Measurement reference device and image analysis system

Abstract

To facilitate the measurement of crop growth status.SOLUTION: A measurement reference device 100, serving as a reference for measuring the growth status of a crop, comprises: a body 101, which is a columnar structure extending in a vertical direction; a scale 102, which is engraved on the body 101 at predetermined intervals as a reference for measuring the height of the crop under measurement; and a leaf color plate 103, which is attached to a predetermined position of the body 101 and serves as a reference colored in a predetermined hue for measuring the leaf color of the crop under measurement in comparison with the crop's leaf color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring reference device and an image analysis system.

Background Art

[0002] In conventional agriculture where farmers perform farming work manually, in order to check the growth degree of crops, farmers directly visit the cultivated land and visually check the height and leaf color of the crops. Then, farmers apply fertilizers to the crops according to the growth degree.

[0003] However, with the progress of the aging of farmers and the shortage of labor, it may be difficult to actually visit the cultivated land to appropriately check the growth degree of crops and perform fertilization on the crops as needed. Therefore, in recent years, while implementing highly efficient farming by utilizing digital technology, an "Agriculture DX (Digital Transformation) concept" has been proposed to capture consumer needs in data and provide agricultural products and foods in a form that consumers can actually feel the value.

[0004] For example, as a conventional technology related to the above-mentioned Agriculture DX, there is a technology that spectrally analyzes and receives sunlight reflected by plants to calculate the reflectance, and measures the growth degree of plants from the calculated reflectance (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, as a conventional technology, there is a technology that eliminates errors caused by external factors and accurately measures the water level of paddy fields (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the above-described conventional technology, there is a problem that it is difficult to easily measure the growth degree of crops. For example, although the above-described conventional technology can measure the growth degree of plants, it may be difficult for agricultural workers who are accustomed to traditional manual agriculture to use it easily. In addition, although the conventional technology can automatically acquire the water level information of paddy fields, it cannot measure the height and leaf color of crops.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] Therefore, in order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the reference instrument for measurement of the present invention is a reference instrument for measurement used as a reference for measuring the growth degree of crops, and includes a body portion which is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction, a scale portion engraved on the body portion at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop to be measured, and a leaf color plate portion attached to a predetermined position of the body portion as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop to be measured by comparing with the leaf color of the crop.

[0008] Further, the image analysis system of the present invention is an image analysis system having a reference instrument for measurement used for measuring the growth degree of crops and an image analysis device for correcting an image of the crop taken including the reference instrument for measurement, wherein the reference instrument for measurement includes a body portion which is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction, a scale portion engraved on the body portion at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop to be measured, a leaf color plate portion attached to a predetermined position of the body portion as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop to be measured by comparing with the leaf color of the crop, and a sensor portion for acquiring at least one of information on the environment around the installation of the reference instrument for measurement and information on the crop to be measured, and the image analysis device includes a correction portion for correcting an image taken to include the scale and the leaf color plate provided in the reference instrument for measurement using information acquired by a sensor provided in the reference instrument for measurement.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there is an effect of facilitating the measurement of the growth degree of crops.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] [[ID=)48]]Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each embodiment is not limited to the content described below.

[0012] <Overall Outline> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a measuring reference device 100 according to the present embodiment. The measuring reference device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a structure used for measuring the height and leaf color of a crop to be measured (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "crop").

[0013] In recent years, conventional agriculture has been exposed to various risks such as a shortage of successors due to the declining birthrate and aging population, intensification of disasters, and changes in the global environment. For example, regarding the shortage of successors due to the declining birthrate and aging population, in terms of the age composition ratio as of 2023, those aged 70 and above account for about 70%, while those under 60, who will be the core of the agricultural workers 20 years later, account for only 20% of the total, and there are concerns about a future shortage of agricultural workers.

[0014] Therefore, as a new form of agriculture, the concept of "Agricultural DX" that utilizes smart agriculture technology has been proposed. In the above-mentioned Agricultural DX, advanced technologies such as IT (Information Technology) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) in sensing / monitoring, autonomous driving, work reduction, environmental control, management data management, production data management, etc. are utilized to realize automation of work, simplification of information sharing, utilization of data, etc., and solve the problems of conventional agriculture.

[0015] For example, as a technology related to sensing / monitoring, there is a first reference technology that splits and receives sunlight reflected by plants to calculate the reflectance, and measures the growth degree of plants from the calculated reflectance. With the first reference technology, where the growth degree of crops (plants) was conventionally measured visually, it is possible to perform more quantitative measurements.

[0016] Also, there is a second reference technology that excludes errors caused by external factors and accurately measures the water level in paddy fields. The second reference technology makes it possible to remotely grasp the water level amount by automatically acquiring the water level amount in paddy fields, where conventionally agricultural workers had to visit the paddy fields to check the water level.

[0017] However, in the above-described related art, there is a problem that it is difficult to easily measure the growth degree of crops.

[0018] For example, although the first related art can quantitatively measure the leaf color of plants, since the method for measuring the growth degree of crops is significantly different from the methods in conventional agriculture, it may not be actively utilized in actual fields. Further, although the second related art can accurately and automatically acquire the water level information of paddy fields by eliminating errors caused by external factors, it can only measure the water level information and cannot measure the plant height, leaf color, etc. of crops.

[0019] Therefore, the measuring reference device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a scale used for measuring the plant height of crops and a leaf color plate used for measuring the leaf color of crops, enabling even farmers accustomed to traditional manual work to easily measure the growth degree of crops.

