Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle capable of suppressing disorder of a planting line, relative to prior configurations in which when the planting line falls into disorder, the planting line is corrected manually.SOLUTION: A work vehicle is configured so that travel control means (308) causes a travel vehicle body (4) to travel along a predetermined path, mode switching means (306) automatically switches a mode to a transplanting work priority mode when a crossing angle α between a current planting line (421) where transplanting work is currently executed, and a previous planting line (422) where the transplanting work is immediately previously executed, reaches a predetermined value, so that disorder of the planting line can be suppressed relative to prior configurations where the planting line is corrected manually when the planting line falls into disorder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle, such as a seedling transplanter, for transplanting seedlings into a farm field. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a work vehicle for transplanting seedlings in a field, a technology is known in which an imaging device for monitoring is provided at the rear of the work machine and displayed on a monitoring monitor for the driver (a so-called rear monitor) (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, a technology is known in which a CCD camera (48) is attached to a seedling tank (51) and the seedling tank (51), the seedling planting rows at the rear of the machine body, and the bank edges are displayed on a display (16) (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-89320 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-110977 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technology described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 allows the worker to check things such as replenishing mat seedlings in the seedling tank, replenishing fertilizer in the fertilizer applicator, and the state of mud pushing in the field without turning around, using a monitoring monitor and display, which the worker would previously have to check by looking back. However, the technology described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 only allows the worker to check the seedlings planted in the field, and the worker must manually drive and steer depending on the planting state. If the vehicle deviates from the planned work route due to unevenness or slippage in the field, causing the arrangement of seedlings transplanted in the field (rows, planting lines) to be disrupted, the worker must operate the vehicle to return it to the work route. At this time, there is a problem that the worker may operate or steer the vehicle too much or too little, causing the planting lines to meander. If the planting lines become too disrupted, it may not be possible to work with the planned number of planting lines, which could result in a reduced yield.

[0006] The technical objective of the present invention is to suppress disturbances in the planting line compared to conventional configurations in which manual corrections were required when the planting line was disturbed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problems of the present invention are solved by the following means. The invention described in claim 1 includes a working machine (10) mounted on a traveling body (4) for transplanting seedlings in a field, an observation device (82) mounted on the traveling body (4) for observing the seedlings transplanted in the field by the working machine (10), a positioning device for measuring a current position of the traveling body (4), a traveling control means (308) for causing the traveling body (4) to travel along a predetermined route (401), a planting line acquisition means (304d) for acquiring a planting line (421, 422) which is a direction in which the transplanted seedlings are lined up based on the observation results of the observation device (82), a position priority mode for steering the traveling body (4) by giving priority to correcting the positional deviation (402) when there is a positional deviation (402) between the current position of the traveling body (4) and the route (401), and The work vehicle (1) is characterized by comprising: a mode switching means (306) capable of switching, in response to an input from an operator, between a direction priority mode in which the traveling body (4) is steered with a steering amount smaller than in the position priority mode, with priority given to suppressing deviation (412) in the traveling direction (411) of the traveling body (4) over deviation (402) in position, and a transplanting work priority mode in which the traveling body (4) is steered with a steering amount smaller than in the position priority mode and larger than in the direction priority mode, and the mode switching means (306) automatically switches to the transplanting work priority mode when an intersection angle (α) between a current planting line (421) on which transplanting work is currently being performed and a nearest planting line (422) on which transplanting work was performed immediately before reaches a predetermined value.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the work vehicle (1) described in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an information storage means (301) that stores map information of the field, a registration means (307) that registers information of the planting lines (421, 422) in the map information and registers information of the transplanting work priority mode for the planting line (421) on which the transplanting work priority mode has been executed, and a mode switching means (306) that switches to the transplanting work priority mode when work is performed along the planting line (421) for which the transplanting work priority mode information has been registered, based on the information stored in the information storage means (301).

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the work vehicle (1) described in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the observation device (82) having an imaging device (82a) that captures images of the seedlings and a radar device (82b) that observes the state of the seedlings planted in the field based on the reflection and scattering of electromagnetic waves irradiated to the seedlings, and a growth discrimination means (304e) that discriminates the growth state of the crops planted in the field based on pre-stored reference growth information of the crop and information of the crop observed by the imaging device (82a) and the radar device (82b). Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the invention described in claim 1, the travel control means (308) causes the travel vehicle body (4) to travel along a predetermined route, and the mode switching means (306) automatically switches to the transplanting work priority mode when the intersection angle (α) between the current planting line (421) on which transplanting work is currently being performed and the nearest planting line (422) on which transplanting work was performed immediately before reaches a predetermined value, thereby making it possible to suppress disturbance of the planting line compared to the conventional configuration in which manual correction was required when the planting line was disturbed.

[0011] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, when work is performed along a planting line (421) for which information on the transplanting work priority mode is registered, the mode switching means (306) switches to the transplanting work priority mode, whereby the results of the previous work can be used for the current work, and disturbance of the planting line (421) can be more effectively suppressed.

