 is formed in a predetermined dimension. The shape of the reference object 21 is not particularly limited, and any shape such as a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a sphere, a plate, etc. can be adopted. In this embodiment, a sphere is adopted. This is because the photographing angle of the reference object 21 can be set arbitrarily by setting the reference dimension as the diameter. The material constituting the reference object 21 is not particularly limited, and any material such as resin, metal, wood, etc. can be appropriately selected. The reference object 21 may be one made for the insect production management device 10 of this embodiment, or a commercially available product with a predetermined dimension may be applied. For example, a golf ball may be used as the reference object 21. However, the reference object 21 may be omitted.

[0016] It is known that cricket C grows in multiple stages by repeatedly "molting," which is an ecology that renews the tissue on the surface of its body. Therefore, in this example, for the sake of convenience, one unit period determined by the ecology of molting is called the "first instar."

[0017] The age of the cricket C during the period from hatching to the first molting (first molting) can be defined as the "1st instar". In this case, the age of the cricket C during the period from the first molting to the next molting (second molting) is the "2nd instar", and the age of the cricket C during the period from the second molting to the next molting (third molting) is the "3rd instar". In this way, in an insect having a molting ecdysis, the age of the organism during the period from the (M-1)th molting to the Mth molting can be defined as the "Mth instar" (where M is a natural number). In the cricket C, the wings 22 are not formed at the larval stage, and the wings 22 are formed when it becomes an adult.

[0018] 3, the image acquisition unit 11 is attached via a stay 11a to the upper end of the side wall of the rearing device 20. The image acquisition unit 11 is configured to be able to acquire image data ID including a plurality of crickets C reared in the rearing area 20a of the rearing device 20.

[0019] 3. Operation of the insect production management device 10 The operation of the insect production management apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 8. Fig. 4 shows a main flow of the operation of the insect production management apparatus 10. When the insect production management apparatus 10 is started, the image acquisition unit 11 acquires image data ID of a plurality of crickets C reared in the rearing area 20a of the rearing apparatus 20 (S1). The image acquisition unit 11 photographs the plurality of crickets C and the reference object 21 within the same image data ID. The photographed image data ID is transmitted to the storage unit 17 and stored in the storage unit 17.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows an example of image data ID. However, the number, shape, size, posture, etc. of the crickets C included in the image data ID are not limited to the following description. The image data ID shown in FIG. 5 includes five crickets C1 to C5 and one reference object 21. Of the five crickets C1 to C5, four crickets C1, C3, C4, and C5 do not have wings 22, and one cricket C2 has wings 22. Among the five crickets C1 to C5, the cricket C4 located at the bottom left of FIG. 5 is photographed in a horizontal posture, that is, lying on its side with respect to the bottom surface of the rearing device 20, and the other crickets C1, C2, C3, and C5 are photographed in an upright position with respect to the bottom surface of the rearing device 20. The cricket C5 located at the bottom right of Fig. 5 has a body length slightly larger and a body width slightly smaller than the other crickets C1, C2, C3, and C4. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the multiple crickets C1 to C5, they may be referred to as crickets C.

[0021] Next, the insect recognition unit 12 recognizes the cricket C included in the image data ID and assigns segmentations SG1 to SG5 to each of the crickets C (S2). As shown in FIG. 6, the segmentations SG1 to SG5 are assigned to the multiple crickets C1 to C5 included in the image data ID, respectively. The segmentations SG1 to SG5 are formed by closed lines that cover the outer shape of the cricket C. The closed lines are not particularly limited, and may be polygonal such as a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, or a hexagon, or may be circular or elliptical. In this embodiment, the outer shapes of the crickets C1 to C5 are surrounded by the hexagonal segmentations SG1 to SG5.

[0022] In the image data ID shown in Fig. 6, the segmentation SG2 of the cricket C2 having the wings 22 is slightly longer than the segmentations SG1, SG3, SG4, and SG5 of the crickets C1, C3, C4, and C5 not having the wings 22. The segmentation SG4 of the horizontal cricket C4 is slightly narrower than the segmentations SG1, SG2, SG3, and SG5 of the upright crickets C1, C2, C3, and C5. The segmentation SG5 of the cricket C5 located at the bottom right of Fig. 6 is longer and narrower than the segments SG1 to SG4 of the other crickets C1 to C4. In the following description, when the segments SG1 to SG5 are not distinguished from each other, they may be referred to as segmentation SG.