[0020] Here, returning to FIG. 1, the measurement of the growth degree of crops using the measuring reference device 100 will be described. As shown in (1) of FIG. 1, the measuring reference device 100 includes a body portion 101 which is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction. Further, the measuring reference device 100 includes a scale portion 102 engraved on the body portion 101 at predetermined intervals as a reference for measuring the plant height of the crop to be measured. In addition, the measuring reference device 100 includes a leaf color plate portion 103 attached to a predetermined position of the body portion 101 as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop to be measured in comparison with the leaf color of the crop.

[0021] Hereinafter, the process of measuring the growth degree of crops using the measuring reference device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described by taking the measurement of paddy rice planted in a paddy field as an example.

[0022] First, the measuring reference device 100 is installed at a predetermined position near the paddy rice. For example, as shown in (1) of FIG. 1, the measuring reference device 100 is installed near the plant of the paddy rice planted in the paddy field.

[0023] Next, the farmer 10 measures the growth degree of the crop from a predetermined position (Fig. 1(2)). Specifically, the farmer 10 measures the growth degree of the crop using the scale and the leaf color plate provided on the measurement reference device 100.

[0024] For example, as shown in Fig. 1(2-1), the farmer 10 compares the scale (scale portion 102) provided on the measurement reference device 100 with the height of the paddy rice to measure the height of the paddy rice. Also, for example, as shown in Fig. 1(2-2), the farmer 10 compares the leaf color plate (leaf color plate portion 103) provided on the measurement reference device 100 with the leaf color of the paddy rice to measure the leaf color of the paddy rice. Note that in the drawings related to this embodiment, although shown as a black-and-white-based drawing, when the paddy rice is green, it may be expressed as a color tone based on green or the like.

[0025] In this way, the measurement reference device 100 enables the farmer 10 to easily measure the growth degree of the crop by simultaneously comparing the height of the crop with the scale and comparing the leaf color of the crop with the leaf color plate.

[0026] <First Embodiment> From here, as a first embodiment, an example of the measurement reference device 100 according to this embodiment and the measurement of the growth degree of the crop realized by the measurement reference device 100 will be described.

[0027] (Measurement Reference Device 100) First, the structure of the measurement reference device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the measurement reference device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0028] The measurement reference device 100 is used as a reference for measuring the growth degree of the crop. And the measurement reference device 100 has a body portion 101, a scale portion 102, and a leaf color plate portion 103.

[0029] (Body Portion 101) The body part 101 is a structure that serves as the basis for the measuring reference device 100 and is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the body part 101 has a subterranean region buried in the ground and a ground region exposed above the ground and provided with a scale part 102 and a leaf color plate part 103 described later. The details of the scale part 102 and the leaf color plate part 103 will be described respectively in the items below.

[0030] For example, the body part 101 may be a columnar structure of a cylindrical or square tube with a polygonal cross-section, such as an outer diameter of 40 to 50 mmφ and a length of 1600 to 1700 mm (for example, a polygonal columnar or cylindrical structure). Note that the above dimensions are merely examples, and the dimensions of the body part 101 are not limited.

[0031] The body part 101 may be composed of materials such as wood, stone, metal, and plastic. Also, the surface shape and color of the body part 101 are not particularly limited. For example, the surface shape of the body part 101 may be smooth, or anti-slip processing or the like may be performed to improve the handling efficiency by construction workers or the like when installing. Also, the color of the body part 101 may be a color tone that stands out in the cultivated land, such as white, red, a predetermined fluorescent color, a complementary color related to the hue of the crop, and a combination of the above-mentioned colors.

[0032] (Scale part 102) The scale part 102 is provided on the body part 101 as a reference line engraved at predetermined intervals in the vertically upward direction with the boundary between the region of the body part 101 buried in the ground and the region exposed from the ground as the zero point.

[0033] For example, the scale part 102 may be a reference line engraved at intervals of "〇〇 mm" or "〇〇 cm" so as to be horizontal with the ground, with the boundary between the subterranean region of the body part 101 buried in the ground and the exposed ground region (FIG. 2(1)) as "zero (0)" (for example, FIG. 2(2-1)).

[0034] Furthermore, the length of any part of the reference line may be changed in advance. For example, when the reference line is marked every "1 cm" interval, as shown in (2-2) of FIG. 2, it may be marked as a longer line than the reference line indicating other positions every 5 cm.

[0035] (Leaf color plate part 103) The leaf color plate part 103 has a structure in which a plurality of green regions colored with green are arranged in descending order of the color density of the green regions. Specifically, the leaf color plate part 103 has a structure in which the first green region with the highest color density among the plurality of green regions is located at the part closest to the ground. Furthermore, the leaf color plate part 103 has a structure in which, in the vertically upward direction with respect to the ground, the green regions with lower color density compared to the first green region are located in order from the ground in descending order of color density.

[0036] Here, the leaf color plate part 103 will be further described with reference to the figure shown in (3) of FIG. 2. Although (3) of FIG. 2 is expressed in a black-and-white tone, it will be described as having a "green tone" in the description of the text.

[0037] For example, as shown in (3) of FIG. 2, the leaf color plate part 103 is composed of a first region ((3-1) of FIG. 2) to a seventh region ((3-2) of FIG. 2), which are a plurality of regions with different color densities divided into seven. For example, in the case of a leaf color plate used for measuring the leaf color of rice, the first region closest to the ground may be the green with the highest color density, and the seventh region farthest from the ground may be the green with the lowest color density. Note that the number of regions described above is merely an example, and the number of regions for each color tone of the leaf color plate part 103 is not limited.

