Remote control device

Abstract

To support recovery from troubles encountered during target agricultural work by remote operation or autonomous operation of a working machine.SOLUTION: The remote control device (51) comprises a monitoring processing unit (73) that acquires the work status of a working machine (10) performing target agricultural work through remote operation or autonomous operation, and a trouble processing unit (74) that determines whether recovery from trouble is possible through remote operation of the working machine or autonomous operation of the working machine when the trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, and notifies a request for help to an emergency contact when such recovery is not possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device, a remote control program, a remote control method, and a remote control system. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to solve the labor shortage in agricultural fields, for example, when mowing the ridges of rice paddies, a mower is operated by remote control. Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous driving system for an agricultural work vehicle that can safely remotely control an autonomously traveling agricultural work vehicle. In this system, when a remote control device requests a server to monitor and control the autonomous driving of the agricultural work vehicle, the server monitors and controls the autonomous driving of the agricultural work vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-170989 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned prior art documents only describe stopping the autonomous driving of an agricultural work vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the agricultural work vehicle or around the agricultural work vehicle, and do not describe how to recover from the abnormality.

[0005] A primary object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a remote control device or the like that can assist in recovery from trouble that occurs during a target agricultural work task using remote control or autonomous operation of a work machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a monitoring processing unit that acquires the work status of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation, and a trouble processing unit that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, when the recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

[0007] In one embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention, the monitoring processing unit may accumulate historical information of troubles that have occurred in the target agricultural work, and the trouble processing unit may refer to the historical information and notify the work assistant performing the remote operation or the remote control device or the work machine of locations in the target agricultural work where trouble may occur.

[0008] In one embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention, the emergency contact point is local personnel who deal with problems with the target agricultural work, and the trouble handling section may further notify the local personnel of the occurrence of the trouble and the working status of the work machine when the trouble occurs, and notify the local personnel of the recovery from the trouble when the trouble is resolved.

[0009] A remote control program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a remote control program for causing a computer to function as the remote control device, and is a remote control program for causing a computer to function as the monitoring processing unit and the trouble handling unit.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a monitoring processing step in which a remote control device acquires the work status of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation, and a trouble processing step in which, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, the remote control device determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, if recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a remote control system that is composed of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote operation or autonomous operation, and a server that can send and receive data to and from the work machine, and is controlled by at least one control device, and the control device performs a monitoring process to acquire the work status of the work machine, and a trouble process that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether the trouble can be recovered from by remote operation of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, if recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the assistant information and the machine information from a database in which a plurality of pieces of information, which are at least one of the assistant information of a work assistant who can perform agricultural work by remotely operating a work machine and the machine information of the work machine, are registered; an agricultural work information acquisition unit that acquires agricultural work information of a target agricultural work to be performed by remote operation of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine from a requester; a request target selection unit that selects a request target for the target agricultural work by comparing the agricultural work information of the target agricultural work with at least one of the plurality of assistant information and the machine information; a monitoring processing unit that acquires the work status of the work machine that performs the target agricultural work; a trouble processing unit that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote operation of the work machine or the autonomous operation of the work machine, and if the recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue; and a remuneration determination unit that determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work based on the agricultural work information. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to assist in recovery from trouble that occurs during target agricultural work using remote control or autonomous operation of a work machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a farm work support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of a control method for the agricultural work support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a selection process included in the control method. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a remote control process included in the control method. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a remuneration determination process included in the control method. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display on an operator terminal during remote operation or monitoring. FIG. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a notification displayed on a worker terminal and a client terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0016] [Configuration of agricultural work support system 1] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an agricultural work support system 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the agricultural work support system 1 includes a grass cutter (working machine) 10, a client terminal 20, a worker terminal 30, a fixed imaging device 40, and a server 50.

[0017] According to the agricultural work support system 1, a requester of agricultural work who operates the requester terminal 20 can request the agricultural work to a work assistant who is suitable for carrying out the agricultural work among work assistants who have worker terminals 30. A work assistant is someone who can accept a request for agricultural work and carry out the agricultural work by monitoring and remotely operating a work machine such as the grass cutter 10. Therefore, the work assistant does not need to live near the land where the agricultural work is actually performed.

[0018] The meaning of the term "farm work" in the present invention includes not only work related to the production of agricultural crops, etc., but also work related to agriculture that does not contribute to the production of agricultural crops, etc., such as work outside the field, such as weeding on ridges or slopes. In other words, the agricultural work performed by the agricultural work support system 1 includes not only work for producing agricultural crops, but also work related to agriculture that is not directly related to the production of agricultural crops. Examples of agricultural work include work such as sowing, planting, management, or harvesting in the field related to the production of agricultural crops, work such as weeding or water management around the field, and work such as creating various records of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, or work history required for field management.

[0019] The work assistant who receives the request performs the farm work by monitoring and remotely operating the grass cutter 10. At this time, even if there is some kind of trouble with the grass cutter 10 and it is difficult for the work assistant to restore it, the farm work support system 1 can appropriately deal with the situation by notifying local personnel, etc. In addition, the farm work support system 1 can determine an appropriate remuneration for the work assistant.

[0020] In this specification, the agricultural work requested by the requester may be referred to as the "target agricultural work," the land on which the target agricultural work is performed may be referred to as the "work area," and the work supporter who performs the agricultural work upon request may be referred to as the "remote worker." In addition, when the term "requester" is used simply in this specification, it refers to the requester who requests agricultural work using the agricultural work support system 1.

[0021] (Grass cutter 10) The grass cutter 10 is a working machine that moves within a working range for a target agricultural task and performs agricultural tasks such as mowing. The grass cutter 10 is capable of remote control of its operation by remote operation, and is also capable of autonomous operation. Here, "operation by remote operation" includes not only operation by remote operation performed by a remote operator, but also operation by remote operation of the grass cutter 10 without human intervention, such as operation by a signal from another control device such as the server 50. In other words, the server 50 may be a remote operation device that remotely operates the grass cutter 10. The grass cutter 10 may also function as an area information acquisition device that acquires topographical information at each position within the working range.

[0022] The grass cutter 10 includes a machine control device 11, a machine imaging device 12, a position acquisition device 13, a status detection sensor 14, and a machine communication device 19.

[0023] The machine body imaging device 12 captures an image of the surroundings of the grass cutter 10 (for example, the range in which the grass cutter 10 is scheduled to move) and generates image data. The machine body imaging device 12 outputs the image data to the machine body control device 11.

[0024] The position acquisition device 13 acquires the position of the grass cutter 10. For example, the position acquisition device 13 acquires the position of the grass cutter 10 by using a satellite positioning system such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The position acquisition device 13 outputs position information indicating the position of the grass cutter 10 to the machine control device 11. It should be noted that the grass cutter 10 does not need to be equipped with the position acquisition device 13. For example, the grass cutter 10 may have a structure that reels out a string, one end of which is fixed to a predetermined position in or around the working range, and the position of the grass cutter 10 in the working range may be easily acquired from the length of the string.