[0023] Returning to Fig. 4, next, the size information acquisition unit 13 acquires the segmentation SG assigned to the cricket C, and acquires size information SI related to the size of the cricket C included in the image data ID based on the segmentation SG (S3). The size information SI is expressed by the number of pixels. The size information SI includes the body length, body width, area, volume, etc. of the cricket C.

[0024] The body length of cricket C is represented by the number of pixels in the longitudinal direction of the segmentation SG. The body width of cricket C is represented by the number of pixels in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the segmentation SG. The area is represented by the number of pixels in the region enclosed by the closed lines that make up the segmentation SG. The volume is represented by the number of pixels representing the area as well as the number of pixels in the thickness direction.

[0025] Next, the shape information acquisition unit 14 acquires the segmentation SG assigned to the cricket C, and acquires shape data related to the shape of the cricket C included in the image data ID based on the segmentation SG (S4). The shape data is not particularly limited, and examples include information on whether the cricket C has wings 22 or not, information on the posture of the cricket C, etc.

[0026] Next, the weight estimation unit 15 obtains the size-weight relationship SWR and the shape-weight relationship SHWR from the memory unit 17, and estimates the total weight of the crickets C included in the image data ID based on the size-weight relationship SWR, the size information SI, the shape-weight relationship SHWR, and the shape information SHI (S5).

[0027] The size-weight relationship SWR is a predefined relationship between the size information SI and the individual weight of the cricket C. The shape-weight relationship SHWR is a predefined relationship between the shape information SHI and the individual weight of the insect. As described above, the size-weight relationship SWR and the shape-weight relationship SHWR are stored in the storage unit 17. However, the shape-weight relationship SHWR may be omitted.

[0028] The size-weight relationship SWR in this embodiment is a relationship in which the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C is a fixed value. In other words, it is a relationship in which the individual weight of the cricket C increases at a constant rate as the size of the cricket C increases. In other words, the size of the cricket C and the individual weight of the cricket C have a positive linear relationship (a relationship of constant monotonous increase). However, the size-weight relationship SWR may be a relationship in which the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the insect to the increase in the size of the insect is a variable that differs depending on the size of the insect.

[0029] In the shape-weight relationship SHWR in this embodiment, when the cricket C has wings 22, the ratio of the increase in the individual body weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C when it has wings 22 is smaller than the ratio of the increase in the individual body weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C when it does not have wings 22.

[0030] If the cricket C has the wings 22, the size of the insect is recognized as being larger by the amount of the wings 22. However, since the weight of the wings 22 themselves is lighter than the body of the cricket C, the weight of the cricket C recognized as the size including the wings 22 may be estimated to be larger than the actual weight. Therefore, by detecting the presence or absence of the wings 22 and estimating the weight of the cricket C to be smaller by the amount of the wings 22 when the cricket C has the wings 22, the accuracy of estimating the weight of the cricket C can be improved.

[0031] Fig. 7 shows a graph showing an example of the size-weight relationship SWR taking into account the shape-weight relationship SHWR for the presence or absence of wings 22 of the cricket C. The graph in Fig. 7 shows the change in weight of the cricket C with respect to the size of the cricket C. As described above, the size-weight relationship SWR according to this embodiment is a relationship in which the weight of the cricket C increases at a constant rate as the size of the cricket C increases.

[0032] As described above, the wings 22 of the cricket C are formed when the cricket C becomes an adult. Therefore, based on the shape-weight relationship SHWR depending on the presence or absence of the wings 22, the size-weight relationship SWR branches into a case where the cricket C has the wings 22 and a case where the cricket C does not have the wings 22 in the region where the growth stage of the cricket C reaches the adult stage. When the cricket C does not have the wings 22, the size-weight relationship SWR maintains a relationship in which the weight of the cricket C increases at a constant rate as the size of the cricket C increases. On the other hand, when the cricket C has the wings 22, the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C is smaller than the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C when the cricket C does not have the wings 22.

[0033] In addition, the shape-weight relationship SHWR in this embodiment is such that, when the cricket C is in a sideways position, the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in its size when the cricket C is in a sideways position is greater than the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in its size when the cricket C is in an upright position.

[0034] Fig. 8 shows a graph showing an example of the size-weight relationship SWR taking into account the shape-weight relationship SHWR with respect to the posture of the cricket C. Whether the cricket C is upright or lying sideways in the rearing device 20 is unrelated to the size of the cricket C. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8, the graph for the case where the cricket C is lying sideways is defined over the entire range of sizes.