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, the growth determination means (304e) determines the growth state of the crops planted in the field based on the crop information observed by the imaging device (82a) and the radar device (82b), and thus information for determining whether to replant, add fertilizer, reduce fertilizer, etc. can be provided to the worker. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a seedling transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the seedling transplanter. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seedling transplanter. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the position priority mode according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 5(A) is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 5(B) is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 5(C) is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the direction priority mode of the embodiment, in which FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 6C is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the transplantation work priority mode of the embodiment, where FIG. 7(A) is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 7(B) is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 7(C) is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the planting line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a side view of a seedling transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the seedling transplanter. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seedling transplanter.

[0015] The seedling transplanter 1, which is an example of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, is attached to the rear of a vehicle body 4 in a high-floor riding mode via a parallel link-type lift link mechanism 11 that is raised, lowered, and rotated by hydraulic expansion and contraction of a lift cylinder (not shown). A seedling planting unit 10, which is an example of a work machine and an example of a planting device, is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 4 in a high-floor riding mode via a parallel link-type lift link mechanism 11 that is raised, lowered, and rotated by hydraulic expansion and contraction of a lift cylinder (not shown). This seedling planting unit 10 has multiple floats 6, such as a center float that glides and levels the soil surface, and side floats, arranged on the lower part of the seedling transplanter body 5 connected to the lift link mechanism 11. The seedling transplanting machine 5 has a transmission case as its main component, and is equipped with a seedling tank 8 which lays out a number of mat-like seedlings (mat seedlings) on top of it and guides them along the downward sloping surface at the rear end before dispensing them to the seedling outlet 7 formed at the lower end, and a planting device 9 which separates and holds the mat seedlings dispensed at the seedling outlet 7 and inserts them into the leveled soil surface below, operating the planting claws along a planting trajectory that is elliptical when viewed from the side, thereby allowing seedlings to be planted in multiple rows.

[0016] An engine (internal combustion engine) 30 is mounted under an engine cover 29 below the driver's seat 28 of the vehicle body 4, and a steering board 31, a steering handle 32 as an example of a travel operating tool, and other operating mechanisms 33 for operating the seedling transplanter 1 are arranged in front of the driver's seat 28. A display panel as an example of a display unit and various buttons and knobs as examples of an input unit are arranged on the steering board 31. The driver's seat 28, steering board 31, and center floor 34 between them are provided on both the left and right sides with a long and wide side floor 2 extending continuously from the front end of the vehicle body 4 to the rear fender 24 on the rear end. This allows the user to move back and forth across the top surface of the floor 2, making it easy to perform tasks such as replenishing mat seedlings and replenishing fertilizer.

[0017] In the seedling transplanter 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the number of seedling rows is eight and the width is set to a wide standard, so a sub-floor 35 of an appropriate width is added along the outside of the side floor 2 to correspond to the width of the seedling planting section 10. It is also possible to configure the machine without the sub-floor 35. On the front end of the sub-floor 35, a support frame 36 erected from the side of the vehicle body 4 is provided with multiple auxiliary seedling shelves 26, which can be used to load and store mat seedlings to be replenished to the seedling tank 8 at the rear. A step 37 for the driver to get on and off is provided on the outer side of the sub-floor 35. A pair of left and right line drawing markers 41 are arranged on the sides of the subfloor 35. The line drawing marker 41 on the left and right side where seedlings have not yet been planted is deployed to draw a line on the surface of the field as a reference for traveling.

[0018] A rear floor 3 having a stepped shape is formed behind the driver's seat 28 and extends to the rear end of the side floor 2, and the front end edge of the rear floor 3 is connected to the rear end edge of the side floor 2 by an inclined plate 38 that slopes downwards to the front, making it easy for the driver to move to the foot area. A short operating lever mechanism 39 is disposed at the lower end of the inclined plate 38, making it easy to operate from the driver's seat 28. A U-shaped guard rail 52 is formed at an upper position of the rear floor 3 by a rear edge portion 50 along the rear edge and side edges 51 along the left and right edges, allowing the driver to safely maintain a working posture when performing refueling work on the rear floor 3.

[0019] A rear fender 24 is configured above the rear wheels 27 of the vehicle body 4, and the left and right end portions of the rear floor 3 are configured above this rear fender 24. The front wheels 40 and the rear wheels 27 are arranged within the lateral width of the side floor 2 and the rear floor 3, but depending on the shape of the tread of the rear wheels 27 in particular, they may protrude outward from the width of the rear floor 3. For this reason, the rear fender 24 can be configured to protrude outward wider than the outer end of the rear floor 3, and it is also possible to use the underside of the rear floor 3 itself as the rear fender 24.