[0025] The status detection sensor 14 is a sensor that detects the status of the grass mower 10. The grass mower 10 may be equipped with, as the status detection sensor 14, for example, an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration, or an inclination sensor such as a gyroscope that measures the inclination angle of the grass mower 10. The status detection sensor 14 outputs the detection result to the machine control device 11.

[0026] The machine control device 11 controls the overall operation of each part of the grass cutter 10. For example, the machine control device 11 controls the movement and mowing operation of the grass cutter 10 according to instructions (movement instructions and operation instructions) from the operator terminal 30 remotely operated by a remote operator. The machine control device 11 may also control the autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10. The machine control device 11 may have a function of switching between a remote control mode in which remote operation from a remote operator is accepted, and an autonomous operation mode in which autonomous operation is performed under control of the machine control device 11 itself or the server 50.

[0027] The machine communication device 19 communicates with the server 50. The machine communication device 19 may communicate with the client terminal 20 and the worker terminal 30.

[0028] The grass cutter 10 may be a work machine that performs completely autonomous operation without receiving remote control of its operation by remote operation. Furthermore, the work machine that performs agricultural work is not limited to the grass cutter 10, and may be one that performs any type of agricultural work. For example, the work machine that performs agricultural work may be one that does not move within a work range, such as a liquid fertilizer mixing device or liquid fertilizer spreading device that is installed in a fixed position.

[0029] (Requester terminal 20) The requester terminal 20 is a communication terminal used by a requester. The requester terminal 20 includes a first terminal control device 21, a first touch panel 22, and a first terminal communication device 29.

[0030] The first terminal control device 21 comprehensively controls the processing of each part of the client terminal 20. The first touch panel 22 serves both as an input device for receiving instructions from a client and as a display device for displaying images. The first terminal communication device 29 communicates with the server 50.

[0031] The client terminal 20 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a notebook computer, or may be a fixed terminal such as a personal computer.

[0032] (Worker terminal 30) The worker terminal 30 is a communication terminal used by a work assistant. The worker terminal 30 includes a second terminal control device 31, a second touch panel 33, and a second terminal communication device 39.

[0033] The second terminal control device 31 comprehensively controls the processing of each part of the operator terminal 30. The second terminal control device 31 includes a machine control unit 32. The machine control unit 32 outputs a signal that controls the operation of the grass cutter 10, based on an input by a remote operator using a second touch panel 33.

[0034] The second touch panel 33 serves as both an input device for receiving instructions from a work assistant and a display device for displaying images. The second terminal communication device 39 communicates with the server 50. The second terminal communication device 39 may also communicate directly with the grass cutter 10.

[0035] The worker terminal 30 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a laptop computer, or may be a fixed terminal such as a personal computer. The worker terminal 30 has a function of remotely controlling the grass cutter 10 using the machine control unit 32, but is not limited to this. For example, the agricultural work support system 1 may be provided with a separate remote control or the like that can remotely control the grass cutter 10, in which case the worker terminal 30 does not need to include the machine control unit 32. Also, if the grass cutter 10 is a work machine that does not accept remote control of its operation by remote operation and performs completely autonomous operation, the worker terminal 30 does not need to include the machine control unit 32.

[0036] (Fixed imaging device 40) The fixed imaging device 40 captures an image of the entire or part of the work range of the target agricultural work and generates image data. The fixed imaging device 40 is capable of communicating with the server 50 and outputs image data to the server 50. The fixed imaging device 40 may communicate with the worker terminal 30 and output image data directly to the worker terminal 30. The fixed imaging device 40 may be an imaging device that captures an image of a specific range, or may be an imaging device that captures images in all directions, such as a 360° camera.

[0037] The agricultural work support system 1 may include a mobile imaging device instead of the fixed imaging device 40. The mobile imaging device may be, for example, an imaging device provided on a mobile machine capable of traveling within the work area and its surroundings, an imaging device provided on an aircraft such as a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), or an imaging device provided on a small satellite. The movement of such a mobile imaging device may be controlled autonomously or remotely by an operator.

[0038] Furthermore, when the grass cutter 10 is equipped with the machine body imaging device 12, the agricultural work support system 1 does not need to have the fixed imaging device 40. Similarly, when the agricultural work support system 1 has the fixed imaging device 40, the grass cutter 10 does not need to have the machine body imaging device 12. When the agricultural work support system 1 has both the machine body imaging device 12 and the fixed imaging device 40 of the grass cutter 10 as in this embodiment, a remote operator performing agricultural work can monitor and remotely operate the grass cutter 10 using multiple viewpoints.

[0039] (Server 50) The server 50 is an information processing device that comprehensively processes information of the farm work support system 1. The server 50 includes a server control device 51, a server storage device 52, and a server communication device 59.

[0040] The server storage device 52 is a storage device that stores various data related to the server 50. The server storage device 52 stores a database 53. The database 53 may register multiple pieces of assistant information about work assistants and multiple pieces of machine information about work machines such as the grass cutter 10, as long as multiple pieces of either information are registered.

[0041] The assistant information may include the assistant's registration number, personal information such as age, past history of farm work performed by remote control, past evaluations from clients, proficiency in remote control of each work machine, available work dates and times, desired remuneration, etc. The machine information may include information such as the type of work machine, year, available farm work, possible types of trouble, history of trouble that has occurred in the past, autonomous operation performance, and whether or not it can be remotely controlled.

[0042] The information on the work assistant's proficiency in remote operation of each work machine may be, for example, information on the work assistant's use history of the work machine, such as the number of times the work assistant has operated each work machine, the operating time, and the number of times the work assistant has recovered from a problem. The proficiency information may also include proficiency information for each work range that is generated for each work range in which farm work has been performed by the work assistant in the past. The proficiency information may also include the work assistant's attendance history of seminars and the like on the work machine or the target farm work.

[0043] The autonomous operation performance of a working machine is information indicating the degree to which the working machine is capable of autonomous operation. For example, information such as (a) all tasks can be performed by autonomous operation, (b) only some agricultural tasks can be performed by autonomous operation, and (c) movement can be performed by autonomous operation, but actual agricultural tasks require remote control may be registered as the autonomous operation performance. Furthermore, the autonomous operation performance may further include information indicating the operation accuracy and operation speed for tasks that can be performed by autonomous operation.

[0044] Furthermore, farm work information for the target farm work is registered in the database 53. The farm work information for the target farm work may include information such as the content of the target farm work input by the requester, the work period of the target farm work, land information for the work range of the target farm work, past farm work history, and history of past troubles. The land information for the work range may include image data for the work range, topographical information such as slope and curvature, and a suitability index for each work machine. The suitability index is an index that indicates the suitability of a work machine such as the grass cutter 10 for the work range (for example, whether the work machine can be used appropriately for the work range).

[0045] The database 53 may also include evaluations of remote workers input by the client, emergency contact information in case of trouble, etc. The database 53 may also include weather information acquired by the server 50 via the server communication device 59. The weather information may include past weather information and weather forecast information.

[0046] In this example, various types of information are registered in the database 53. However, for example, the server storage device 52 may include multiple databases, and information such as supporter information, machine information, and farm work information may be registered in different databases for each type of information.