[0035] When the cricket C is lying sideways, the size of the insect is determined to be smaller than when the cricket C is upright. Therefore, by detecting the posture of the cricket C and estimating the weight of the cricket C to be larger when the cricket C is lying sideways, the accuracy of estimating the weight of the cricket C can be improved.

[0036] The weight estimation unit 15 can further calculate the average weight of the crickets C by dividing the calculated total weight of the crickets C by the number of the crickets C included in the image data ID. The number of the crickets C included in the image data ID can be easily calculated by counting the number of segmentations SG surrounding the outline of the crickets C.

[0037] Next, the actual size information conversion unit 16 obtains the size information SI of the cricket C from the storage unit 17. The actual size information conversion unit 16 converts the size information SI into actual size information based on the dimensions of the reference object 21 included in the image data ID (S6). The actual size information conversion unit 16 converts, for example, the number of pixels representing the body length of the cricket C or the number of pixels representing the body width of the cricket C into a length dimension expressed in mm or cm. In addition, the actual size information conversion unit 16 converts, for example, the number of pixels representing the area within a closed line of the segmentation SG that surrounds the outline of the cricket C into a length dimension expressed in mm or cm.2 Or cm 2 The actual size information conversion unit 16 converts the number of pixels that represents the volume within the closed line of the segmentation SG that surrounds the outline of the cricket C into an area represented by mm 3 Or cm 3 However, the actual size information conversion unit 16 can be omitted. The unit of conversion is arbitrary, and can be mm, mm 2 , mm 3 , cm, cm 2 ,cm 3 etc. are not limited to.

[0038] Next, the teaching device 32 teaches the operator the total weight of the crickets C, the actual size information of the crickets C, the average weight of the crickets C, etc., contained in the image data ID (S7). With the above, the operation of the insect production management device 10 is completed.

[0039] 4. Effects of this Form Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described. The insect production management device 10 according to the present embodiment is an insect production management device 10 that manages the production status of multiple crickets C, and includes an image acquisition unit 11 that acquires image data ID including multiple crickets C, an insect recognition unit 12 that recognizes the crickets C included in the image data ID and assigns a segmentation SG to each of the crickets C, a size information acquisition unit 13 that acquires the segmentation SG assigned to the crickets C and acquires size information SI related to the size of the crickets C included in the image data ID based on the segmentation SG, a storage unit 17 that stores a size-weight relationship SWR that is a relationship between the size information SI and the individual body weight of the crickets C, which is defined in advance, and a weight estimation unit 15 that estimates the total weight of the crickets C included in the image data ID based on the size information SI and the size-weight relationship SWR.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the total weight of the crickets C included in an image can be estimated by capturing an image including a plurality of crickets C. This can reduce the labor required for measuring the total weight of the crickets C.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the size information SI is expressed by the number of pixels, and further, an actual size information conversion unit 16 is provided for converting the size information SI of the insect into actual size information. This makes it possible to output the total weight of the crickets C from the size information SI expressed by the number of pixels, and to recalculate the individual actual size of the crickets C from the size information SI expressed by the number of pixels.

[0042] The insect production management device 10 of this embodiment further includes a shape information acquisition unit 14 that acquires the segmentation SG assigned to the cricket C and acquires shape information SHI regarding the shape of the cricket C included in the image based on the segmentation SG, and a weight estimation unit 15 that estimates the total weight of the cricket C included in the image based on the size information SI, the size-weight relationship SWR, the shape information SHI, and the shape-weight relationship SHWR, which is a predefined relationship between the shape information SHI and the individual body weight of the cricket C.

[0043] According to this embodiment, by taking into account the shape information SHI in addition to the size information SI, the accuracy of estimating the total weight of the crickets C can be improved.

[0044] According to this embodiment, the shape information SHI is information regarding whether or not the cricket C has wings 22, and when the insect has wings 22, the weight estimation unit 15 sets, based on the shape-weight relationship SHWR, the ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the size of the cricket C when it has wings 22 to a smaller value than the ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the size of the cricket C when it does not have wings 22.

