Automatically navigating robot for rice field and management system thereof
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023128886
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-08-07
Smart Images
Figure 2025024631000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic navigation robot for rice paddies that automatically navigates over rice paddies to perform weeding and the like, and to a management system for the robot. [Background technology]
[0002] In paddy fields where crops such as rice are grown, weeds that grow in the paddy fields rob the crops of moisture and nutrients, causing adverse effects such as a decline in quality, so weeders have been developed to remove the weeds. There are various types of weeders available, such as walk-behind types, riding types, and attachment types that can be attached to rice transplanters, but large machines are difficult to handle and manual operation is laborious, making the work difficult to perform.
[0003] Therefore, small weeding devices that can be floated in rice paddies have been developed (see Patent Documents 1 to 6). However, among these conventional weeding devices, the remote-controlled type requires a person to be present at all times, making it difficult to weed for long periods of time. In addition, the type that navigates a preset route passes the same route repeatedly, which tends to result in uneven weeding between the route and other areas.
[0004] In addition, in order to perform weeding as evenly as possible with the above-mentioned type of weeder with a preset route, it was necessary to input accurate map information of the paddy field to be weeded and input the route in detail into that map information, but this method takes time for preparation work and makes it difficult to start weeding work quickly.In addition, when multiple weeders are used in the same paddy field, it is necessary to select a route that will not cause the weeders to collide with each other, making route selection very difficult. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-152775 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-162492 A [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-45095 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-185895 [Patent Document 5] JP 2017-163922 A [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 7291425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art described above. In summary, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic navigation robot for rice paddies that can perform long-term weeding work unmanned to save labor, does not require preparatory work such as prior route input, and can easily use multiple units simultaneously, as well as to provide a management system for the same. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor has adopted a configuration including a hull capable of floating on rice paddies, a propulsion device for sailing the hull on the rice paddies, and an automatic steering device for automatically operating the sailing direction of the hull, wherein the automatic steering device is configured with a GPS device for identifying the position coordinates of the hull, a route memory means for storing past route data of the hull obtained from the GPS device, a course calculation means for calculating and outputting a sailing direction based on the past route data in the route memory means so as to avoid overlapping with past routes, and a course control means for automatically controlling the sailing direction of the hull using the propulsion device or rudder based on the sailing direction output by the course calculation means (the effects will be described later).
[0008] In addition, in the present invention, the automatic ship steering device is provided with a course reversal control means which automatically reverses the direction of the ship's navigation when the position coordinates of the ship's current location obtained from the GPS device do not change for a certain period of time compared with past route data, thereby making it possible to automatically reverse the direction of the robot on the edge of rice paddies and eliminating the need for proximity and contact sensors.
[0009] In addition, in the present invention, when the course reversal control means reverses the ship's navigation direction, the course calculation means performs a calculation and output process for a navigation direction that avoids overlap with past routes, thereby enabling the ship to navigate in a reverse direction while avoiding route overlap.
[0010] The present invention also includes an automatic transmission means for automatically transmitting past route data to the robots of the same type used simultaneously at a predetermined timing, and a receiving means for receiving route data transmitted from the robots of the same type, and the route storage means of the automatic ship steering device stores the past route data received from the robots of the same type, and the course calculation means calculates and outputs a navigation direction based on the past route data shared between the robots of the same type so as to avoid overlapping with past routes. This allows multiple robots to share past route data when they approach each other or after a certain time has passed, and to calculate an optimal route.
[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, a management system for the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields is formed including the above-mentioned automatic navigation robot for paddy fields and a robot management terminal connected to this automatic navigation robot for paddy fields via a network, and the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields is provided with an automatic transmission means for automatically transmitting past route data to the robot management terminal at a predetermined timing, so that the robot's route data can be checked on the robot management terminal after a certain period of time has passed or when it turns around.