[0047] The server communication device 59 communicates with the grass cutter 10, the client terminal 20, the worker terminal 30, and the fixed imaging device 40. In other words, the server 50 is configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from other devices included in the agricultural work support system 1. Transmission and reception between the server 50 and other devices included in the agricultural work support system 1 may be wireless or wired. The server 50 may remotely control the grass cutter 10 through this communication.

[0048] The server control device 51 includes a selection processing unit 60, a remote control processing unit 70, and a remuneration determination processing unit 80. The server control device 51 is a control device that controls the farm work support system 1, and can also be called a farm work support device.

[0049] (Selection processing unit 60) The selection processing unit 60 includes a registration information acquisition unit 61 , a candidate extraction unit 62 , an operation time estimation unit 63 , and a request target selection unit 64 .

[0050] The registration information acquisition unit 61 acquires supporter information and machine information from the database 53. The machine information acquired here is not limited to the grass cutter 10, and may be machine information of a plurality of working machines registered in the database 53. The registration information acquisition unit 61 may acquire only either the supporter information or the machine information.

[0051] The registration information acquisition unit 61 also acquires agricultural work information of the target agricultural work requested by the requester. The registration information acquisition unit 61 may also acquire weather information stored in the database 53.

[0052] The candidate extraction unit 62 compares the farm work information of the target farm work with the supporter information to extract as candidates work assistants who can be requested to perform the target farm work. The candidate extraction unit 62 may also compare the farm work information of the target farm work with the machine information to extract as candidates work machines that can be requested to perform the target farm work. In this case, it is preferable that the work machines extracted as candidates are work machines that do not require remote control and are capable of fully autonomous operation.

[0053] Furthermore, when the registration information acquisition unit 61 acquires weather information, the candidate extraction unit 62 may use the weather information to estimate the date and time during the work period when the target agricultural work can be performed, and use the result of the estimation to extract the candidates. For example, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period a date and time when weather inappropriate for performing the target agricultural work, such as heavy rain, is forecast. Furthermore, when muddy ground is not suitable for performing the target agricultural work, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period a day when rain is forecast and several days thereafter. Furthermore, when the target agricultural work is agricultural work that requires sunny weather even after the work is completed, such as sowing or liquid fertilizer spreading, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period a day when rain is forecast and the day before.

[0054] Furthermore, when consecutive sunny days are required for the execution of the target agricultural work, the candidate extraction unit 62 may specify a period of consecutive sunny days as the work period. Examples of such agricultural work include "tillage-fertilization / chemical application-sowing-sowing-covering soil", "tillage-ridge making-mulching", "herbicide application-harvesting", "harvesting (binder)-covering", "cutting grass-drying-turning", etc. Also, consecutive sunny days are preferable when harvesting multiple neighboring fields at the same time in order to obtain a large yield.

[0055] Furthermore, when the target farm work is farm work that is required after rainfall, such as spraying a fungicide, the candidate extraction unit 62 may use only the day after rainfall is forecast during the work period to extract candidates.

[0056] The candidate extraction unit 62 may extract candidates on the premise that the request target selection unit 64 selects multiple request targets. This is, for example, the case where agricultural work is performed by division of labor using multiple work vehicles. In this case, the candidate extraction unit 62 may extract multiple candidates for each of the multiple work vehicles so that different work assistants can be selected as request targets for each of the multiple work vehicles. In this case, if the preferred weather differs for each work vehicle, the candidate extraction unit 62 may extract candidates for each work vehicle, taking into consideration the content of the target agricultural work, the weather, and the work period. In addition, if agricultural work using multiple work vehicles is scheduled to be requested to a single work assistant, the candidate extraction unit 62 may use only the dates and times during the work period when the weather is suitable for all of the multiple work vehicles to perform the agricultural work, in order to extract candidates.

[0057] With this configuration, the candidate extraction unit 62 can estimate the date and time when the target farm work can be performed, taking into account the effects of weather. Therefore, work assistants who can perform the target farm work at the estimated date and time can be extracted as candidates. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the request target selected by the selection processing unit 60 from being unable to perform the target farm work due to the effects of weather.

[0058] The work time estimation unit 63 estimates the work time required for the target agricultural work for each extracted candidate. If the candidate is a work assistant, the work time estimation unit 63 estimates the work time using the remote operation proficiency included in the assistant information. For example, the work time estimation unit 63 may estimate a shorter work time using the average work time of a person who has no experience in agricultural work of the same type or similar to the target agricultural work as a standard, assuming that the higher the proficiency, the faster the work speed.

[0059] The standard of the average work time may be calculated from the past farm work history included in the farm work information of the target farm work. In addition, if there is no past farm work history for the same type of farm work as the target farm work, the standard of the average work time may be calculated from the past work history for similar farm work. In addition, the requester may register the standard of the work time in the database 53 at the time of the request.

[0060] The work time estimation unit 63 may also extract the area of ​​the work range from the land information included in the farm work information and use it to estimate the work time. For example, the work time estimation unit 63 may estimate a longer work time as the area of ​​the work range increases. With this configuration, the work time estimation unit 63 can estimate the work time for each candidate more accurately than when the area of ​​the work range is not taken into account.

[0061] The work time estimation unit 63 may also use topographical information included in the land information of the work range to estimate the work time. For example, the work time estimation unit 63 may estimate a longer work time based on information on the curvature and inclination angle of the work range, as the topographical undulations of the work range increase.

[0062] When the candidate is a working machine, the work time estimation unit 63 estimates the work time required for the target agricultural work using the autonomous operation performance included in the machine information. For example, the work time estimation unit 63 may estimate a shorter work time as the candidate working machine can perform more tasks by autonomous operation or as the work speed of the tasks that can be performed by autonomous operation is faster.

[0063] The request target selection unit 64 selects a request target for the target agricultural work from among the candidates based on at least the estimated work time. The request target selection unit 64 may, for example, select the candidate with the shortest estimated work time as the request target. The request target selection unit 64 may also select a request target based on the date and time the candidate is available to work, past evaluations from the requester, whether or not the candidate has received other agricultural work orders, and the like, which are included in the supporter information, in addition to the work time. The request target selection unit 64 may, for example, exclude candidates with work times longer than a predetermined time, and preferentially select candidates with high evaluations from the requester in the past as the request target.

[0064] In this way, the selection processing unit 60 extracts candidates from the farm work information of the target farm work. The selection processing unit 60 then uses the work time estimated for each candidate from the remote operation proficiency of the work assistant or the autonomous operation performance of the work machine to select the request target. Therefore, the selection processing unit 60 can select the candidate that is most suitable for the work content of the target farm work as the request target.

[0065] (Remote control processing unit 70) The remote control processing unit 70 includes a land information acquisition unit 71 and a work management unit 72.

[0066] The land information acquisition unit 71 acquires agricultural work information including land information of the target agricultural work registered in the database 53. Note that if the remote control processing unit 70 is capable of acquiring the agricultural work information acquired by the registered information acquisition unit 61, the land information acquisition unit 71 can be omitted.

[0067] The work management unit 72 monitors the work machine and handles problems. The work management unit 72 includes a monitoring processing unit 73 and a trouble processing unit 74.