[0045] If the cricket C has wings 22, the size of the insect is recognized as larger by the amount of the wings 22. However, since the weight of the wings themselves is lighter than the body of the cricket C, the weight of the cricket C recognized as the size including the wings 22 may be estimated to be larger than the actual weight. Therefore, by detecting the presence or absence of the wings 22 and, if the cricket C has the wings 22, estimating the weight of the insect to be smaller by the amount of the wings 22, the accuracy of estimating the weight of the cricket C can be improved.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the shape information SHI is information regarding the posture of the cricket C, and when the posture of the cricket C is sideways, the weight estimation unit 15 sets, based on the shape-weight relationship SHWR, the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C when the posture is sideways to a larger value than the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the cricket C to the increase in the size of the cricket C when the posture is upright.

[0047] When the cricket C is lying sideways, the size of the cricket C is determined to be smaller than when the cricket C is standing upright. Therefore, by detecting the posture of the cricket C and estimating the weight of the cricket C to be larger when the cricket C is lying sideways, the accuracy of estimating the weight of the cricket C can be improved.

[0048] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 9, an insect production management apparatus 40 of this embodiment has an insect passage 41 that allows only one cricket C to pass through, disposed outside the rearing apparatus 20. The insect passage 41 includes a weight measuring unit 42 that measures the weight of each cricket C, and an individual photographing unit 43 that photographs each cricket C whose weight has been measured by the weight measuring unit 42.

[0049] Fig. 10 shows the rearing apparatus 20 and an insect passage 41. As shown in Fig. 10(a), the insect passage 41 is disposed so as to protrude outward from the side wall of the rearing apparatus 20. The insect passage 41 is formed hollow and is set so that at least one cricket C can pass through it. The cross-sectional shape of the insect passage 41 is not particularly limited, and can be formed into any shape such as a square, a circle, an oval, or the like. In this embodiment, it is formed into a square shape.

[0050] 10(b), the internal space of the insect passage 41 communicates with the rearing area 20a of the rearing apparatus 20. The insect passage 41 includes a first horizontal path 41a and a second horizontal path 41b protruding from the side wall of the rearing apparatus 20, and a vertical path 41c connecting an end of the first horizontal path 41a and an end of the second horizontal path 41b.

[0051] As shown by the arrow A, the crickets C can enter the first transverse path 41a from the rearing area 20a, but cannot enter the rearing area 20a from the first transverse path 41a. For example, at the opening of the first transverse path 41a to the rearing area 20a, a door (not shown) is formed to detect the crickets C using a sensor (not shown) and to allow only one cricket C to pass through.

[0052] Also, as shown by the arrow B, it is possible to enter the rearing area 20a from the second lateral path 41b, but it is not possible to enter from the rearing area 20a to the second lateral path 41b. For example, at the opening of the second lateral path 41b to the rearing area 20a, a door (not shown) is formed to detect a cricket C by a sensor (not shown) and to allow only one cricket C to pass through.

[0053] As described above, the cricket C can only travel from the first horizontal path 41a to the second horizontal path 41b, so that in the vertical path 41c, the cricket C can only proceed in the direction indicated by the arrow C. A weight measuring unit 42 capable of measuring the weight of the individual cricket C is disposed on the bottom wall 41d of the vertical path 41c. A known load cell or the like can be used as the weight measuring unit 42. The upper part of the weight measuring unit 42 is exposed inside the vertical path 41c, so that the cricket C can stand on the upper part of the weight measuring unit 42. This allows the weight measuring unit 42 to measure the individual weight of the cricket C.

[0054] An individual photographing unit 43 is disposed on the ceiling wall of the vertical passage 41c in a portion facing the weight measuring unit 42. A known CCD camera or the like can be used as the individual photographing unit 43. The individual photographing unit 43 is configured to photograph the cricket C when the individual weight of the cricket C is measured in the weight measuring unit 42. This makes it possible to obtain the individual weight and size information SI of each cricket C.

[0055] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the reference object 21 is not placed in the breeding apparatus 20. However, the reference object 21 may be placed in the breeding apparatus 20.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 11, the insect production management device 40 of this embodiment includes an update unit 44 that updates the size-weight relationship SWR based on the individual body weight of the cricket C measured by the weight measurement unit 42 and the size information SI of the cricket C photographed by the individual photographing unit 43. The update unit 44 stores the updated size-weight relationship SWR in the memory unit 17. This embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that it does not include the actual size information conversion unit 16. However, it may be configured to include the actual size information conversion unit 16.