[0012] In addition, in the present invention, the robot management terminal is equipped with a receiving means for GPS map data of the paddy field, a storage means for storing route data transmitted from the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields, and a route image output means for inputting the route data into the GPS map data and outputting an image, thereby making it possible to easily check the robot's past routes over the paddy field. Effect of the Invention
[0013] The automatic navigation robot for paddy fields of the present invention uses a GPS device to acquire the position coordinates of the current location of the hull and stores the route data, and based on the stored route data, it can automatically calculate a course to avoid past routes, so there is no need to input the route in advance, and the robot can quickly begin weeding work by simply floating it over the paddy field and starting it up. Also, since there is no need to input the route in advance, it is easy to use multiple robots simultaneously in the same paddy field.
[0014] In addition, the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields of the present invention can navigate evenly throughout the entire paddy field by selecting a course that avoids past routes, so that the entire paddy field can be weeded evenly by navigating the robot for a long time. Furthermore, the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields of the present invention can perform weeding work for long periods of time unmanned, which can reduce the labor required for weeding work in paddy fields. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view showing an automatic navigation robot for paddy fields in a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a bottom view showing a state in which a solar panel of the paddy field automatic navigation robot in the first embodiment of the present invention has been removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic navigation robot for paddy field and its management system in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram showing the process flow of the paddy field automatic navigation robot in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram showing the process flow of the paddy field automatic navigation robot in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a path screen output on the robot management terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another path screen output on the robot management terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. In the drawings, the reference symbol R indicates an automatic navigation robot for paddy fields, and the reference symbol 1 indicates a ship's hull. The reference symbol 2 indicates a propulsion device, and the reference symbol 3 indicates an automatic ship-steering device. The reference symbol 4 indicates a battery, and the reference symbol 5 indicates a solar panel. The reference symbol 6 indicates a robot management terminal.
[0017] "Hardware configuration of an automatic navigation robot for rice paddies and its management system" [1] Autonomous navigation robot for rice fields [1-1] Basic configuration The hardware configuration of the paddy field automatic navigation robot R of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. First, in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2(a) and (b), the automatic navigation robot R is composed of a hull 1 capable of floating on paddy fields, and further, as shown in Fig. 3, this hull 1 is provided with a propulsion device 2 for navigating on paddy fields and an automatic ship-steering device 3 for automatically manipulating the navigation direction of the hull 1. The propulsion device 2 and the automatic ship-steering device 3 of the automatic navigation robot R are electrically connected, and the propulsion device 2 is controlled based on a signal sent from the automatic ship-steering device 3. In addition, a battery 4 is built into the hull 1 as a power source for these, and in this embodiment, electricity can be supplied by a solar panel 5.
[0018] [1-2] Hull In this embodiment, the hull 1 is made of a foamed resin material, but the material of the hull 1 is not particularly limited, and plastic materials, wood, etc. can also be used. In addition, as shown in Figs. 2(a) and (b), the hull 1 has a hollow portion 11 in the center when viewed from above, a base plate 12 is provided at the upper and lower middle position of the hollow portion 11, and a partition portion 13 is formed on the bottom surface to separate the left and right sides. In this embodiment, the base plate 12 of the hull 1 is configured to be detachable from the hull 1, but it can also be integrated with the hull 1. In this embodiment, the partition portion 13 of the hull 1 is provided in the center in accordance with the number of screws 21 of the propulsion device 2, but if the number of screws 21 is three or more, multiple partition portions 23 can also be provided. In addition, in this embodiment, the overall shape of the hull 1 is a circular arc shape on the front side so that the front and rear can be distinguished, but it can also be a shape in which the front and rear are the same shape and no distinction is made between the front and rear.