[0038] Each region of the leaf color plate part 103 may be expressed in a color system such as the L*a*b color space, the L*C*h color space, and the RGB (Red Green Blue) color model. Also, a known color scale for rice may be used.

[0039] (Effect) Hereinafter, the effects of the measuring reference instrument 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. The body portion 101 of the measuring reference instrument 100 according to the first embodiment is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction. Further, the scale portion 102 of the measuring reference instrument 100 is engraved on the body portion 101 at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop. In addition, the leaf color plate portion 103 of the measuring reference instrument 100 is attached to a predetermined position of the body portion 101 as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop by comparing it with the leaf color of the crop. Therefore, according to the measuring reference instrument 100 according to the first embodiment, there is an effect of facilitating the measurement of the growth degree of the crop.

[0040] The scale portion 102 is a reference line engraved at a predetermined interval in the vertically upward direction with the boundary between the area buried in the ground of the body portion 101 and the area exposed from the ground as the zero point. In this way, the measuring reference instrument 100 has an effect of enabling an agricultural worker to easily measure the height of the crop by comparing the height of the crop with the scale.

[0041] The leaf color plate portion 103 is colored with green as a predetermined color tone, and a plurality of green regions are arranged in descending order of the color density of the green regions. Specifically, in the leaf color plate portion 103, among the plurality of green regions, the first green region with the highest color density is located at the portion closest to the ground, and in the vertically upward direction with respect to the ground, in descending order of the color density of the green regions having a lower color density than the first green region, they are located in order from the ground. In this way, the measuring reference instrument 100 has an effect of enabling an agricultural worker to easily measure the leaf color of the crop by comparing the leaf color of the crop with the leaf color plate.

[0042] Here, the effects achieved by the measuring reference instrument 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the effects of the measuring reference instrument 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a conventional measuring method (the left diagram in FIG. 3) and the measuring reference instrument 100 of the present application (the right diagram in FIG. 3).

[0043] As shown in the left figure of Fig. 3, in traditional agriculture, farmers measured the height and leaf color of crops manually. For example, as shown in (1-1) of Fig. 3, farmers measure the height of crops by directly applying a ruler or the like for measuring length to the crops with the ruler or the like as a reference. Also, as shown in (1-2) of Fig. 3, farmers hold a leaf color plate for measuring the leaf color of crops in their hands and measure the leaf color by directly applying the leaf color plate to the crops.

[0044] However, due to the aging of farmers and the decrease in the number of workers, it is predicted that it will be difficult to measure the growth degree of crops manually in the future. In order to cope with this, a method for measuring the growth degree of crops based on sensing / monitoring has been proposed, but it may be difficult to handle for farmers who have been measuring the growth degree of crops manually, and it is also predicted that the introduction of new technologies will not progress.

[0045] Therefore, in the measuring reference device 100 according to the first embodiment, by installing the measuring reference device 100 near the crops, it is possible to easily measure the growth degree of the crops without making traditional farmers feel resistance to the introduction of new technologies.

[0046] That is, as shown in the right figure of Fig. 3, the measuring reference device 100 enables farmers to measure the height of the crops while being at a location away from the crops by using the scale portion 102 of the measuring reference device 100 installed near the crops as a reference (Fig. 3 (2-1)). Also, the measuring reference device 100 enables farmers to measure the leaf color of the crops while being at a location away from the crops by using the leaf color plate portion 103 of the measuring reference device 100 installed near the crops as a reference (Fig. 3 (2-2)).

[0047] <Second Embodiment> Hereinafter, as a second embodiment, an example of measuring the growth degree of crops by correcting and analyzing a captured image will be described with an image analysis system 1 realized by a measuring reference device 100 in which a sensor unit is further added to the measuring reference device 100 according to the first embodiment (hereinafter, also referred to as "measuring reference device 100" in the second embodiment), an image analysis device 200, and a terminal device 300.

[0048] In the measuring reference device 100 described in the first embodiment, it was explained that an agricultural worker directly compares a crop with the measuring reference device 100 to measure the growth degree of the crop. However, in the measurement of the growth degree of a crop by visual comparison, there may be problems in that the result is not quantitative and the measurement is time-consuming and laborious.

[0049] Also, even when the growth degree of a crop such as the height, leaf color, and number of stems can be measured by analyzing an image of the captured crop, it may be difficult to accurately measure the growth degree of the crop due to the environment around the crop or the overlap between crops.

[0050] Therefore, the image analysis system 1 of the second embodiment enables accurate measurement of the growth degree of a crop by correcting an image related to the captured crop in consideration of the environment around the crop and the overlap between crops.

[0051] First, the outline of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0052] The measuring reference device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a scale (scale portion 102) and a leaf color plate (leaf color plate portion 103) on the body portion 101, and it was explained that it is used for measuring the growth degree of a crop by visual observation by an agricultural worker 10. On the other hand, the measuring reference device 100 according to the second embodiment further includes a sensor unit for acquiring environmental information, and acquires information on the environment around the measuring reference device 100 (hereinafter, may be referred to as "environmental information") (FIG. 4(1)).

[0053] The terminal device 300 such as a smartphone or a digital camera operated by the farmer 10 captures an image so as to include the crop and the measurement reference device 100 (Fig. 4(2)).

[0054] The image analysis device 200 corrects the image captured by the terminal device 300 by using the environmental information acquired by the measurement reference device 100. Then, the image analysis device 200 analyzes the corrected image and extracts information regarding the growth degree of the crop such as the height, leaf color, and number of stems (Fig. 4(3)).