[0020] A seedling planting section 10 is attached to the rear side of the vehicle body 4 via a lift link mechanism 11 that can be raised and lowered. The seedling planting section 10 is made up of a float 6 that slides on the soil surface to support the seedling transplanting machine body 5, a seedling tank 8 that receives mat seedlings and delivers them to a seedling outlet 7 at the bottom of the rear side, and a planting device 9 that separates and holds the mat seedlings delivered to the seedling outlet 7 and plants them on the soil surface leveled by the float 6. A plurality of fertilizer applicators 12 are arranged along the outer side of the rear floor 3 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0021] When the seedling transplanter 1 is used for planting seedlings, the seedling planting section 10 is lowered and the planting device 9 operates on the soil surface leveled by each float 6, separating and holding the appropriate number of mat seedlings fed to the seedling outlet 7 of the seedling tank 8, and planting them at a certain depth on the leveled soil surface. When fertilizing the planting section with each planting device 9, granular fertilizer previously supplied to the fertilizer hopper 19 is fed to the feed outlet section by the feed device 15, and fertilizer is applied to the planting soil surface leveled by each float 6 near the planting area by the force of air blown from the blower 13 through the duct 14 under the rear floor 3 through the fertilizer hose 25 for each fertilizer row.

[0022] When the seedling planting section 10 is raised, the upper end of the seedling tank 8 can be raised so as to approach an upper position of the rear floor 3, making it easier for an operator to supply mat seedlings from above the rear floor 3, and enabling quick and accurate supply of seedlings.

[0023] In addition, both left and right end portions of the rear floor 3 are configured as a rear fender 24 or are configured as the upper portion of the rear fender 24, and the multiple fertilizer application devices 12 are arranged above this rear fender 24.

[0024] The left and right side ends of the rear floor 3 formed at the rear end of the side floor 2 next to the driver's seat 28 are positioned above the rear fender 24 which covers the upper part of the rear wheels 27 of the raised-floor body 4, so that they are unlikely to interfere with stepping on and moving about when supplying mat seedlings to the seedling tank 8 as described above, and the foot area at the lateral end of the rear floor 3 at the rear position of the side floor 2 is formed wide, making it easy to supply seedlings to the rear seedling tank 8 and to supply fertilizer to the fertilizer hopper 19 on the side.

[0025] In the seedling planting section 10 of the embodiment, a herbicide spraying device 61 is installed below the seedling tank 8. In the embodiment, a plurality of herbicide spraying devices 61 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The herbicide spraying device 61 has a herbicide hopper 62 in which herbicide is stored. At the outlet portion of the herbicide hopper 62, a delivery member 63 is arranged which rotates when activated to deliver and spray the herbicide to the field. In the embodiment, the delivery member 63 is electrically driven, and the operation / non-operation and delivery speed of the delivery member 63 can be controlled by controlling the supply of electricity.

[0026] In addition, an insecticide spraying device 66 is installed on the outside (upper rear) of the seedling tank 8. The insecticide spraying device 66 has an insecticide hopper 68 that can move in the left-right direction along a guide member 67 extending in the left-right direction. The insecticide hopper 68 contains an insecticide and fungicide to be sprayed on the seedlings (mat seedlings) loaded in the seedling tank 8. An insecticide delivery member 69 is disposed at the outlet of the insecticide hopper 68. The insecticide delivery member 69 in the embodiment has the same configuration as the delivery member 63, is electrically driven, and when activated, the insecticide and fungicide in the insecticide hopper 68 is sprayed on the mat seedlings. In addition, an electric motor for movement (not shown) is mounted on the insecticide hopper 68, and the insecticide hopper 68 moves back and forth along the guide member 67 by the operation of the motor for movement. Therefore, by reciprocating the insecticide hopper 68 while the insecticide delivery member 69 is operating, the insecticide and fungicide can be sprayed over the entire area of ​​the mat seedlings on the seedling tank 8.

[0027] In the seedling planting section 10 of the embodiment, a herbicide spraying device 61 and an insecticide spraying device 66 are installed, but the herbicide spraying device 61 and the insecticide spraying device 66 are detachable from the seedling planting section 10. In other words, the herbicide spraying device 61 and the insecticide spraying device 66 are so-called optional units, and it is possible to install only one of them or neither of them according to the operator's request.

[0028] In the embodiment, the seedling planting unit 10 is illustrated as an example of a planting device that plants seedlings in a field from a mat seedling with a planting claw, but is not limited to this. As the working machine that can be attached to and detached from the lift link mechanism 11, various conventionally known working machines can be used, such as a direct seeding device that sows seeds in a field, a weeder that removes weeds in the field, a furrow cutter that forms a water flow path in the field, and a cultivator that sprays chemicals.

[0029] The lower end of an observation arm 81 extending upward is supported at the rear of the seedling tank 8. An observation unit 82, which is an example of an observation device, is supported at the upper end of the observation arm 81. The observation unit 82 is rotatably supported at the upper end of the observation arm 81. Therefore, the observation unit 82 is configured to be able to face not only backward but also forward or sideways depending on the operation of the operator. In the embodiment, the observation unit 82 is directed toward the rear of the vehicle body 4 as an example of a reference direction. Note that the direction of the observation unit 82 is not limited to being changeable by manual operation by the operator, and it is also possible to configure it to be remotely controllable using a motor or the like.