[0019] [1-3] Propulsion device 2(a)(b) and 3, in this embodiment, the propulsion device 2 is composed of left and right screws 21 arranged on the bottom surface of the hull 1, drive motors 22 for rotating the screws 21, a motor control unit 23 for controlling the drive motors 22, and a transmission belt 24 connecting the drive shafts of the drive motors 22 and the driven shafts of the screws 21 as a power transmission mechanism. As a result, the left drive motor 22a and the right drive motor 22b are driven by control signals from the motor control unit 23, and the rotation of the drive shafts of the drive motors 22 is transmitted to the driven shafts of the left screw 21a and the right screw via the transmission belt 24, rotating the left and right screws 21, respectively, making it possible to move the hull 1 forward on the water.
[0020] The screw 21 is synonymous with a "screw propeller" and is a walking median screw in this embodiment, but the type of screw is not limited to this. For example, a contra-rotating propeller, a controllable pitch propeller, an azimuth thruster, a highly skewed propeller, a pump jet, a surface propeller, etc. can also be used. In addition, a water jet, a paddle wheel, a rotating brush (described in detail later), a wind propulsion device, etc. can also be used as the propulsion device 2. In addition, the left and right of the screw 21 are the left and right directions when the front of the hull 1 is the upper side in a plan view, and the left and right are reversed in the bottom view of FIG. 2(b). In addition, the number, material, size, etc. of the screw 21 can be appropriately changed according to the size and use of the hull 1.
[0021] In this embodiment, a DC motor is used for the drive motor 22, and is fixed to the base plate 12 of the hull 1. The left side drive motor 22a means the drive motor 22 corresponding to the left side screw 21a, and the right side drive motor 22b means the drive motor 22 corresponding to the right side screw 21b, and does not specify the left / right or up / down positions of the drive motors 22. In addition, the number and type of drive motors 22 can be changed appropriately depending on the number and type of the screws 21.
[0022] The motor control unit 23 is an electronic device (microcomputer) that transmits control signals to the drive motor 22 based on a predetermined program and data sent from the automatic ship steering device 3 described below, and in this embodiment, the motor control unit 23 is fixed to the board 12 of the hull 1. In addition, the number and type of the drive motors 23 can be appropriately changed according to the number and type of the drive motors 22.
[0023] The transmission belt 24 is a power transmission mechanism between the drive shaft of the drive motor 22 and the driven shaft of the screw 21, and may be a flat belt, a V-belt, a toothed belt, or the like. A roller chain, a silent chain, or the like may be used instead of the transmission belt 24. The rotation speed and torque of the drive shaft and the driven shaft may be appropriately adjusted using a pulley ratio, a gear ratio, a reduction gear, or the like. A cover or the like may be attached so that the power transmission mechanism is not exposed at the bottom. In addition, the number and type of transmission belts may be appropriately changed according to the number and type of the drive motors 22.
[0024] [1-4] Automatic steering device Next, the automatic ship steering device 3 is configured from a computer equipped with a main storage unit 31 (memory, etc.), a control unit 32 (CPU, etc.), a calculation unit 33 (CPU, etc.), an auxiliary storage unit 34 (hard disk, SSD, etc.), a GPS device 35, and a route data transmission unit 36, as shown in Figure 2(a) and Figure 3. The auxiliary storage unit 34 of this automatic ship steering device 3 has a route data storage unit 34a, a route change program storage unit 34b, a course control program storage unit 34c, a course reversal control program storage unit 34d, and an automatic transmission control program storage unit 34e, as shown in Figure 3. These hardware elements are linked by software to function as the storage means, calculation means, output means, control means, and transmission means of the device.
[0025] The GPS device 35 includes a position coordinate receiving unit 35a and a map data receiving unit 35b as shown in Fig. 3, and is configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the outside. The route data transmitting unit 36 is also configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with a robot management terminal 6 (described later) and other automatic navigation robots R. The automatic ship steering device 3 can also be provided with a route data receiving unit (not shown) for receiving route data transmitted from other automatic navigation robots R.