[0055] (Correction process of the image acquired for measuring the growth degree of the crop) Next, an example of the flow of the processing of the above-described image analysis system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the processing by the image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0056] Fig. 5 shows the measurement reference device 100 installed near the crop, the image analysis device 200 that corrects the image captured by the terminal device 300 by using the environmental information acquired by the measurement reference device 100 and analyzes the corrected image, and the terminal device 300 that captures an image including the measurement reference device 100 and the crop.

[0057] The measurement reference device 100 is installed near the crop and acquires environmental information around the crop such as temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, and ground temperature (Fig. 5(1-1)). Then, the measurement reference device 100 transmits the acquired environmental information to the image analysis device 200 via the communication unit 110 such as a wireless device (Fig. 5(1-2)).

[0058] The terminal device 300 is operated by the farmer and captures an image so as to include the crop and the measurement reference device 100 installed near the crop (Fig. 5(2-1)). Then, the terminal device 300 transmits the acquired captured image to the image analysis device 200 (Fig. 5(2-2)).

[0059] The image analysis device 200 corrects the captured image transmitted from the terminal device 300 by using the environmental information transmitted from the measurement reference device 100 (Fig. 5(3-1)). Next, the image analysis device 200 analyzes the corrected image and extracts information regarding the growth degree of the crop, such as the height of the crop, the leaf color, and the number of stems (Fig. 5(3-2)). Then, the image analysis device 200 outputs the information regarding the growth degree of the crop extracted by the image analysis to the terminal device 300 and the like (Fig. 5(3-3)).

[0060] As described above, the image analysis system 1 can automatically generate information regarding the growth degree of the crop with higher accuracy than in the past by correcting the image captured by the agricultural worker using the environmental information acquired by the measurement reference device 100 and then performing the analysis.

[0061] (Image analysis system 1) Hereinafter, the configuration of the image analysis system 1 will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the image analysis system 1 includes a measurement reference device 100 used for measuring the growth degree of the crop, and an image analysis device 200 that corrects the image of the crop captured including the measurement reference device 100.

[0062] In addition, the image analysis system 1 is connected to a terminal device 300 such as a digital camera or a smartphone operated by an agricultural worker or the like, and performs reception of the captured image, output of the generated information regarding the growth degree of the crop, and the like. Note that the measurement reference device 100, the image analysis device 200, and the image analysis device 200 and the terminal device 300 are connected bidirectionally via the communication units provided in the respective devices.

[0063] (Measurement reference device 100) Next, the configuration of the measuring reference device 100 will be described. The measuring reference device 100 according to the second embodiment includes a body portion 101, a scale portion 102, a leaf color plate portion 103, a sensor portion 104, a marking portion 105, a communication portion 110, a storage portion 120, and a control portion 130. Since the body portion 101, the scale portion 102, and the leaf color plate portion 103 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted in this section.

[0064] Note that the installation location of an information processing device or the like that realizes the communication portion 110, the storage portion 120, and the control portion 130 is not particularly limited. For example, an information processing device in which the communication portion 110, the storage portion 120, and the control portion 130 are integrated may be attached to the body portion 101 or the like of the measuring reference device 100. Further, only an information processing device having the functions of the communication portion 110 and the control portion 130 may be attached to the body portion 101 or the like of the measuring reference device 100, and an information processing device or the like that realizes the functions of the storage portion 120 and the control portion 130 may be installed at different locations.

[0065] (Sensor portion 104) The sensor portion 104 is attached to the body portion 101 and acquires environmental information around the location where the measuring reference device 100 is installed. Specifically, the sensor portion 104 acquires at least one of the environmental information where the measuring reference device 100 is installed and information regarding the crop to be measured.

[0066] For example, the sensor portion 104 may be installed at a plurality of locations on the body portion 101. As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 5, a sensor for measuring temperature and humidity among the sensor portions 104 may be installed at the upper part of the body portion 101. Further, a sensor for measuring water level and water temperature among the sensor portions 104 may be installed at a position where it touches the water in a cultivated field such as a paddy field. Further, a sensor for measuring ground temperature among the sensor portions 104 may be installed at a position buried in the ground of the body portion 101.

[0067] In addition to the air temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, and ground temperature (soil temperature) described above as information on the surrounding environment where the measuring reference instrument 100 is installed, the sensor unit 104 can collect wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, illuminance, soil moisture, electrical conductivity, solar radiation amount, soil pH, carbon dioxide concentration, saturation deficit, etc. Further, the sensor unit 104 can collect at least one of the information on the crop to be measured, such as leaf wetness of the crop, leaf surface temperature of the crop, photosynthetically active radiation, growing point temperature, and image.

[0068] Note that known techniques may be used to acquire environmental information by the various sensors described above. Therefore, in this item, the description of the principles and the like of acquiring the above-described environmental information is omitted.

[0069] (Label unit 105) The label unit 105 is a label for identifying the imaging position when imaging an image so as to include the scale unit 102 and the leaf color plate unit 103. Specifically, the label unit 105 is predetermined identification information recognized by an imaging device or the like, and has the effect that agricultural workers can fix the position to the crop by imaging an image of the crop with the label unit 105 as a target. Note that the label unit 105 may be identification information recognizable by an imaging device, such as a graphic label combining various graphics, a two-dimensional barcode, or a predetermined character string.

[0070] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 performs data communication related to the input of a control command for controlling the operation of the measuring reference instrument 100 and the output of environmental information acquired by the sensor unit 104. The communication unit 110 is realized by a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like, and controls communication via an electrical communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. Then, the communication unit 110 is connected to the network by wire or wirelessly as necessary, and can transmit and receive information bidirectionally.