[0030] The observation unit 82 of the embodiment has a camera 82a as an example of an imaging device, a millimeter wave radar 82b as an example of a radar device, and a lidar 82c. The camera 82a can capture images of the rear of the vehicle body 4. Therefore, the camera 82a can capture images of the seedlings transplanted in the field during work. From the results of the images captured by the camera 82a, the overall shape and color of the seedlings, the trajectory of the seedlings planted, etc. can be observed.

[0031] The millimeter wave radar 82b observes the state of seedlings planted in a field based on the reflection and scattering of millimeter waves, which are an example of electromagnetic waves irradiated to the seedlings. The millimeter wave radar 82b of the embodiment outputs millimeter waves with a wavelength of about 1 mm to 10 mm, which are an example of electromagnetic waves, and observes the reflected and scattered waves from the seedlings, the field, etc. The millimeter wave radar 82b can observe position information such as the distance and direction to the object (seedling), and the relative speed. From the measurement results of the millimeter wave radar 82b, it is possible to observe the thickness of the seedlings, the height of the seedlings, the state of root growth, the distance below the water surface, the planting trajectory, etc.

[0032] The LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 82c outputs laser light, which is an example of electromagnetic waves, and observes reflected and scattered waves from seedlings, fields, etc. The LIDAR 82c can observe the distance to an object (seedling) and the size of the object. From the measurement results of the LIDAR 82c, it is possible to observe and detect obstacles such as banks, people, agricultural machinery, stones, utility poles, and other vehicles.

[0033] The seedling transplanter 1 of the embodiment can transmit and receive information to and from a tablet terminal 102 as an example of a remote control device and a server device 103 via a wireless communication line 101. The tablet terminal 102 has a touch panel 102a as an example of a display unit and an example of an input unit, and a plurality of input buttons 102b such as a power button. The seedling transplanter 1 can be remotely controlled by an operator inputting data into the tablet terminal 102. Therefore, the operator can remotely control the seedling transplanter 1 from a position away from the seedling transplanter 1 (for example, outside the field), and the operator can operate the tablet terminal 102 while sitting in the driver's seat 28 to drive the seedling transplanter 1 and perform planting work without operating the steering wheel 32 or the like.

[0034] (Explanation of the control unit) FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit according to the embodiment. (Explanation of the control unit of the seedling transplanter) The seedling transplanter 1 of the embodiment has a control unit 300 as an example of a control means for controlling each function. The control unit 300 has an input / output interface I / O for inputting and outputting signals with the outside. The control unit 300 also has a read-only memory (ROM) in which programs and information for performing necessary processing are stored. The control unit 300 also has a random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing necessary data. The control unit 300 also has a central processing unit (CPU) for performing processing according to the programs stored in the ROM or the like. Therefore, the control unit 300 of the embodiment is composed of a small information processing device, a so-called microcomputer. Therefore, the control unit 300 can realize various functions by executing the programs stored in the ROM or the like.

[0035] The control unit 300 receives signals from signal input elements such as various buttons and knobs on the steering board 31, the operating mechanism 33, the camera 82a, the millimeter wave radar 82b, the lidar 82c, the GNSS (positioning device), and various other sensors not shown (for example, a remaining amount sensor in the herbicide hopper 62).

[0036] The camera 82a captures images and videos in the direction in which the observation unit 82 is pointed. The millimeter wave radar 82b observes objects in the direction in which the observation unit 82 is pointed. Lidar 82c observes obstacles in the direction in which observation unit 82 is pointed.

[0037] A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, which is an example of a positioning device, acquires the current position of the vehicle body 4. The GNSS receiver can be configured to be fixedly installed on the traveling vehicle body 4, but is not limited to this. For example, an external receiver can be used via an RS232 cable or the like. By using an external receiver, it is possible to change the installation position of the receiver to an arbitrary position. Therefore, when the working equipment is replaced, it is possible to attach a receiver to the position of the working equipment and measure the current position of the working equipment. Alternatively, it is possible to configure the system with both a fixed receiver and an external receiver. In this case, depending on the control contents of the control unit 300, it is possible to configure the system so that in the case of controlling the traveling of the traveling body 4, the current position of the receiver fixed to the traveling body 4 is given priority, and in the case of controlling the working machine (seedling planting unit 10), the current position of the external receiver installed on the working machine is given priority. Note that it is also possible to configure the system so that the positioning signal of the fixed receiver is directly connected to the bus of a CAN (Controller Area Network) that controls the traveling of the traveling body 4. Furthermore, information transmitted from the tablet terminal 102 and the server device 103 is input to the control unit 300.

[0038] The control unit 300 can send control signals to a lift cylinder, a planting clutch, and the like, as examples of controlled elements, to control the lifting and lowering of the work machine (seedling planting unit 10) and the operation / stopping of the work machine (seedling planting unit 10). In addition, when the seedling planting unit 10 is attached as a working machine, the control unit 300 controls not only the planting device 9, but also the delivery member 63 of the electric herbicide spraying device 61, the insecticide delivery member 69 of the electric insecticide spraying device 66, and the movement motor by sending control signals to them.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 300 outputs control signals to the engine 30 and the steering wheel 32 to control the traveling speed and traveling direction (steering amount) of the vehicle body 4. In addition, the control unit 300 outputs a control signal to a monitor 31a of a steering board 31, which is an example of a display unit. Furthermore, the control unit 300 can output information to the tablet terminal 102 and the server device 103.