[0068] The monitoring processing unit 73 acquires the working status of the grass mower 10 under remote operation by a remote operator who is a work assistant performing the target agricultural work. The monitoring processing unit 73 may acquire image data acquired by the body imaging device 12 and / or the fixed imaging device 40 of the grass mower 10 as information indicating the working status of the grass mower 10. The monitoring processing unit 73 may also acquire the detection result of the status detection sensor 14 of the grass mower 10 as information indicating the working status of the grass mower 10.

[0069] In addition, even when the target agricultural work is performed by a lawnmower 10 capable of completely autonomous operation without the need for remote operation, the monitoring processing unit 73 acquires the work status of the lawnmower 10 in the same manner as when remote operation is performed by a remote operator.

[0070] The monitoring processing unit 73 may accumulate history information of troubles that have occurred in the target agricultural work. For example, the monitoring processing unit 73 may register the history information of troubles in the database 53 in a format in which the history information of troubles is included in the land information of the work area or the machine information of the grass cutter 10 used in the target agricultural work. Trouble will be described later.

[0071] When a trouble occurs in the target farm work, the trouble processing unit 74 determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote operation by a remote operator or the server 50, or by autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10.

[0072] A trouble may include any phenomenon that prevents the grass cutter 10 from carrying out the target agricultural work. Examples of trouble include malfunction of the grass cutter 10 due to a breakdown or the like, getting stuck due to the grass cutter 10 rolling over, and detecting a place where the grass cutter 10 cannot travel. Examples of trouble with working machines other than the grass cutter 10 include a liquid fertilizer mixing device where the mixture ratio of fertilizer and solution is out of specification, and a liquid fertilizer spraying device where liquid fertilizer cannot be sprayed due to clogging or the like, and spraying cannot be stopped even after a specified amount of liquid fertilizer has been sprayed.

[0073] In addition, in the example of a trouble, when the liquid fertilizer spraying device cannot spray, it is assumed that the remaining amount of liquid fertilizer is insufficient during the operation. In this case, to recover from the trouble, liquid fertilizer may be replenished to continue spraying. Also, when it is determined that liquid fertilizer is being sprayed in excess of a specified amount, spraying may be stopped and the unsprayed area may be identified. When liquid fertilizer is being sprayed in excess of a specified amount, for example, there is a problem with the valve control of the liquid fertilizer, and the liquid fertilizer is consumed faster than expected. The amount of liquid fertilizer sprayed by the valve control is related to the valve opening, air pressure, water pressure, the moving speed of the mower 10, and the like. Therefore, as a trouble with the valve control, in addition to a loose valve, a case where the link setting value between spraying and the speed of the mower 10 and the liquid fertilizer ejection amount setting value are incorrect, etc., can be considered. Note that the spraying device is not limited to liquid fertilizer, and may be, for example, pesticides, etc.

[0074] It is preferable that the type of trouble is registered in advance in the database 53. It is also preferable that the trouble processing unit 74 is able to detect the occurrence of a trouble even if the type of trouble is not registered in the database 53. For example, the trouble processing unit 74 may compare the farm work information of the target farm work with the work status of the grass cutter 10, and detect the occurrence of a trouble when the grass cutter 10 performs an operation such as a stop that is not scheduled for the target farm work.

[0075] The trouble processing unit 74 may determine whether recovery from a trouble is possible if information on a similar type of trouble is included in the history information of past troubles contained in the land information or machine information. For example, if the history information of the troubles includes a case where the grass mower 10 recovered from the same type of trouble by autonomous operation or remote control when the same type of trouble occurred, the trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery is possible. Furthermore, if the land information includes information on another travel route that can avoid the non-travelable part when the grass mower 10 stops in front of the non-travelable part, the trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery is possible.

[0076] The trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery from a trouble is impossible when it is determined from the trouble history information that recovery is impossible through autonomous operation or remote operation, or when a type of trouble not included in the trouble history information occurs. When it is determined that recovery from a trouble is impossible, the trouble processing unit 74 notifies a rescue request to an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work.

[0077] The emergency contact may be a local person in charge of the work area in which the target agricultural work is performed and who responds to problems with the target agricultural work, or an emergency response team in the area that includes the work area, etc. The local person may be the person who requested the target agricultural work, or a third party other than the requester and the remote worker.

[0078] If the emergency contact is a local person, when a trouble occurs, the trouble processing section 74 may notify the local person of the occurrence of the trouble and the working status of the grass cutter 10. Furthermore, when the trouble is resolved, the trouble processing section 74 may notify the local person of the resolution of the trouble. With this configuration, when a trouble occurs, the local person can easily determine whether or not to wait to deal with the trouble.

[0079] The emergency contact may also be a recovery device (not shown) other than the grass mower 10 that is capable of recovering the grass mower 10 from a problem, or the operator of such a device. The recovery device may be, for example, a device equipped with a robot arm that lifts up the overturned grass mower 10 and returns the grass mower 10 to its normal position.

[0080] In addition, when the working machine is, for example, a liquid fertilizer mixing device other than the grass cutter 10, and the trouble is a malfunction in the mixing ratio of the liquid fertilizer, the recovery device may be a device that opens and closes an adjustment valve for the solution supplied to the liquid fertilizer mixing device. Such an adjustment valve may be provided not in the liquid fertilizer mixing device but in the solution tank or the facility that stores the solution. Therefore, such trouble cannot be recovered by remote operation of the liquid fertilizer mixing device or autonomous operation of the liquid fertilizer mixing device, but the recovery device can easily recover by opening and closing the adjustment valve. In this case, if the operator of the recovery device that opens and closes the adjustment valve opens and closes it remotely or the recovery device can operate autonomously, recovery work by on-site personnel is not required.

[0081] The notification by the trouble processing unit 74 of the occurrence of a trouble, the working status of the mower 10, recovery from the trouble, or a request for assistance may be, for example, by sending a text message, an email, an automated voice call, etc. Furthermore, the trouble processing unit 74 may notify a request for assistance by sending an emergency signal to an emergency contact.

[0082] The trouble processing unit 74 may refer to the trouble history information and notify the remote operator remotely operating the grass cutter 10 or the server 50 of locations where trouble may occur in the target farm work. This allows the remote operator or the server 50 to remotely operate the grass cutter 10 so that the grass cutter 10 travels while avoiding locations where trouble may occur.

[0083] Furthermore, the trouble processing unit 74 may notify the grass cutter 10 of locations where trouble may occur. In this case, the grass cutter 10 can travel by autonomous operation, avoiding locations where trouble may occur.

[0084] In this way, the remote control processing unit 70 can request assistance from an emergency contact when a problem occurs during target agricultural work performed by remote operation or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 and recovery is not possible through remote operation by the remote operator or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10. Therefore, the remote control processing unit 70 can reduce the possibility that the target agricultural work will be stopped due to a problem.

[0085] (Remuneration determination processing unit 80) The remuneration determination processing unit 80 includes a farm work information acquisition unit 81, a remuneration type information acquisition unit 82, a worker information acquisition unit 83, an evaluation acquisition unit 84, a remuneration determination unit 85, a skill level management unit 86, and a registration information update unit 87.