[0026] [1-5] Battery Next, the battery 4 is a power source for supplying electricity to the propulsion device 2 and the automatic ship steering device 3, and in this embodiment, the battery 4 is fixed to a substrate 12 of the hull 1 and electrically connected to the propulsion device 2 and the automatic ship steering device 3. In this embodiment, the battery 4 is also electrically connected to a solar panel 3, which will be described later. In addition, the type and number of the batteries 4 can be appropriately changed depending on the torque of the drive motor 22, the continuous operating time of the automatic navigation robot R, and the power storage performance.
[0027] [1-6] Solar panels Next, the solar panel 5 is a device for supplying electricity generated by sunlight to the battery 4, and in this embodiment, the solar panel 5 is attached to cover the upper opening of the hollow portion 11 of the hull 1, but the attachment position of the solar panel 5 is not limited thereto and the solar panel 5 can be placed in any position according to the shape of the hull 1. Furthermore, the solar panel 5 allows the automatic navigation robot R to operate continuously during the day without charging the battery 4, and also enables operation at night using electricity generated during the day.
[0028] [2] Robot management terminal Next, the hardware configuration of the management system for the automatic navigation robot R for paddy fields will be described. In this embodiment, the management system for the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields is configured by connecting the automatic navigation robot R to a robot management terminal 6 via a network. As shown in FIG. 3, the robot management terminal 6 is configured from a computer terminal equipped with a main memory unit 61 (memory, etc.), a calculation unit 62 (CPU, etc.), a control unit 63 (CPU, etc.), and an auxiliary memory unit 64 (hard disk, SSD, etc.), and further equipped with an input unit 65 (input means) and a display unit 16 (output means). As the computer terminal, a desktop PC, a notebook PC, a tablet, a smartphone, a PDA, etc. with a communication function can be used. These hardware components are linked by software to function as the storage means, input means, and output means of the device.
[0029] The auxiliary storage unit 64 has at least a route data storage unit 64a and a route image generation program storage unit 64b as shown in Fig. 3. The robot control terminal 6 is also provided with a map data receiving unit so as to be able to acquire map data from the outside via a network, and the auxiliary storage unit 64 can also be provided with a map data storage unit as necessary.
[0030] In this embodiment, the robot management terminal 6 is composed of a single computer terminal, but it is also possible to adopt a distributed system such as a server-client or a cloud system to have multiple computers work together to achieve the functions, and it is also possible to use external hardware (such as a web server or database server) as part of the functions of the robot management terminal 6.
[0031] "Automatic navigation robot for rice fields and software configuration of its management system" [1] Route storage means The software configuration of the paddy field automatic navigation robot and its management system will be described with reference to the process flow in Fig. 4. First, in step (1) of route data storage process in Fig. 4, the propulsion device 2 of the automatic navigation robot R is started and navigation is started, and then the past route data of the automatic navigation robot R is stored in the route data storage unit 34a based on the coordinate data of the current location acquired by the position coordinate receiving unit 35a of the GPS device 35 of the automatic ship steering device 3. This makes it possible to refer to the past route data of the automatic navigation robot R in step (2) of reading out route data in Fig. 4.
[0032] [2] Course calculation means Next, in the course direction calculation step (3) in Fig. 4, the navigation direction is calculated and output based on the past route data read out in (2) above, so as to avoid overlapping with past routes. At this time, the algorithm of the route change program for calculating the navigation direction is not particularly limited, but examples include a course that selects a course with few overlaps or intersections with past routes, a course that selects a course toward an area on a rice field that has never been passed through in the past route data, and a course that selects a direction different from the past route.
[0033] [3] Course control means Next, in step (4) of the drive motor control process in FIG. 3, a signal is sent to the drive motor control unit 23 based on the navigation direction (course data) calculated and output in the above (3), and the propulsion device 2 automatically controls the navigation direction of the hull 1 by adjusting the rotation speed of the left and right screws 21. For example, by increasing the output of the left drive motor 22a (or the right drive motor 22b) and increasing the rotation speed of the left screw 21a (or the right screw 21b), the navigation direction of the hull 1 can be turned left (or right). This allows the automatic navigation robot R to navigate evenly over the entire rice field, eliminating unevenness in the frequency of navigation over the rice field. The above-mentioned course control program can be appropriately modified according to the type of the propulsion device 2.