[0071] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 stores data and programs used for various processes by the control unit 130, and various data acquired when the control unit 130 operates. The storage unit 120 is realized by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. Further, the storage unit 120 can temporarily or permanently store the environmental information acquired by the sensor unit controlled by the control unit 130.

[0072] (Control unit 130) The control unit 130 has an internal memory for temporarily storing a program and processing data that define various processing procedures of the measuring reference device 100, and is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 130 includes a storage unit 131 and a transmission unit 132.

[0073] (Storage unit 131) The storage unit 131 acquires the environmental information collected by the sensor unit 104. Then, the storage unit 131 stores the acquired environmental information in the storage unit 120.

[0074] (Transmission unit 132) The transmission unit 132 transmits the environmental information stored in the storage unit 120 to the image analysis device 200 via the communication unit 110 described above.

[0075] (Image analysis device 200) Next, the configuration of the image analysis apparatus 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis apparatus 200 includes a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the image analysis apparatus 200 can be provided with an input unit such as a keyboard or a mouse for receiving inputs such as operations by an administrator or the like. Further, the image analysis apparatus 200 can be provided with a display unit such as a display for displaying information related to image correction and information related to the growth degree of crops extracted by image analysis to an administrator or the like.

[0076] (Communication unit 210) The communication unit 210 performs data communication related to the input of environmental information and information related to the crop to be measured transmitted from the measurement reference device 100, the input of the captured image transmitted from the terminal device 300, and the output of information related to the growth degree of the extracted crop. The communication unit 210 is realized by a NIC or the like and controls communication via an electric communication line such as a LAN or the Internet. Then, the communication unit 210 is connected to the network by wire or wirelessly as necessary and can perform bidirectional transmission and reception of information.

[0077] (Storage unit 220) The storage unit 220 stores data and programs used for various processes by the control unit 230, and various data obtained by the operation of the control unit 230. The storage unit 220 is realized by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the storage unit 220 has an image correction information DB 221 and an analysis information DB 222.

[0078] (Image correction information DB 221) The image correction information DB 221 is a database that stores environmental information collected by the measurement reference device 100 and information related to the crop to be measured as image correction information used when the correction unit 232 described later performs image correction. Here, the image correction information stored in the image correction information DB 221 will be described using a table diagram. FIG. 7 is a table diagram showing an example of image correction information according to the second embodiment.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 7, the image correction information DB 221 stores, as image correction information, the crops, temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, illuminance, soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical conductivity, solar radiation amount, soil pH, carbon dioxide concentration, and saturation difference included in the environmental information, in association with "No", which is information for identifying individual image correction information, and information on items such as leaf wetness of the crops, leaf surface temperature of the crops, photosynthetically active radiation, growing point temperature, and images included in the information on the crops to be measured.

[0080] The crops described above are information for identifying the crops to be measured, and are, for example, the names, types, unique numbers, etc. of the crops. The temperature is an index indicating the outside air temperature around the measurement reference device 100. The humidity is an index indicating the ratio of the amount of moisture contained in the outside air around the measurement reference device 100. The water level is an index indicating, for example, the height of the water surface around the measurement reference device 100 set in a paddy field or the like. The water temperature is an index indicating, for example, the temperature of the water around the measurement reference device 100 set in a paddy field or the like. The wind speed is an index indicating the speed of the movement of the air around the measurement reference device 100. The wind direction is an index indicating the direction of the movement of the air around the measurement reference device 100. The rainfall is an index indicating the amount of precipitation around the measurement reference device 100. The illuminance is an index indicating the brightness around the measurement reference device 100. The soil moisture is an index indicating the amount of moisture in the soil around the measurement reference device 100. The soil temperature is an index indicating the temperature in the soil around the measurement reference device 100. The electrical conductivity is an index indicating the total amount of water-soluble salts in the soil around the measurement reference device 100. The solar radiation amount is an index indicating the amount of sunlight irradiation around the measurement reference device 100. The soil pH is an index indicating the hydrogen ion concentration in the soil around the measurement reference device 100. The carbon dioxide concentration is an index indicating the abundance of carbon dioxide around the measurement reference device 100. The saturation difference is 3 an index indicating how many more grams of water vapor can be contained in 1 m

[0081] Leaf wetness of a crop is an index indicating the degree of wetness of the crop's leaves. The leaf surface temperature of a crop is an index indicating the temperature of the crop's leaves. Photosynthetically active radiation is an index indicating the components of wavelengths (photosynthetically active wavelength range) utilized in the photosynthesis of green leafy plants. The growing point temperature is an index indicating the temperature at the growing point of a crop. An image is information related to an image such as an image captured by the terminal device 300, an image captured by an imaging device such as a camera when the imaging device is installed in the measurement reference device 100, or information for identifying the image.

[0082] (Analysis Information DB222) The analysis information DB222 is a database that stores the results of analysis performed by the analysis unit 233 described later using the corrected image. Specifically, the analysis information DB222 stores information regarding the growth degree of the crop, such as the height of the crop, leaf color, and number of stems, as analysis results.

[0083] Here, the analysis information stored in the analysis information DB222 will be described using a table diagram. FIG. 8 is a table diagram showing an example of the analysis information according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the analysis information DB222 stores information on items such as the crop, height, leaf color, and number of stems as analysis information in association with the information "No" that identifies individual analysis information.