[0086] The farm work information acquisition unit 81 acquires farm work information for the target farm work from the requester. Here, "acquiring from the requester" includes a case where the farm work information acquisition unit 81 etc. acquires information that the requester registered in the database 53 from the requester terminal 20 from the database 53. The same applies hereinafter.

[0087] The remuneration type information acquisition unit 82 may acquire remuneration type information indicating the type of remuneration for carrying out the target agricultural work from the requester. The remuneration type information indicates whether the remuneration for carrying out the target agricultural work is an exchange value exchangeable with an agricultural product or an agricultural product. An agricultural product is, in addition to the agricultural product itself, for example, a product including an agricultural product or a processed agricultural product. The exchange value exchangeable with an agricultural product may include, for example, points or discount coupons that can be used to purchase products on an EC (Electronic Commerce) site or at a brick-and-mortar store. The exchange value exchangeable with an agricultural product may be a limited-area currency or a digital regional currency. The points or discount coupon may be electronically granted to a registered account, may be in the form of a point code or coupon code notifying the user, or may be in the form of a ticket or the like on which these codes are printed being mailed.

[0088] The worker information acquisition unit 83 may acquire the remote operation proficiency of the remote operator performing the remote operation, the remote operation performance of the server 50 performing the remote operation, or the autonomous operation performance of the work machine. Note that the farm work information acquisition unit 81, the remuneration type information acquisition unit 82, and the worker information acquisition unit 83 do not need to acquire information that has already been acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 61.

[0089] The evaluation acquisition unit 84 acquires, from the requester, an evaluation of the target agricultural work performed by the remote worker. In the case where the target agricultural work is performed by a completely autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10, the evaluation acquisition unit 84 may acquire an evaluation of the target agricultural work performed by the autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10. The evaluation of the target agricultural work may be a score indicating a percentage of a perfect score, a relative value based on an average value, a graded evaluation such as "good", "average", "poor", etc., or a specific amount of reward.

[0090] The evaluation of the target agricultural work may be determined by the requester, taking into consideration the condition or yield of the work area after the target agricultural work is performed, the priority of the target agricultural work, the weather at the time of performing the target agricultural work, etc. In addition, the result of comparing the work time estimated by the work time estimation unit 63 with the actual work time required for the target agricultural work may also be a factor in the evaluation. If a problem occurs during the target agricultural work, the evaluation may be high even if the actual work time is long, depending on the response to recovery from the problem. Therefore, the remote control processing unit 70 may display information such as the comparison result between the estimated work time and the actual work time and the response history of recovery from the problem on the requester terminal 20 together with the completion notification of the target agricultural work.

[0091] The client may determine the evaluation subjectively, or may determine the evaluation by incorporating objective indicators based on the evaluation criteria data, etc. For this reason, the remote control processing unit 70 may acquire the evaluation criteria data stored in the database 53, and cause the client terminal 20 to display the evaluation criteria data together with the completion notification of the target farm work.

[0092] The remuneration determination unit 85 determines the remuneration for performing the target agricultural work based on the acquired agricultural work information and evaluation. The remuneration may be determined, for example, by multiplying the estimated unit price of the target agricultural work by a client factor coefficient and an evaluation coefficient. For example, if the client factor coefficient and the evaluation coefficient are greater than 1, the remuneration may be added to the estimated unit price, and if the client factor coefficient and the evaluation coefficient are less than 1, the remuneration may be subtracted from the estimated unit price.

[0093] The estimated unit price of the target agricultural work can be determined by multiplying the estimated hourly unit price of the target agricultural work by the actual work time. The estimated hourly unit price of the target agricultural work may be calculated, for example, from the past agricultural work history included in the agricultural work information. In addition, a unit price table for each type of agricultural work may be registered in advance in the database 53, and the remuneration determination unit 85 may determine the estimated hourly unit price by referring to the unit price table.

[0094] The requester factor coefficient may be a coefficient determined by the requester's desired budget, whether or not the requester has designated a work assistant, the importance of the target farm work, the priority of the target farm work, etc. For example, if the requester's desired budget is lower than the estimated hourly rate, if the importance or priority of the target farm work is low, etc., the remuneration determination unit 85 may set the requester factor to a coefficient smaller than 1. Conversely, if the requester's desired budget is higher than the estimated hourly rate, if the requester has designated a work assistant, if the importance or priority of the target farm work is high, etc., the remuneration determination unit 85 may set the requester factor to a coefficient larger than 1.

[0095] The evaluation coefficient may be a coefficient determined based on the client's evaluation. For example, when the client's evaluation is higher than the standard "normal" evaluation, or higher than the average evaluation based on the past farm work history, the remuneration determination unit 85 may set the evaluation coefficient to a coefficient greater than 1.

[0096] The remuneration determination unit 85 may further determine the remuneration by referring to the proficiency of the remote operator in remote operation or the remote operation performance of the server 50. For example, the remuneration determination unit 85 may set a higher guideline hourly rate for the target agricultural work as the proficiency of the remote operator or the remote operation performance of the server 50 included in the supporter information increases. Note that, when the target agricultural work is performed by a completely autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10, the remuneration determination unit 85 may determine the remuneration by referring to the autonomous operation performance.

[0097] When the remuneration type information acquisition unit 82 acquires remuneration type information, the remuneration determination unit 85 may refer to the remuneration type information and determine an appropriate amount of remuneration for each type of remuneration. For example, when the remuneration is an agricultural product, the remuneration determination unit 85 may first calculate the remuneration as a monetary value, and then determine the amount of agricultural products with a market value slightly higher than the calculated monetary value as the remuneration.

[0098] According to this configuration, the client can select the remuneration from among an exchange value that can be exchanged for agricultural products and agricultural products. This makes it possible to set an appropriate remuneration for remote-controlled agricultural work, for which it is difficult to give a high remuneration.

[0099] The proficiency management unit 86 may change the proficiency of the remote operation by the remote operator or the remote operation performance of the server 50 by referring to the farm work information of the target farm work. For example, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the proficiency of remote operation if the number of times the target farm work is performed by the remote operator through remote operation exceeds a predetermined value. Furthermore, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the proficiency of the remote operator in remote operation of the grass cutter 10 if the remote operation time or the number of remote operations by the remote operator after the target farm work is performed exceeds a predetermined value. Furthermore, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the proficiency of remote operation if the requester's evaluation of the remote operator is higher than the average, and may decrease the proficiency of remote operation if the evaluation is significantly lower than the average.

[0100] The type of remuneration determined by the remuneration determination unit 85 may include an addition of proficiency by the proficiency management unit 86. For example, if the target agricultural work is an extremely simple task, it may be difficult for the requester to set an appropriate remuneration. However, even if the target agricultural work is simple, the remote operator can become accustomed to remote operation by remotely operating the grass cutter 10. It is expected that the higher the proficiency of remote operation, the more likely the remote operator will be selected as a request target for the target agricultural work in the future, and the more likely the remuneration will be determined to be higher. Therefore, even if the remuneration is only an addition of proficiency, the remuneration can motivate the work assistant to accept the target agricultural work.