[0034] [4] Course reversal control means In the steps (5) obstacle position data storage process and (6) course reversal control means in FIG. 4, when the automatic navigation robot R approaches or hits an obstacle (such as a ridge or fence of a rice field), the position is stored as obstacle position data, and the navigation direction of the hull 1 is automatically reversed (the order may be reversed). The course reversal control program of this embodiment determines that the hull 1 has hit an obstacle when the position coordinates of the current location of the hull 1 obtained from the GPS device 35 do not change for a certain period of time compared with past route data. In addition to this, the hull 1 can also be reversed when approaching the position coordinates of the ridge based on map data of the rice field input or received in advance. This allows the automatic navigation robot R to automatically reverse around the periphery of the rice field without using a proximity / contact sensor. The use of a proximity / contact sensor is not excluded, and control can also be performed by combining these sensors with the course reversal control program.
[0035] The obstacle position data can also be stored in an auxiliary memory unit and read out during the course direction calculation process to perform a course calculation to avoid the obstacle. After the course reversal control means has reversed the sailing direction of the hull 1, the process returns to step (1) in Fig. 3, and then proceeds to steps (2) and (3) to perform a calculation and output process of the sailing direction by the course calculation means that avoids overlap with past routes. As a result, after the course reversal control of the hull 1 has been performed, the course of the hull 1 can be controlled so as not to overlap with past routes.
[0036] [5] Automatic transmission methods to other robots In this embodiment, when multiple automatic navigation robots R are simultaneously navigated on the same paddy field, past route data can be automatically transmitted at a predetermined timing to the same type of robots used at the same time. As an example of this automatic transmission program, the route data can be transmitted and received at the timing when the automatic navigation robots R approach each other as shown in step (7) of the route data transmission process in FIG. 5, or all the robots navigating on the same paddy field can transmit and receive route data to each other after a certain period of time has passed and share the route data. The approach of the automatic navigation robots R can be performed based on the position coordinates of the current location by the GPS device 35, or can be performed using a proximity and contact sensor. The transmission and reception of these route data is performed using the route data transmission unit 36 and the reception unit of the automatic ship steering device 3, and the received past route data is stored in the route data storage unit 34a. This allows multiple robots navigating on the same paddy field to share past route data, and further, by calculating and outputting the navigation direction based on the shared route data by the course calculation means so as to avoid overlapping with past routes, an optimal route that does not overlap with the routes of other robots can be calculated. The above obstacle position data can also be shared together with the route data.
[0037] [6] Means of automatic transmission to the robot control terminal In step (7) of the route data transmission process in FIG. 4, past route data is automatically transmitted from the automatic navigation robot R to the robot management terminal 6 when a certain time has elapsed during navigation. The automatic transmission process to the robot management terminal 6 can also be performed when the hull 1 reverses course. The transmission and reception of this route data is performed using the route data transmission unit 36 of the automatic ship steering device 3 and the route data reception unit 67 of the robot management terminal, and the received past route data is stored in the route data storage unit 64a. This makes it possible to check the route data of the automatic navigation robot 6 on the robot management terminal 6 when a certain time has elapsed or when the course is reversed. In this embodiment, the obstacle position data is also automatically transmitted together with the route data.
[0038] [7] Route image generation and output method for the robot management terminal In the robot management terminal 6, the route data (and obstacle position data) received from the automatic navigation robot R can be input to the GPS map data of the paddy field received by the map data receiving unit using a route image generation program, and an image can be output as a route screen D on the display unit 66. As a result, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the past route history of the robot on the paddy field can be easily confirmed on the route screen D. In this embodiment, the route traveled is drawn as a line, and the position where the hull 1 is turned over is displayed as a dot. When multiple automatic navigation robots R are used simultaneously, the route data and obstacle position data can be transmitted from the robot management terminal 6 to each robot, allowing this information to be shared.