[0040] The control unit 300 according to the embodiment has the following functional means (program modules). The map information acquiring means 301 acquires map information of the field where the seedling transplanter 1 is to work. The map information acquiring means 301 in the embodiment receives and acquires map information prestored in the server device 103 via the wireless communication line 101. In the embodiment, when information on a predetermined travel route is registered in association with the map information regarding the travel route of the seedling transplanter 1 in the field, route information on the travel route is also acquired. Furthermore, in the embodiment, when information on the work mode registered during the previous or previous work is registered in association with the map information, the information is acquired at the same time as the map information is acquired.

[0041] The observation result acquisition means 302 has a camera image acquisition means 302a, a millimeter wave radar observation result acquisition means 302b, and a LIDAR result acquisition means 302c, and acquires the observation results from the observation unit 82. The camera image acquisition means 302a acquires an image taken by the camera 82a. The millimeter wave radar observation result acquisition means 302b acquires information such as the position and thickness of the seedlings observed by the millimeter wave radar 82b. The LIDAR result acquisition means 302c acquires information on obstacles and the like observed by the LIDAR 82c.

[0042] The reference growth information storage means 303 stores pre-stored reference growth information of the crop in order to determine the growth state of the crop. Examples of the reference growth information include the shape of the seedling's leaves, information on the planting state of the seedling, and information on the color of the seedling. For example, information on the shape of the seedling's leaves in a normal (not torn) state is stored as an example of reference growth information serving as a standard for determining whether the seedling's leaves are torn off, information on a seedling's not fallen state is stored as an example of reference growth information serving as a standard for determining whether the seedling has fallen off, and information on the normal seedling's color is stored as an example of reference growth information serving as a standard for determining whether the seedling has discolored.

[0043] The crop determination means 304 includes a crop state determination means 304a, a crop shape determination means 304b, a falling determination means 304c, a planting line acquisition means 304d, and a growth discrimination means 304e, and performs crop (seedling) determination. The crop determination means 304 of the embodiment determines the state of the crop itself and the planting state in the field, etc., of the crop based on the reference growth information.

[0044] The crop condition determining means 304a has a size detection means 304a1 and a color detection means 304a2, and determines the condition of the crop (seedling). The size detection means 304a1 detects the size of the crop. The size detection means 304a1 of the embodiment detects the thickness of the crop (seedling), the height of the seedling, the state of root spread, the distance from the top of the seedling to the water surface (i.e., the length of the part of the seedling above the water surface), and the variation of the point cloud of the planting line (presence or absence of chipped stalks, uneven distance between stalks, etc.) based on the detection result of the millimeter wave radar 82b. As an example, the size detection means 304a1 can be an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that receives the detection result of the millimeter wave radar 82b as an input and outputs the thickness of the seedling, etc.

[0045] The color tone detection means 304a2 detects the color tone of the crop (seedling). Based on the detection result of the camera 82a, the color tone detection means 304a2 of the embodiment detects the green (G) direction, brown direction, masking amount (amount of unnecessary data cut (masked) in RGB), crop density (how dense the seedlings are per plant), and planting line direction in the color space for the seedling color. As an example, the color tone detection means 304a2 can use AI (Artificial Intelligence) that receives the detection result of the camera 82a as input and outputs the green direction, etc.

[0046] The crop condition determination means 304a determines the condition of the crop (seedling) (size, shape (whether torn), color, etc.) based on the detection results of the size detection means 304a1 and the detection results of the color detection means 304a2. In the embodiment, the observation results of the camera 82a are used in the color detection means 304a2, and the observation results of the millimeter wave radar 82b are used in the size detection means 304a1, but this is not limited to the above. For example, it is possible to determine the height of seedlings, the distance to the water surface, and the dispersion of the point cloud of the planting line using the observation results of the millimeter wave radar 82b or the lidar 82c instead of the camera 82a. It is also possible to improve the accuracy by combining the observation results of the camera 82a with the observation results of the lidar 82c, or by combining the observation results of the camera 82a and the millimeter wave radar 82b. In addition, it is also possible to use a plurality of cameras 82a and install them so as to have a stereoscopic view, and perform image processing on the 3D (three-dimensional) image to improve the accuracy. It is also possible to use a monocular camera to improve the observation accuracy of the distance to the target object (crop, seedling).

[0047] The crop shape determination means 304b determines the shape of the crop based on the state of the crop determined by the crop state determination means 304a and the reference growth information stored in the reference growth information storage means 303. The crop shape determination means 304b in the embodiment determines, for example, whether the shape of the crop (seedling) (size and thickness of leaves, height of seedling, root spreading, etc.) is in a good state (large and thick leaves, tall height, wide root spreading, etc.) or in a poor state with respect to the state of the seedling in the reference growth information.