[0101] According to this configuration, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 changes the proficiency of the remote worker according to the target agricultural work performed. This makes it possible to manage the proficiency of the remote worker registered in the database 53 to an appropriate value.

[0102] The registration information update unit 87 registers or updates information such as the client's evaluation acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 84, the remuneration determined by the remuneration determination unit 85, and the remote operation proficiency changed by the proficiency management unit 86 in the database 53.

[0103] In this way, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 can determine the remuneration according to the remote operation proficiency or autonomous operation performance. Therefore, a larger remuneration is given for a remote operator with a higher remote operation proficiency or for a target agricultural work performed by a grass cutter 10 with higher autonomous operation performance. Therefore, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 can provide an incentive for becoming skilled in remote operation and for selecting a work machine with high autonomous operation performance.

[0104] The server control device 51 may include only one or two of the selection processing unit 60, the remote control processing unit 70, and the remuneration determination processing unit 80. In other words, the farm work support system 1 may be, for example, a selection system in which the server control device 51 includes only the selection processing unit 60, a remote control system including only the remote control processing unit 70, or a remuneration determination system including only the remuneration determination processing unit 80.

[0105] In this case, the server control device 51 in the selection system can be said to be a selection device that selects a request target for the target agricultural work. The selection device is a control device that controls the selection system and is capable of executing a selection process S1 described later by a selection processing unit 60. Also, the server control device 51 in the remote control system can be said to be a remote control device that supports responding to problems that occur in the target agricultural work. The remote control device is a control device that controls a remote control system and is capable of executing a remote control process S2 described later by a remote control processing unit 70. Also, the server control device 51 in the remuneration determination system can be said to be a remuneration determination device that determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work. The remuneration determination device is a control device that controls the remuneration determination system and is capable of executing a remuneration determination process S3 described later by a remuneration determination processing unit 80.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the selection processing unit 60, the remote control processing unit 70, and the remuneration determination processing unit 80 are all included in the server control device 51. However, each of these functional blocks may be included in the control device of any of the devices included in the farm work support system 1.

[0107] [Processing of agricultural work support system 1] A control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5, taking the processing of the farm work support system 1 as an example. As shown in Fig. 2, the server control device 51 executes a selection process S1, a remote control process S2, and a reward determination process S3 in this order. Each of these processes will be described in detail below.

[0108] (Selection process S1) As shown in Fig. 3, first, the registration information acquisition unit 61 acquires, from the database 53, farm work information of the target farm work registered by the requester (S11), and also acquires land information of the work range of the target farm work (S12). The registration information acquisition unit 61 also executes a registration information acquisition process to acquire assistant information of the work assistant and machine information of the work machine such as the grass cutter 10 from the database 53 (S13, registration information acquisition step). If multiple pieces of assistant information and multiple pieces of machine information are registered in the database 53, the registration information acquisition unit 61 acquires these multiple pieces of assistant information and machine information.

[0109] Furthermore, if weather information is stored in the database 53, the registered information acquisition unit 61 acquires weather information for the work period of the target farm work and periods before, during and after the work period (S14).

[0110] Next, the candidate extraction unit 62 judges whether or not the farm work information of the target farm work includes a designation of a request target (S15). If the farm work information includes a designation of a request target (Yes in S15), the candidate extraction unit 62 judges whether or not the available work date and time of the designated target, which is the designated work assistant or work machine, matches the work period of the target farm work (S16). If the available work date and time of the designated target matches the work period of the target farm work (Yes in S16), the candidate extraction unit 62 executes a candidate extraction process to extract the designated target as a candidate for a request target (S17, candidate extraction step). In this case, the selection processing unit 60 skips the process of S18 described below.

[0111] If the farm work information does not include a designation of the requested target (No in S15), or if the available work date and time of the designated target does not match the work period of the target farm work (No in S16), the candidate extraction unit 62 executes a candidate extraction process. Specifically, the candidate extraction unit 62 extracts work assistants and work machines that can perform the work during the work period of the target farm work as candidates (S18, candidate extraction step). The candidate extraction unit 62 may refer to weather information when executing the candidate extraction process in S17 or S18.

[0112] Next, the work time estimation unit 63 executes a work time estimation process to estimate a work time required for the target agricultural work for each candidate extracted by the candidate extraction unit 62 (S19, work time estimation step). The work time estimation unit 63 may refer to weather information when executing the work time estimation process.

[0113] Next, the request target selection unit 64 calculates the priority order of the candidates based on information including the estimated work time for each candidate (S20). The priority order of the candidates may be calculated in ascending order of estimated work time. Alternatively, the priority order of the candidates may be calculated based on other information such as past evaluations for the remaining candidates after excluding candidates whose estimated work time exceeds a predetermined time.

[0114] Next, the request target selection unit 64 executes a request target selection process to select the candidate with the highest priority as the request target (S21, request target selection step). At this time, the request target selection unit 64 may select two or more people with the highest priority as the request target, present them to the requester, and have the requester select the final request target. In this case, the requester can easily narrow down the most preferable request target from only the candidates with high priority.

[0115] Next, the request target selection unit 64 notifies the selected request target of the farm work information for the target farm work (S22). The request target selection unit 64 then determines whether the request target has accepted the request for the target farm work (S23). If it is determined that the request target has not accepted the request for the target farm work (No in S23), the request target selection unit 64 returns the process to S21 and selects the next highest priority candidate as the request target (S21). The request target selection unit 64 repeatedly executes the processes from S21 to S23 until it determines Yes in S23.

[0116] When the request target selection unit 64 determines that the request target has accepted the request for the target agricultural work (Yes in S23), the selection processing unit 60 ends the selection process S1. In this way, the selection process S1 can also be said to be a selection method executed by the selection processing unit 60 to select a request target for the target agricultural work.

[0117] Although the above description has been given taking the example of the target agricultural work being performed by the grass cutter 10 alone, it is also assumed that the target agricultural work may include a plurality of types of agricultural work to be performed by a plurality of types of working machines. In this case, the selection processing unit 60 may repeat or perform the selection process S1 for each type of agricultural work, and select the most suitable request target for each type of agricultural work. Alternatively, the selection processing unit 60 may select a request target that can be performed in parallel for a plurality of types of agricultural work. If the autonomous operation performance of the working machines performing each agricultural work is high, the remote operator may focus on monitoring each working machine. Therefore, a single remote operator can perform a plurality of types of agricultural work in parallel.

[0118] (Remote control process S2) As shown in FIG. 4, first, the remote control processing unit 70 determines whether or not a grass cutter 10 (working machine) for performing the target agricultural work and a fixed imaging device 40 (surveillance camera) are installed within the work range of the target agricultural work (S31).

[0119] Regarding this determination, the remote control processing unit 70 may make the determination in S31 based on whether or not a notification that the grass cutter 10 and the fixed imaging device 40 have been installed has been received from local personnel in the work area of ​​the target agricultural work. The remote control processing unit 70 may also make the determination based on whether or not the position information acquired by the position acquisition device 13 of the grass cutter 10 indicates that it is within the work area of ​​the target agricultural work. To enable a similar determination for the fixed imaging device 40, it is preferable that the fixed imaging device 40 also includes a position acquisition device (not shown) like the grass cutter 10.