[0039] "Other examples of changes" [1] Rudder-based course control In this embodiment, the course is controlled by the screw 21 of the propulsion device 2, but it is not necessary to control the course using the screw 21. The course can also be controlled by providing a rudder on the automatic navigation robot R and changing the angle of the rudder. The type of rudder is not particularly limited, and for example, a normal rudder, a suspended rudder, a counterbalanced rudder, a Schilling rudder, a VecTwin rudder, etc. can be used.
[0040] [2] Rotating brushes are used for the propulsion system In this embodiment, a screw 21 is used for the propulsion device 2, but a rotating brush for weeding, as described in JP 2020-162492 A, JP 2016-152775 A, etc., can be provided in the center, left and right, or front and rear of the hull 1 and rotated to fulfill the function of the propulsion device 2. A rotating brush for weeding has bristles made of nylon or the like around a rotating shaft, and these bristles paddle through the water as they rotate, tangling and removing weeds that have grown in rice paddies. [Explanation of symbols]
[0041] 1. Hull 11 Cavity 12 Substrate 13 Partition 2 Propulsion device 21 Screw 21a Left screw 21b Right screw 22 Drive motor 22a Left drive motor 22b Right drive motor 23 Motor control unit 24 Transmission belt 3 Automatic Steering Device 31 Main memory 32 Control section 33 Arithmetic section 34 Auxiliary storage section 35 GPS device 36 Route data transmission unit 4. Battery 5. Solar Panels 6 Robot management terminal 61 Main memory 62 Control section 63 Arithmetic section 64 Auxiliary storage 65 Input section 66 Display section 67 Route data receiver R Autonomous Navigation Robot D Route screen
Claims
1. The vessel comprises a hull capable of floating on a rice field, a propulsion device for navigating the hull on the rice field, and an automatic ship steering device for automatically maneuvering the navigating direction of the hull, The automatic ship steering device is an automatic navigation robot for paddy fields, comprising: a GPS device that identifies the position coordinates of the hull; a route memory means that stores the hull's past route data obtained from the GPS device; a course calculation means that calculates and outputs a navigation direction based on the past route data in the route memory means so as to avoid overlapping with past routes; and a course control means that automatically controls the navigation direction of the hull using a propulsion device or a rudder based on the navigation direction output by the course calculation means.
2. 3. The paddy field automatic navigation robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the automatic ship steering device is equipped with a course reversal control means that automatically reverses the direction of navigation of the hull when the position coordinates of the current location of the hull obtained from the GPS device do not change for a certain period of time compared with past route data.
3. The automatic navigation robot for paddy fields as described in claim 2, wherein when the course reversal control means reverses the navigation direction of the hull, the course calculation means calculates and outputs a navigation direction that avoids overlapping with past routes.
4. 3. An automatic navigation robot for paddy fields as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising an automatic transmission means for automatically transmitting past route data to robots of the same type used simultaneously at a predetermined timing, and a receiving means for receiving route data transmitted from the robot of the same type, wherein the route memory means of the automatic steering device stores the past route data received from the robot of the same type, and the course calculation means calculates and outputs a navigation direction based on the past route data shared between the robots of the same type so as to avoid overlapping with past routes.
5. A management system for an automatic navigation robot for paddy fields, comprising the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields described in claim 1 and a robot management terminal connected to the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields via a network, wherein the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields is provided with an automatic transmission means for automatically transmitting past route data to the robot management terminal at a predetermined timing.
6. A management system for an automatic navigation robot for paddy fields as described in claim 5, wherein the robot management terminal comprises: a receiving means for GPS map data of the paddy fields; a storage means for storing route data transmitted from the automatic navigation robot for paddy fields; and a route image output means for inputting the route data into the GPS map data and outputting an image.