[0084] The crop described above is information for identifying the crop to be measured. For example, the name of the crop is the type, unique number, etc. The height is information indicating the height of the above-ground part of the crop. The leaf color is information indicating the result of comparing the leaf color of the crop with a leaf color plate or the like. The number of stems is information indicating the number of stems of the crop.

[0085] For example, the analysis information DB222 stores information such as the crop "paddy rice", height "50 cm", leaf color "green", and number of stems "30" as analysis information in association with No "1".

[0086] (Control Unit 230) The control unit 230 has an internal memory for temporarily storing programs and processing data that define various processing procedures and the like of the image analysis device 200, and is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU, and integrated circuits such as an ASIC and an FPGA. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 230 includes a reception unit 231, a correction unit 232, an analysis unit 233, and an output unit 234.

[0087] (Reception unit 231) The reception unit 231 receives the environmental information transmitted from the measurement reference device 100 and the information regarding the crop to be measured. Further, the reception unit 231 receives the captured image transmitted from the terminal device 300 and the information for correcting the image. Then, the reception unit 231 stores the environmental information and the information regarding the crop to be measured, which are data for correcting the received image, and the captured image in the image correction information DB 221.

[0088] (Correction unit 232) The correction unit 232 corrects the image of the crop captured by the agricultural worker. Specifically, the correction unit 232 corrects the image captured to include the scale portion 102 and the leaf color plate portion 103 provided in the measurement reference device 100 by using the information (environmental information and information regarding the crop to be measured) acquired by the sensor portion 104 provided in the measurement reference device 100.

[0089] For example, when extracting information regarding the height of a crop from an image, an error may occur in the height of the crop depending on the imaging position. Therefore, the correction unit 232 corrects the error caused by the imaging position based on the positional relationship between the measurement reference device 100 and the crop for the image captured of the crop.

[0090] For example, the correction unit 232 compares the length of the preset measuring reference device 100 with the length of the measuring reference device 100 in the captured image obtained by analyzing the captured image. Then, based on the comparison result, the correction unit 232 corrects the distortion of the measuring reference device 100 in the captured image caused by the imaging angle and the imaging distance so that it is the same as the dimension of the preset measuring reference device 100. As described above, the correction unit 232 can correct the captured image so that the scale of the measuring reference device 100 and the height of the crop can be accurately compared in the image.

[0091] Also, when extracting information about the leaf color of the crop from the image, an error may occur in the extracted leaf color due to weather, solar radiation, the presence or absence of shade from other crops, etc. Therefore, the correction unit 232 corrects the error caused by the imaging position based on the environmental information near the crop collected by the measuring reference device 100 for the image captured of the crop.

[0092] For example, the correction unit 232 compares the information that quantitatively represents the color tone of the preset leaf color plate (for example, RGB color model, etc.) with the information that quantitatively represents the color tone of the leaf color plate in the captured image obtained from the captured image. Then, based on the comparison result, the correction unit 232 corrects the color tone of the leaf color plate in the captured image that has changed due to the imaging environment such as weather, solar radiation, and shade so that it is the same as the color tone of the preset leaf color plate. As described above, the correction unit 232 can correct the captured image so that the leaf color plate of the measuring reference device 100 and the leaf color of the crop can be accurately compared in the image.

[0093] Also, when extracting information about the number of stems of the crop from the image, an error may occur due to the degree of overlap with other crops, or a change may occur in the recognition efficiency of the outline of the crop stems due to differences in solar radiation, etc., and the number of extracted stems may change. Therefore, the correction unit 232 corrects the error caused by the imaging position based on the environmental information near the crop collected by the measuring reference device 100 for the image captured of the crop and the image information of other crops included in the image.

[0094] For example, the correction unit 232 corrects the change in the color tone of the leaf color plate in the captured image due to changes in the imaging environment such as weather, solar radiation amount, and shadow by the method described above. Also, for example, the correction unit 232 uses teacher data in which image data captured in environments with different weather, solar radiation amount, shadow, etc. prepared in advance and the number of crop stems are associated, and when a captured image of a crop is input, based on an opportunity learning model learned to convert the color tone of the crop to a predetermined color tone, corrects the image. As described above, the correction unit 232 can correct the captured image so that the number of stems can be accurately extracted even when the crop stems overlap or when the way light hits the crop is different.

[0095] Note that the correction unit 232 may perform correction using known techniques for the above-described correction of the image. Also, in this item, the description of the principle of image correction based on the above-described known techniques and the like is omitted.

[0096] (Analysis unit 233) The analysis unit 233 analyzes the image of the crop corrected by the correction unit 232 and extracts information regarding the growth degree of the crop. Specifically, the analysis unit 233 can perform recognition of the crop included in the image, extraction of information regarding the height of the crop, extraction of information regarding the leaf color of the crop, extraction of information regarding the number of crop stems, etc. based on known techniques.

[0097] For example, the analysis unit 233 can perform recognition of the crop to be measured, calculation of the numerical value of the height of the crop, calculation of the leaf color, and calculation of the number of stems based on a machine learning model learned using teacher data regarding the crop to be measured prepared in advance.

[0098] (Output unit 234) The output unit 234 outputs to the user the information regarding the growth degree of the crop extracted by the analysis unit 233. For example, the output unit 234 outputs the information regarding the growth degree of the crop to the terminal device 300 operated by the user via the communication unit 110 described above. Further, the output unit 234 can also output the information regarding the growth degree of the crop via a display unit or the like provided in the image analysis device 200.