[0120] When it is determined that the grass cutter 10 and the fixed imaging device 40 are not installed in the work range (No in S31), the remote control processing unit 70 executes the process of S31 again. On the other hand, when the remote control processing unit 70 determines that the grass cutter 10 and the fixed imaging device 40 are installed in the work range (Yes in S31), the land information acquisition unit 71 acquires land information of the work range from the database 53 (S32).

[0121] Next, the work management unit 72 judges whether or not the grass cutter 10 is capable of performing the target agricultural work through autonomous operation (S33). If it is judged that the grass cutter 10 is not capable of performing the target agricultural work through autonomous operation (No in S33), the work management unit 72 adjusts the setting values ​​for remote operation of the grass cutter 10 to match the land information (S34). If it is judged that the grass cutter 10 is capable of performing the target agricultural work through autonomous operation (Yes in S33), the work management unit 72 adjusts the setting values ​​for the autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 to match the land information (S35).

[0122] Here, the remote operation setting values ​​may be the travel speed of the mower 10, the mowing work speed of the mower 10, the imaging direction of the machine body imaging device 12, etc. The work management unit 72 optimizes the remote operation setting values ​​in accordance with the land information, making it easier for the remote operator to perform the target agricultural work by remote operation. Furthermore, the autonomous operation setting values ​​may be the work route by the autonomous operation of the mower 10, the position where the grass is mowed, the autonomous travel speed for each position, etc. The work management unit 72 optimizes the autonomous operation setting values ​​in accordance with the land information, allowing the mower 10 to efficiently perform the target agricultural work by autonomous operation.

[0123] Depending on the content of the target agricultural work or the state of the work area, the grass cutter 10 may perform some work by autonomous operation and other work by remote control. In this case, the work management unit 72 may adjust both the setting values ​​for remote operation and the setting values ​​for autonomous operation.

[0124] Next, the work management unit 72 notifies the remote operator of the dangerous spots included in the land information. The work management unit 72 may also notify the grass cutter 10 of the dangerous spots. This allows the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 to carry out the target agricultural work while avoiding the dangerous spots. This reduces the possibility of trouble occurring in the grass cutter 10. Then, the work management unit 72 notifies the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 that the work can be started, and starts the target agricultural work (S37).

[0125] While the target agricultural work is being performed, the monitoring processing unit 73 executes monitoring processing to acquire the working status of the grass cutter 10 performing the target agricultural work as image data captured by the machine body imaging device 12 or the fixed imaging device 40 (monitoring processing step). Therefore, the remote operator can monitor the working status of the target agricultural work from the second touch panel 33 of the operator terminal 30 even while the grass cutter 10 is performing the target agricultural work by autonomous operation, other than during remote operation.

[0126] Next, the trouble processing unit 74 judges whether or not a trouble has occurred in the grass mower 10 (S38). If it is judged that a trouble has occurred in the grass mower 10 (Yes in S38), the trouble processing unit 74 judges whether or not the grass mower 10 has recovered from the trouble by remote operation by a remote operator or autonomous operation of the grass mower 10 (S39). If it is judged that the grass mower 10 has not recovered from the trouble (No in S39), the trouble processing unit 74 judges that manual recovery is necessary, and executes trouble processing to notify an emergency contact of a request for assistance (S40, trouble processing step).

[0127] Then, the trouble processing section 74 judges whether or not the grass mower 10 has recovered from the trouble by local personnel or the like who rushed to the scene in response to the emergency request (S41). If it is judged that the grass mower 10 has recovered from the trouble (Yes in S39 or S41), the trouble processing section 74 notifies the remote operator of the recovery from the trouble (S42). As a result, if a trouble occurs that cannot be recovered from by remote operation, the remote operator does not need to continue to monitor the grass mower 10 until the grass mower 10 is recovered from the trouble by local personnel or the like.

[0128] If it is determined in S41 that the grass cutter 10 has not recovered from the trouble (No in S41), the trouble processing unit 74 determines that it is not possible to continue the subject farm work.

[0129] The trouble processing unit 74 does not execute the processes from S39 to S42 while it is not determined in S38 that a trouble has occurred in the grass cutter 10 (No in S38). Then, when a work end notification indicating the suspension or completion of the target farm work is received from the remote operator or the grass cutter 10, the remote control processing unit 70 ends the remote control process S2.

[0130] In this way, the remote control process S2 can also be said to be a remote control method executed by the remote control processing unit 70 for dealing with trouble that occurs in the target agricultural work.

[0131] (Reward determination process S3) 5, the farm work information acquisition unit 81 executes a farm work information acquisition process to acquire farm work information of a target farm work that the requester has registered in the database 53 from the requester terminal 20 (S51, farm work information acquisition step). The remuneration type information acquisition unit 82 acquires remuneration type information of the target farm work that the requester has registered in the database 53 from the requester terminal 20 (S52). The worker information acquisition unit 83 acquires supporter information of the remote worker from the database 53, and acquires information on the skill level of the remote worker included in the supporter information (S53).

[0132] The evaluation acquisition unit 84 acquires from the database 53 the actual work time required for the target agricultural work by the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 (S54). The actual work time may be, for example, a result of measuring the elapsed time (the elapsed time from S37 to S43) from when the remote control processing unit 70 starts the target agricultural work by the grass cutter 10 in the remote control processing S2 until the work completion notification is received. In addition, the evaluation acquisition unit 84 executes an evaluation acquisition process to acquire an evaluation of the performed target agricultural work that the requester registered in the database 53 from the requester terminal 20 (S55, evaluation acquisition step).

[0133] The remuneration determination unit 85 executes a remuneration determination process to determine a remuneration for performing the target farm work from the various information acquired in the processes from S51 to S55 (S56, remuneration determination step). Next, the proficiency management unit 86 changes the remote operator's proficiency with the grass cutter 10 if the target farm work is performed by remote operation of a remote operator (S57). Then, the registration information update unit 87 registers or updates information such as the requester's evaluation of the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 and the remote operator's proficiency in the database 53 (S58). Thereafter, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 terminates the remuneration determination process S3.

[0134] In this way, the remuneration determination process S3 can also be said to be a remuneration determination method executed by the remuneration determination processing unit 80 to determine the remuneration for carrying out the target farm work.

[0135] Here, the registration information update unit 87 may also update the history of the remote operation or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 as the machine information of the grass cutter 10. Accumulation of history information of the remote operation or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 is expected to improve the autonomous operation performance of the grass cutter 10. According to a configuration in which the grass cutter 10 is operated by remote operation by a remote operator or the server 50, etc., as in the agricultural work support system 1, it is easier to collect big data required for the autonomous grass cutter 10 than if a person directly operates the grass cutter 10. This makes it easier to utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) for the autonomous operation of the work machine such as the grass cutter 10. In this way, the agricultural work support system 1 can contribute to improving the autonomous operation performance of the work machine such as the grass cutter 10 and promoting smart agricultural work by utilizing AI, etc.