[0057] The memory unit 17 in this embodiment stores rearing conditions BC for the crickets C. The rearing conditions BC are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include the type of feed given to the crickets C, the installation locations of hiding places for the crickets C, the number of hiding places, the installation locations of feeding means for feeding the crickets C, the number of feeding means, the installation locations of water supplying means for providing water to the crickets C, the number of water supplying means, the humidity in the rearing apparatus 20, the brightness in the rearing apparatus 20, the color tone of the lighting device installed in the rearing apparatus 20, the magnitude of sound or vibration in the rearing apparatus 20, and the like.

[0058] The weight measurement unit 42 in this embodiment estimates the total weight of the insects included in the image based on the size information SI, the rearing condition BC, and the size-weight relationship SWR.

[0059] The size-weight relationship SWR in this form is a relationship in which the ratio of the increase in the individual body weight of cricket C to the increase in the size of cricket C is a variable that differs depending on the size of cricket C.

[0060] 12 shows the size-weight relationship SWR when feed A is given under rearing condition BC, and the size-weight relationship SWR when feed B different from feed A is given. As described above, the size-weight relationship SWR of this embodiment is configured such that the rate of increase in the individual weight of cricket C changes according to the increase in size of cricket C. In other words, the size of cricket C and the individual weight of cricket C have a monotonically increasing nonlinear relationship.

[0061] As shown in Figure 12, when crickets C are fed with feed A, they tend to be heavier than when they are fed with feed B at the same size. In detail, a1 and b1 are the same size, a2 and b2 are the same size, and a3 and b3 are the same size. In this case, the weight relationships are a1>b1, a2>b2, and a3>b3. However, when a condition different from the feed is adopted as rearing condition BC, the way in which the size-weight relationship SWR changes may be different from when the feed is adopted as rearing condition BC.

[0062] Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the size-weight relationship SWR is a relationship in which the ratio of the increase in the individual weight of the insect to the increase in the size of the cricket C is a variable that varies depending on the size of the cricket C. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of estimating the total weight of the cricket C.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the size-weight relationship SWR is defined as a different relationship depending on the rearing condition BC of the crickets C, and the weight estimation unit 15 estimates the total weight of the crickets C included in the image based on the size information SI, the rearing condition BC, and the size-weight relationship SWR. This improves the accuracy of estimating the total weight of the crickets C.

[0064] The insect production management device 40 of this embodiment further includes a weight measuring unit 42 that measures the individual weights of the crickets C, an individual photographing unit 43 that individually photographs the insects whose weights have been measured by the weight measuring unit 42, and an updating unit 44 that updates the size-weight relationship SWR based on the individual weights of the insects measured by the weight measuring unit 42 and the size information SI of the insects photographed by the individual photographing unit 43. This makes it possible to update the size-weight relationship SWR to the latest state, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the total weight of the crickets C.

[0065] The insect production management device 40 according to this embodiment further includes a rearing device 20 having a rearing area 20a for rearing crickets C, an image acquisition unit 11 acquires images of insects reared in the rearing area 20a, an insect passage 41 through which only one cricket C can pass is disposed outside the rearing device 20, and a weight measurement unit 42 and an individual photographing unit 43 are disposed in the insect passage 41. This allows the weight of each cricket C to be measured with high accuracy, and size information SI of the crickets C to be obtained with high accuracy.

[0066] In addition, among the symbols used in the second and subsequent embodiments, the same symbols as those used in the previous embodiments represent the same components, etc. as those in the previous embodiments, unless otherwise specified.

[0067] (Embodiment 3) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 13, a rearing apparatus 50 of this embodiment has an insect passage 51 in the rearing area 20a of the rearing apparatus 50. A plate-shaped insect passage 51 protruding inward is formed on the inner surface (the surface on the rearing area 20a side) of the side wall of the rearing apparatus 50. The protruding dimension of the insect passage 51 from the side wall of the rearing apparatus 50 is set to a size that allows one cricket C to pass through.

[0068] A weight measuring unit 42 for measuring the weight of each cricket C is disposed in the insect passage 51. The upper part of the weight measuring unit 42 is exposed to the upper surface of the insect passage 51. This allows the weight of each cricket C passing through the insect passage 51 to be measured.

[0069] An individual photographing unit 43 is disposed on the inner surface of the side wall of the rearing device 50, above the insect passage 51 and above the weight measuring unit 42, for individually photographing the crickets C whose weights have been measured by the weight measuring unit 42. The individual photographing unit 43 may be configured to constantly photograph the upper part of the weight measuring unit 42, or may be configured to photograph the crickets C when a sensor (not shown) detects that the crickets C have passed above the weight measuring unit 42.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the rearing apparatus 50 can be prevented from becoming large.