[0048] The falling determination means 304c determines the planting state (falling) of the crop based on the state of the crop determined by the crop state determination means 304a and the reference growth information stored in the reference growth information storage means 303. The falling determination means 304c in this embodiment determines that the planting state is poor (the seedling is falling) when, for example, the distance from the top of the crop to the water surface does not reach the distance in the reference growth information or when root growth is not confirmed.

[0049] The planting line acquisition means 304d acquires the planting line, which is the direction in which the transplanted seedlings are lined up, based on the observation results of the camera 82a and the millimeter wave radar 82b. The planting line acquisition means 304d of the embodiment detects and acquires the planting line, which is a virtual line connecting the seedlings planted along the traveling direction of the seedling transplanter 1, based on the judgment result of the crop condition judgment means 304a. Specifically, the planting line acquisition means 304d acquires the planting line from the dispersion and direction of the point cloud of the planting line detected by the crop condition judgment means 304a.

[0050] The growth discrimination means 304e discriminates the growth state of the crop planted in the field based on the reference growth information and the crop information observed by the camera 82a and the millimeter wave radar 82b. The growth discrimination means 304e of the embodiment judges the overall growth state of the seedlings from the judgment results of the crop shape judgment means 304b and the falling judgment means 304c. Therefore, from the judgment of the growth state, it is judged that the seedlings that have grown too much have been transplanted, the seedlings that have not grown enough have been transplanted, there are many missing stalks, there is a significant unevenness in the distance between the stalks, the planting is too deep / too shallow, etc., and the operator can judge and predict whether replanting is necessary, whether additional fertilization / reduction of fertilization is necessary, and the future growth is likely to be good or poor. The planting line determination means 305 determines the degree to which the planting line deviates from the travel path or the nearest planting line based on the planting line acquired by the planting line acquisition means 304d.

[0051] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the position priority mode according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 5(A) is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 5(B) is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 5(C) is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the direction priority mode of the embodiment, in which FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 6C is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the transplantation work priority mode of the embodiment, where FIG. 7(A) is an explanatory diagram of the state before movement, FIG. 7(B) is an explanatory diagram of the state during movement, and FIG. 7(C) is an explanatory diagram of the state after movement. When the seedling transplanter 1 is automatically traveling and there is a positional deviation 402 between the current position of the traveling body 4 and the route (traveling route 401), the mode switching means 306 switches between a position priority mode (see Figure 5) in which the traveling body 4 is steered to prioritize correction of the positional deviation, a direction priority mode (see Figure 6) in which the traveling body 4 is steered with less steering than in the position priority mode, prioritizing suppression of deviation in the traveling direction 411 of the traveling body 4 over the positional deviation, and a transplanting work priority mode (see Figure 7) in which the traveling body 4 is steered with a steering amount less than in the position priority mode and more than in the direction priority mode, in response to input from the operator.

[0052] 5 to 7, among the three modes, namely, the position priority mode, the direction priority mode, and the transplanting work priority mode, the position priority mode shown in FIG. 5 has the largest steering amount (predetermined maximum steering amount). Therefore, the correction of the position deviation 402 is completed most quickly, and the movement amount 403 in the traveling direction is the shortest. Therefore, in the position priority mode, the correction of the position deviation 402 is completed most quickly, so that the unworked area caused by the position deviation 402 is reduced, but the large steering amount causes the planting line 404 to bend significantly. In the direction priority mode shown in FIG. 6, the steering amount is the smallest among the three modes (a predetermined steering amount for the direction priority mode). Therefore, the deviation 412 of the traveling direction 411 relative to the direction 413 of the travel path 401 is most suppressed. Therefore, in the direction priority mode, the movement amount 403 in the traveling direction during deviation correction is the longest. Therefore, in the direction priority mode, the deviation of the direction is suppressed, so the planting line 404 curves slowly, and at first glance, the planting line 404 appears neat, but because the movement amount 403 is long, the unworked area where planting work has not been performed becomes wider, and there is a risk of an area not being planted at the edge of the field, which may result in a decrease in the yield of the entire field.

[0053] In the transplanting work priority mode shown in Fig. 7, the steering amount is controlled to a moderate level among the three modes (as an example, a steering amount intermediate between the position priority mode and the direction priority mode). Therefore, deviation 412 of the traveling direction 411 is suppressed more than in the position priority mode, while position deviation 402 is corrected earlier than in the direction priority mode. Therefore, in the transplanting work priority mode, the curve of the planting line 404 is gentler than in the position priority mode, and the unworked area is smaller than in the direction priority mode. In the embodiment, the steering amount is fixed in the three modes, but the present invention is not limited to this. The steering amount can be calculated based on a value or a formula derived in advance through an experiment or the like. In addition, it is also possible to change the coefficient of the formula in the three modes or adjust the sensitivity to achieve a configuration equivalent to switching between the three modes.