[0136] When the autonomous operation performance of the grass cutter 10 reaches a sufficient level for performing the target agricultural work completely autonomously, the agricultural work support system 1 can select only the grass cutter 10 as the target for requesting the target agricultural work. In this case, the agricultural work support system 1 can almost automatically complete the target agricultural work request from the requester without the need for human intervention such as a remote operator, except when a problem that is difficult to recover from occurs in the grass cutter 10.

[0137] [Usage image of the agricultural work support system] Fig. 6 shows an example of a display on the second touch panel 33 of the operator terminal 30 when a remote operator monitors or remotely operates the grass mower 10. As shown in Fig. 6, in addition to image data captured by the fixed imaging device 40, the second touch panel 33 may display augmented reality data AR superimposed on the image data. The augmented reality data AR may include the state of the autonomous work, the planned route traveled by the autonomous operation, topographical information of the work range, caution or warning information, weather information, elapsed time information, remaining battery power information, and the like.

[0138] In this manner, a configuration in which augmented reality data AR is displayed on the second touch panel 33 makes it easier for the remote operator to grasp the autonomous operation of the grass mower 10 while monitoring. Also, the remote operator can easily grasp the next work position and dangerous locations, etc., even while remotely operating the grass mower 10. Therefore, the remote operator can easily and reliably monitor or remotely operate the grass mower 10.

[0139] FIG. 7 shows an example of the contents of notifications displayed on the requester terminal 20 and the worker terminal 30 from when the requester makes a request for the target farm work until the target farm work is completed. Here, an example is shown in which all notifications are displayed on a messenger app possessed by the requester terminal 20 and the worker terminal 30. Such a messenger app may be a general-purpose messenger app, or may be a messenger function provided in an app dedicated to the farm work support system 1. Furthermore, such notifications are not limited to being displayed as text using a messenger app, and may be in a form in which an email is sent for each notification, for example.

[0140] As shown in Fig. 7, the farm work support system 1 may notify the requester and the remote worker of the progress of the target farm work one by one. This allows the requester and the remote worker to easily understand the current status of the target farm work. In addition, the remote worker and the requester can intuitively and easily input evaluations and the like regarding the target farm work.

[0141] As described above, the agricultural work support system 1 can smoothly support a series of steps from requesting the target agricultural work to its completion, including matching the requesting farmer or the like with a work assistant who is interested in remote agricultural work. Work assistants can be involved in agricultural work performed in a remote location while staying at home. This can reduce the increased burden on farmers, especially in rural areas, due to the shortage of agricultural workers.

[0142] Furthermore, the agricultural work support system 1 allows for a high degree of flexibility in setting remuneration. Therefore, even if the type of agricultural work was previously difficult to outsource because of its low unit price, the requester can easily request it. Furthermore, even for simple agricultural work, the work assistant can receive, as remuneration, agricultural products obtained from the agricultural work in which he or she was involved. Therefore, the work assistant can easily be motivated to actively participate in agricultural work with a low unit price.

[0143] In this way, the agricultural work support system 1 allows farmers to request even detailed farm work from agricultural work assistants, particularly in agriculture carried out in rural areas or developing countries, thereby reducing the workload of farmers and preventing them from working long hours. This is expected to lead to the development of agriculture and an increase in food production regardless of region. In this way, the agricultural work support system 1 can also support the creation of a system that supports sustainable agriculture on a global scale through agricultural work support. For example, the agricultural work support system 1 can contribute to the achievement of Goal 2 "Zero Hunger" and Goal 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0144] [Software implementation example] The functions of the server control device 51 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the device, and a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the selection processing unit 60, the remote control processing unit 70 and / or the reward determination processing unit 80).

[0145] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each embodiment.

[0146] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0147] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0148] Furthermore, each process described in each embodiment may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may be executed in the device, or may be executed in another device (e.g., an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0149] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0150] 〔summary〕 (1) A remote control device characterized by comprising: a monitoring processing unit that acquires the work status of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation; and a trouble processing unit that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, when the recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

[0151] (2) In the above (1), the monitoring processing unit accumulates historical information of troubles that have occurred in the target agricultural work, and the trouble processing unit refers to the historical information and notifies the work assistant performing the remote operation or the remote operation device or the work machine of locations in the target agricultural work where trouble may occur.

[0152] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the emergency contact is a local person who deals with troubles with the target agricultural work, and the trouble handling unit is further characterized in that, when the trouble occurs, it notifies the local person of the occurrence of the trouble and the working status of the work machine, and, when the trouble is resolved, it notifies the local person of the resolution of the trouble.

[0153] (4) A remote control program for causing a computer to function as the remote control device described in (1) above, the remote control program causing a computer to function as the monitoring processing unit and the trouble handling unit.

[0154] (5) A remote control method comprising: a monitoring processing step in which a remote control device acquires the working status of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation; and a trouble processing step in which, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, the remote control device determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, if recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

[0155] (6) A remote control system comprising a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation, and a server capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the work machine, and controlled by at least one control device, wherein the control device executes a monitoring process to acquire the work status of the work machine, and a trouble process to determine, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, and, when the recovery is not possible, to notify an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for assistance.

[0156] (7) A remote control device comprising: a registration information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of assistant information for a work assistant who can perform agricultural work by remotely operating a work machine and machine information for the work machine from a database in which a plurality of pieces of information, which are at least one of the assistant information and the machine information for the work machine, are registered; an agricultural work information acquisition unit that acquires agricultural work information for a target agricultural work to be performed by remote operation of a work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine from a requester; a request target selection unit that selects a request target for the target agricultural work by comparing the agricultural work information for the target agricultural work with at least one of the plurality of assistant information and the machine information; a monitoring processing unit that acquires the work status of the work machine that performs the target agricultural work; a trouble processing unit that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether the trouble can be recovered from by remote operation of the work machine or the autonomous operation of the work machine, and if recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue; and a remuneration determination unit that determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work based on the agricultural work information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1. Agricultural work support system (selection system, remote control system, reward determination system) 10 Grass trimmer (working machine) 20 Client terminal 30 Worker terminal 50 Servers 51 Server control device (farm work support device, selection device, remote control device, reward determination device, control device) 53 Database 61 Registration Information Acquisition Department 62 Candidate Extraction Unit 63 Work Time Estimation Unit 64 Request target selection section 71 Land Information Acquisition Department 73 Monitoring Processing Unit 74 Troubleshooter 81 Agricultural Information Acquisition Department 82 Remuneration type information acquisition unit 83 Worker information acquisition department 84 Evaluation Department 85 Remuneration Determination Department 86 Proficiency Management Department

Claims

[Claim 1] A monitoring processing unit that acquires a work status of a work machine that performs a target agricultural work by remote control or autonomous operation; A remote control device characterized by comprising: a trouble processing unit that, when a trouble occurs in the target agricultural work, determines whether or not the trouble can be recovered from by remote control of the working machine or autonomous operation of the working machine, and, if recovery is not possible, notifies an emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for rescue.

Images