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0072] The weight measuring unit 42 according to the first embodiment may be configured to estimate the total weight of the insects included in the image based on the size information SI, the rearing condition BC, and the size-weight relationship SWR. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10, 40: insect production management device, 11: image acquisition unit, 12: insect recognition unit, 13: size information acquisition unit, 14: shape information acquisition unit, 15: weight estimation unit, 16: actual size information conversion unit, 17: memory unit, 20, 50: rearing device, 20a: rearing area, 21: reference object, 41, 51: insect passage, 42: weight measurement unit, 43: individual photography unit, 44: update unit, BC: rearing conditions, C, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5: crickets, ID: image data, SG, SG1, SG2, SG3, SG4, SG5: segmentation, SHI: shape information, SHWR: shape-weight relationship, SI: size information, SWR: size-weight relationship

Claims

1. An insect production management device for managing the production status of a plurality of insects, An image acquisition unit that acquires image data including a plurality of the insects; an insect recognition unit that recognizes the insects included in the image data and provides a segmentation for each of the insects; a size information acquisition unit that acquires the segmentation assigned to the insect and acquires size information related to the size of the insect included in the image data based on the segmentation; A memory unit that stores a predefined size-weight relationship that is a relationship between the size information and the individual weight of the insect; An insect production management device comprising: a weight estimation unit that estimates the total weight of the insects included in the image data based on the size information and the size-weight relationship.

2. 2. The insect production management device according to claim 1, wherein the size-weight relationship is a monotonically increasing relationship, in which the ratio of an increase in the individual weight of the insect to an increase in the size of the insect is a fixed value.

3. The insect production management device of claim 1, wherein the size-weight relationship is a monotonically increasing relationship, in which the ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the insect's size is a variable that differs depending on the size of the insect.

4. The size-weight relationship is defined as a relationship that differs depending on the rearing conditions of the insect, 4. The insect production management device according to claim 2, wherein the weight estimation unit estimates a total weight of the insects included in the image data based on the size information, the rearing conditions, and the size-weight relationship.

5. the size information is expressed in terms of a number of pixels; moreover, The insect production management device according to claim 1 , further comprising an actual size information conversion unit that converts the size information of the insect into actual size information.

6. moreover, A weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of each individual insect; an individual photographing unit that individually photographs the insects whose weights have been measured by the weight measuring unit; The insect production management device of claim 1, further comprising an update unit that updates the size-weight relationship based on the individual body weight of the insect measured by the weight measuring unit and the size information of the insect photographed by the individual photographing unit.

7. Further, a breeding device having a breeding area for breeding the insects is provided, The image acquisition unit acquires images of the insects raised in the rearing area, An insect passage through which only one insect can pass is provided outside the rearing device, The insect production management device according to claim 6 , wherein the weight measuring unit and the individual photographing unit are arranged in the insect passage.

8. Further, a breeding device having a breeding area for breeding the insects is provided, The image acquisition unit acquires images of the insects raised in the rearing area, an insect passage through which only one insect can pass is disposed in the rearing area of ​​the rearing device; The insect production management device according to claim 6 , wherein the weight measuring unit and the individual photographing unit are arranged in the insect passage.

9. moreover, a shape information acquisition unit that acquires the segmentation assigned to the insect and acquires shape information related to the shape of the insect included in the image data based on the segmentation; The insect production management device of claim 1, wherein the weight estimation unit estimates the total weight of the insects included in the image data based on the size information, the size-weight relationship, the shape information, and a shape-weight relationship which is a predefined relationship between the shape information and the individual body weight of the insect.

10. the shape information is information regarding whether the insect has wings; The insect production management device of claim 9, wherein the weight estimation unit, when the insect has wings, sets the ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the insect's size when the insect has wings to a smaller value based on the shape-weight relationship than the ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the insect's size when the insect does not have wings.

11. the shape information is information regarding the posture of the insect, The insect production management device of claim 9, wherein, when the insect's posture is sideways, the weight estimation unit, based on the shape-weight relationship, sets a ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the insect's size when the insect is sideways to a greater value than a ratio of the increase in the insect's individual weight to the increase in the insect's size when the insect is upright.

Images