[0054] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the planting line. In the embodiment, the mode switching means 306 automatically switches to the transplanting work priority mode when the intersection angle α between the current planting line 421 where the transplanting work is currently being performed and the nearest planting line 422 where the transplanting work was performed immediately before reaches a predetermined threshold value. In other words, when the position priority mode or the direction priority mode is set up to the nearest planting line 422, if the intersection angle α is large from the planting line acquired during the work on the current planting line 421, the mode switching means 306 automatically switches to the transplanting work priority mode when the planting line determination means 305 determines whether the intersection angle α between the current planting line 421 and the parallel line 423 of the nearest planting line 422 reaches a predetermined threshold value, as shown in FIG. 8, the mode switching means 306 automatically switches according to the determination result.

[0055] Furthermore, in the mode switching means 306 of the embodiment, when obtaining map information including a travel route from the server device 103, if information on a location where work was performed in transplanting work priority mode during work performed previously (previous season or earlier) is obtained, the mode is automatically switched to transplanting work priority mode when the traveling body 4 passes through that location. In other words, for locations where the planting line is likely to be disturbed, the mode is automatically switched to transplanting work priority mode taking into account the results from the previous time or earlier. Therefore, even if the mode is set according to manual input by the operator before automatic driving, the mode switching means 306 in the embodiment automatically switches the mode during automatic driving based on the intersection angle α and information from the previous time or earlier.

[0056] The registration means 307 registers information on the planting lines 421, 422 in the map information, and also registers information on the transplanting work priority mode for the planting line 421 on which the transplanting work priority mode was executed. When the registration means 307 of the embodiment automatically switches to the transplanting work priority mode, it transmits information on the planting line 421 on which the work was performed in the transplanting work priority mode to the server device 103, and updates and registers the map information stored in the server device 103. In other words, by updating and registering information on the mode, it becomes possible to automatically switch to the transplanting work priority mode in advance for locations where the planting lines 421, 422 of the traveling body 4 are likely to deviate by the intersection angle α or more due to factors such as the condition of the field, such as stones and depressions, during work from next year onwards.

[0057] The travel control means 308 has a travel speed control means 308a and a steering control means (travel direction control means) 308b, and controls the travel of the seedling transplanter 1. The travel control means 308 of the embodiment controls the engine 30 and steering in response to the operation of the operation mechanism 33 by the operator during manual travel, and controls travel based on the travel route acquired together with map information and the current position detected by the GNSS during automatic travel.

[0058] In addition, a so-called smart key can be used as a configuration for authenticating a user using a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication with the control unit 300, and the travel control means 308 can start the engine 30 only if authentication is completed by the mobile terminal, thereby making it possible to take measures against theft of the seedling transplanter 1. The mobile terminal is not limited to a smart key, and for example, a mobile phone type terminal such as a smartphone, a wristwatch type terminal (so-called smart watch), a ring type terminal (so-called smart ring), a glasses type terminal (so-called smart glasses), or a wearable device such as a bracelet type terminal can be used. In addition, when using smart glasses with an AR (Augmented Reality) function, it is also possible to configure the display screen of the smart glasses to display a map of the field, a travel route, a planting line, etc. in AR.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a smart key, and for example, a non-contact IC card reader or an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader may be provided on the traveling vehicle body 4, so that when an operator reads an IC card or an RFID tag, the engine 30 can be started or the operating mechanism 33 can be operated. In this case, it is also possible to issue an IC card or the like to each operator, so that each operator's personal settings and previous operation data can be used.

[0060] The traveling speed control means 308a controls the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 4. The traveling speed control means 308a of the embodiment controls the traveling speed to travel at a predetermined traveling speed for work during automatic traveling. In addition, when map information is acquired, it is possible to control the traveling speed to be slow in a place where work was previously performed in transplanting work priority mode, since the planting lines 421, 422 are likely to be disturbed. In addition, it is preferable to use a sensor (such as a three-dimensional acceleration sensor) that measures the inclination of the traveling vehicle body 4, and to control the traveling speed according to the inclination of the traveling vehicle body 4. In addition, it is also possible to record the traveling speed during previous and previous work, and control the traveling speed using the average value of the past traveling speeds.

[0061] The steering control means 308b, which is an example of a traveling direction control means, controls the steering amount of the traveling body 4 to control the traveling direction of the traveling body 4. The steering control means 308b of the embodiment performs steering and turning along the traveling route based on the current position detected by the GNSS during automatic traveling. At this time, the traveling direction is controlled by the steering amount according to the setting of the position priority mode, the direction priority mode, or the transplanting work priority mode.

[0062] The working machine control means 309 has a lifting control means 309a and an operation / stop control means 309b, and controls the seedling planting unit 10 as an example of a working machine. The lifting control means 309a controls the lifting and lowering of the seedling planting section 10. During automatic travel, the seedling planting section 10 is lowered during work, and is raised when turning or when work is completed. During manual travel, the lifting and lowering of the seedling planting section 10 is controlled according to input from the operator.