[0099] (Terminal device 300) Next, the terminal device 300 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 300 is an information processing device operated by a user, and performs operations such as imaging of crops, information input for image analysis, and display of information regarding the growth degree of the crops output from the image analysis device 200. Note that the terminal device 300 may be an information processing terminal device with a camera such as a PC (Personal Computer), a notebook PC, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a smartphone. Further, the terminal device 300 may be an imaging device such as a digital camera.

[0100] (Procedure of image analysis processing) Hereinafter, the procedure of the image analysis processing realized by the image analysis device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the image analysis processing according to the second embodiment.

[0101] First, the image analysis system 1 waits for a process until an image analysis start instruction is given (No in S101).

[0102] Then, when an image analysis start instruction is given (Yes in S101), the image analysis device 200 receives environmental information and information regarding the crop to be measured from the measurement reference device 100 (S102). Further, the image analysis device 200 receives a captured image from the terminal device 300 (S103). Note that the execution order of S102 and S103 is not particularly limited.

[0103] The image analysis device 200 performs correction of the captured image (S104). Next, the image analysis device 200 extracts information regarding the growth degree of the crop from the corrected captured image (S105). Then, the image analysis device 200 outputs the extracted information regarding the growth degree of the crop to the terminal device 300 (S106). Then, the image analysis system 1 ends the process.

[0104] (Effect) Hereinafter, the effects exhibited by the image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment includes a measurement reference device 100 used for measuring the growth degree of a crop, and an image analysis device 200 that corrects an image of the crop captured including the measurement reference device 100.

[0105] The measurement reference device 100 includes a body portion 101, a scale portion 102, a leaf color plate portion 103, and a sensor portion 104. The body portion 101 is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction. Further, the scale portion 102 is engraved on the body portion 101 at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop. Also, the leaf color plate portion 103 is attached to a predetermined position of the body portion 101 as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop by comparing it with the leaf color of the crop. Further, the sensor portion 104 acquires at least one of the environmental information around the installation position of the measurement reference device 100 and the information regarding the crop to be measured.

[0106] Specifically, the sensor portion 104 collects at least one of air temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, illuminance, soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical conductivity, solar radiation amount, soil pH, carbon dioxide concentration, and saturation deficit as the environmental information around the installation position of the measurement reference device 100. Also, the sensor portion 104 collects at least one of the leaf wetness of the crop, the leaf surface temperature of the crop, the leaf surface temperature of the crop, photosynthetically active radiation, the growing point temperature, and the image as the information regarding the crop to be measured.

[0107] The image analysis device 200 corrects an image captured to include the scale portion 102 and the leaf color plate portion 103 provided in the measurement reference device 100, using information acquired by a sensor provided in the measurement reference device 100.

[0108] Therefore, according to the image analysis system 1 according to the present embodiment, there is an effect of facilitating the measurement of the growth degree of the crop.

[0109] That is, the image analysis system 1 according to the second embodiment performs image correction so as to enable more accurate extraction of information from an image captured by an agricultural worker to include a crop and the scale and the leaf color plate provided in the measurement reference device 100, and then extracts information regarding the growth degree of the crop.

[0110] Further, the measurement reference device 100 according to the image analysis system 1 has a marking portion 105. The marking portion 105 is a marking for identifying the imaging position when imaging an image including the scale portion 102 and the leaf color plate portion 103. Therefore, the image analysis system 1 has an effect that an agricultural worker can fix the position to the crop by imaging an image of the crop with the marking portion 105 as a target.

[0111] Therefore, in the first embodiment, when an agricultural worker visually compares the crop with the scale and the leaf color plate provided in the measurement reference device 100 to measure the growth degree of the crop, the image analysis system 1 can automatically measure the growth degree of the crop by correcting and analyzing the captured image.

[0112] <Modification example> A modification example realized by the image analysis system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0113] (Data, etc.) The names of the functional parts of the environmental information, information on the crop to be measured, scales, leaf color plates, sensors, crops, plant height (weed height), leaf color, number of stems, measurement reference instrument 100, image analysis device 200, and terminal device 300, steps, processes, names of steps or processes, etc. used in the description of the above embodiments are merely examples and can be arbitrarily changed.

[0114] For example, the image correction information DB221 stores information on items such as temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, illuminance, soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical conductivity, solar radiation amount, soil pH, carbon dioxide concentration, leaf wetness of the crop, leaf temperature of the crop, leaf temperature of the crop, saturation deficit, photosynthetically active radiation, growing point temperature, image, etc. in association with "No", which is information for identifying individual image correction information, but is not limited thereto.

[0115] For example, the analysis information DB222 stores information on items such as crops, plant height, leaf color, number of stems, etc. as analysis information in association with "No", which is information for identifying individual analysis information, but is not limited thereto.

[0116] (Flowchart, etc.) Each step in a flowchart or the like may be implemented by being swapped within a non - conflicting range, or there may be steps that are not implemented. Also, conjunctions such as "next", "subsequently", "furthermore", "at this time", "at this moment", etc. in the description of the flowchart do not limit the order or timing of the execution of the processes in the flowchart.

[0117] (System) Regarding the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings, they can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified.

[0118] In addition, each component of each of the illustrated devices is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figures. That is, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown in the figures. In other words, all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage situations, etc.

[0119] <Hardware Configuration> Each component of each of the illustrated devices is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. That is, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage situations, etc. Furthermore, each processing function performed by each device can be realized in whole or in any part by a CPU and a program analyzed and executed by the CPU, or can be realized as hardware by wired logic.

[0120] Also, among the various processes described in this embodiment, all or part of the processes described as being automatically performed can be manually performed by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified.

[0121] <Program> As an embodiment, various devices constituting the image analysis system 1 can be implemented by installing an image analysis program as package software or online software on a desired computer. For example, by causing the information processing device to execute the above-described image analysis program, it can function as various devices constituting the image analysis system 1. The information processing device mentioned here includes desktop or notebook personal computers. In addition, other information processing devices include mobile communication terminals such as smartphones and mobile phones, and further slate terminals such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) are included in this category.

[0122] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a computer that executes image analysis processing according to the second embodiment. The computer 1000 has, for example, a memory 1010 and a CPU 1020. The computer 1000 also has a hard disk drive interface 1030, a disk drive interface 1040, a serial port interface 1050, a video adapter 1060, and a network interface 1070. These components are connected by a bus 1080.

[0123] The memory 1010 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1011 and a RAM 1012. The ROM 1011 stores a boot program such as a BIOS (Basic Input Output System), for example. The hard disk drive interface 1030 is connected to the hard disk drive 1090. The disk drive interface 1040 is connected to the disk drive 1100. A removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk is inserted into the disk drive 1100, for example. The serial port interface 1050 is connected to, for example, a mouse 1110 and a keyboard 1120. The video adapter 1060 is connected to, for example, a display 1130.

[0124] The hard disk drive 1090 stores, for example, an OS 1091, application programs 1092, program modules 1093, and program data 1094. That is, the programs that define the respective processes of the various devices constituting the image analysis system 1 are implemented as program modules 1093 in which computer-executable code is described. The program modules 1093 are stored, for example, in the hard disk drive 1090. For example, program modules 1093 for executing processes similar to the functional configurations in the various devices constituting the image analysis system 1 are stored in the hard disk drive 1090. Note that the hard disk drive 1090 may be replaced by an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0125] Also, the setting data used in the processes of the above-described embodiments is stored as program data 1094, for example, in the memory 1010 or the hard disk drive 1090. Then, the CPU 1020 reads out the program modules 1093 and the program data 1094 stored in the memory 1010 or the hard disk drive 1090 into the RAM 1012 as necessary, and executes the processes of the above-described embodiments.

[0126] Note that the program modules 1093 and the program data 1094 are not limited to being stored in the hard disk drive 1090, and may be stored, for example, in a removable storage medium and read by the CPU 1020 via a disk drive 1100 or the like. Alternatively, the program modules 1093 and the program data 1094 may be stored in another computer connected via a network (LAN, WAN (Wide Area Network), etc.). Then, the program modules 1093 and the program data 1094 may be read by the CPU 1020 from the other computer via the network interface 1070.

[0127] <Others> The above describes the present embodiment. However, the present embodiment is not limited by the description and drawings that form part of the disclosure. That is, all other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on the present embodiment are included in the scope of the present embodiment.

Explanation of Signs

[0128] 1 Image analysis system 100 Measuring reference device 101 Body part 102 Scale part 103 Leaf color plate part 104 Sensor part 105 Label part 110, 210 Communication part 120, 220 Storage part 130, 230 Control part 131 Storage section 132 Transmission part 200 Image analysis device 221 Image correction information DB 222 Analysis information DB 231 Reception part 232 Correction part 233 Analysis part 234 Output part 300 Terminal device

Claims

1. A measuring reference device used as a reference for measuring the growth degree of crops, comprising: a body portion which is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction; a scale portion engraved on the body portion at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop to be measured; a leaf color plate portion attached to a predetermined position of the body portion as a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop to be measured by comparing it with the leaf color of the crop; A measuring reference device, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The measuring reference device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor portion for collecting at least any one of air temperature, humidity, water level, water temperature, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, illuminance, soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical conductivity, solar radiation amount, soil pH, carbon dioxide concentration, saturation deficit, leaf wetness of the crop, leaf surface temperature of the crop, photosynthetically active radiation, growing point temperature, and image. The measuring reference device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The measuring reference device according to claim 1, further comprising a marking portion for identifying the position of an image captured including the scale portion and the leaf color plate portion. The measuring reference device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The scale portion is: a reference line engraved at a predetermined interval in the vertically upward direction with the boundary between the area buried in the ground and the area exposed from the ground of the body portion as the zero point. The measuring reference device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. The leaf color plate portion is: a plurality of green regions colored using green as the predetermined color tone, arranged in descending order of the color density of the green regions. The measuring reference device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

6. The leaf color plate portion is: among the plurality of green regions, the first green region with the highest color density is located at the portion closest to the ground; in the vertically upward direction with respect to the ground, the green regions with lower color density compared to the first green region are arranged in descending order of color density from the ground in sequence. The measuring reference device according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

7. An image analysis system having a measuring reference device used for measuring the growth degree of crops and an image analysis device for correcting an image of the crop captured including the measuring reference device, wherein: the measuring reference device is: a body portion which is a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction; a scale portion engraved on the body portion at a predetermined interval as a reference for measuring the height of the crop to be measured; As a reference colored in a predetermined color tone for measuring the leaf color of the crop to be measured as compared with the leaf color of the crop, a leaf color plate portion attached to a predetermined position of the trunk portion, A sensor unit that acquires at least one of information on the environment around where the measurement reference device is installed and information on the crop to be measured, The image analysis device, The image analysis device includes a correction unit that corrects an image captured to include the scale portion and the leaf color plate portion provided in the measurement reference device, using information acquired by a sensor provided in the measurement reference device. An image analysis system, characterized by the above.

Images