[0063] The operation / stop control means 309b controls the operation / stop of the seedling planting unit 10. The operation / stop control means 309b in the embodiment controls the operation / stop of the seedling planting unit 10 by controlling the on / off of the transmission of drive to the planting device 9. During automatic travel, the seedling planting unit 10 is operated during work, and is stopped when turning or when work is completed.

[0064] In addition, the working machine control means 309 has been described with regard to the raising and lowering and the operation and stopping of the seedling planting unit 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, based on the observation results of the camera 82a and the millimeter wave radar 82b, it is also possible to automatically adjust the planting device 9 so that it takes more seedlings from the mat seedlings when the crop density is low. In addition, based on the observation results of the camera 82a and the millimeter wave radar 82b, it is also possible to automatically adjust the planting depth of the planting device 9 to be deeper or shallower depending on the planting depth and the amount of rooting.

[0065] In the seedling transplanter 1 according to the embodiment having the above configuration, the operation can be performed by automatic travel, and the seedlings are transplanted along a predetermined travel route. If the current position deviates from the travel route during automatic travel and the planting line is disturbed, the steering control returns the planting line to the travel route. Therefore, the disturbance of the planting line is suppressed compared to the conventional configuration in which the planting line was manually corrected when it was disturbed. In particular, when the planting line is disturbed due to local hardness or softness of the soil in the field or depressions, etc., and the intersection angle α of the planting lines 421, 422 becomes large, the mode is automatically switched to the transplanting work priority mode, and the disturbance of the planting line is suppressed while suppressing the increase of the unworked area.

[0066] In the embodiment, information on the planting lines 421, 422 during past work and the locations where work was performed in transplanting work priority mode are registered in the server device 103 in association with map information. Then, the seedling transplanter 1 acquires the information, and in locations where work was previously performed in transplanting work priority mode, the mode is automatically switched to transplanting work priority mode and work is performed. Therefore, the experience of the planting lines 421, 422 being easily disturbed due to local hardness / softness or unevenness of the field during past work can be utilized during the next work. Therefore, disturbance of the planting lines 421, 422 can be more effectively suppressed during the next work.

[0067] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the crop determination means 304 can determine the growth status and planting status of the crop. Therefore, information for determining whether to replant, add fertilizer, reduce fertilizer, etc. can be provided to the worker, making it easier for the worker to appropriately determine the necessary work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1...Work vehicle 4…Traveling vehicle 10...Work machine, 82...observation equipment, 82a...photographic equipment, 82b…Radar equipment, 301...information storage means, 304d... Means for obtaining planting lines; 304e...Growth determination means, 306...mode switching means, 307...Means of registration, 308...Travel control means, 401…Route, 402... Position misalignment, 404, 421, 422…Planting lines, 411...Direction of travel, 412…Displacement in direction of travel, 421…Current planting line, 422: Nearest planting line, GNSS: Positioning device, α...intersection angle.

Claims

1. A work machine (10) mounted on a traveling vehicle body (4) for transplanting seedlings into a field; an observation device (82) provided on the traveling vehicle body (4) for observing the seedlings transplanted in the field by the working machine (10); A positioning device that measures the current position of the traveling vehicle body (4); A travel control means (308) for causing the traveling vehicle body (4) to travel along a predetermined route (401); a planting line acquisition means (304d) for acquiring a planting line (421, 422) which is a direction in which the transplanted seedlings are arranged based on the observation result of the observation device (82); a mode switching means (306) capable of switching between a position priority mode in which, when there is a positional deviation (402) between the current position of the traveling body (4) and the route (401), the traveling body (4) is steered with priority given to correcting the positional deviation (402), a direction priority mode in which the traveling body (4) is steered with a steering amount smaller than that in the position priority mode with priority given to suppressing a deviation (412) in the traveling direction (411) of the traveling body (4) over the positional deviation (402), and a transplanting work priority mode in which the traveling body (4) is steered with a steering amount smaller than that in the position priority mode and larger than that in the direction priority mode, in response to an input from an operator, the mode switching means (306) automatically switching to the transplanting work priority mode when an intersection angle (α) between a current planting line (421) on which transplanting work is currently being performed and a nearest planting line (422) on which transplanting work was performed immediately before reaches a predetermined value; A work vehicle (1) comprising:

2. An information storage means (301) for storing map information of the farm field; a registration means (307) for registering information on the planting lines (421, 422) in the map information and for registering information on the transplanting work priority mode for the planting line (421) on which the transplanting work priority mode has been executed; the mode switching means (306) for switching to the transplanting work priority mode when work is performed along the planting line (421) for which information on the transplanting work priority mode is registered based on the information stored in the information storage means (301); A work vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

3. The observation device (82) includes an image capturing device (82a) for capturing an image of the seedlings, and a radar device (82b) for observing the state of the seedlings planted in the field based on the reflection and scattering of electromagnetic waves irradiated to the seedlings; a growth determination means (304e) for determining the growth state of a crop planted in a farm field based on prestored reference growth information of the crop and information of the crop observed by the photographing device (82a) and the radar device (82b); A work vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

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