Reward determination device, reward determination program, reward determination method, reward determination system, and farm work support device

Abstract

To appropriately determine a reward for a farm work performed with remote operations or autonomous movements of a working machine.SOLUTION: A reward determination device (51) comprises: a farm work information acquisition unit (81) for acquiring farm work information of a target farm work performed with remote operations of a working machine (10) or autonomous movements of the working machine (10); an evaluation acquisition unit (84) for acquiring an evaluation of the performed target farm work from a client; and a reward determination unit (85) for determining a reward for performance of the target farm work on the basis of the farm work information and the evaluation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reward determination device, a reward determination program, a reward determination method, a reward determination system, and a farm work support device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems have been proposed to support the work of orderers and contractors. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a work support system for orderers and contractors in recruitment and job-seeking activities, which has a matching function, a chat function, a payment function, and a mutual evaluation function, and allows for employment consideration after carrying out actual work. This system allows mutual evaluation between orderers and contractors to be realized on a website. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-170489 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned prior art documents do not describe how to determine a reward for agricultural work performed by remotely controlling or autonomously operating a work vehicle.

[0005] A primary object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a remuneration determination device or the like that can appropriately determine remuneration for agricultural work performed by remotely controlled or autonomously operated working machines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remuneration determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an agricultural work information acquisition unit that acquires, from a requester, agricultural work information of a target agricultural work to be performed by remote control of a work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine, an evaluation acquisition unit that acquires, from the requester, an evaluation of the target agricultural work that has been performed, and a remuneration determination unit that determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work based on the agricultural work information and the evaluation.

[0007] A reward determination device according to one aspect of the present invention further includes a worker information acquisition unit that acquires the remote operation proficiency of the work assistant performing the remote operation, the remote operation performance of the remote operation device performing the remote operation, or the autonomous operation performance of the work machine, and the reward determination unit may further determine the reward by referring to the remote operation proficiency, the remote operation performance, or the autonomous operation performance.

[0008] The remuneration determination device according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a skill management unit that changes the skill level of the remote operation by referring to the farm work information of the target farm work.

[0009] A reward determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a reward type information acquisition unit that acquires reward type information indicating the type of reward from the client, the reward type information indicating whether the reward is an agricultural product or an exchange value that can be exchanged for an agricultural product, and the reward determination unit may further determine the reward by referring to the reward type information.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a reward determination program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a reward determination program for causing a computer to function as the reward determination device, and is a reward determination program for causing a computer to function as the farm work information acquisition unit, the evaluation acquisition unit, and the reward determination unit.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remuneration determination method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an agricultural work information acquisition step in which a remuneration determination device acquires, from a requester, agricultural work information for a target agricultural work to be performed by remote control of a work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine; an evaluation acquisition step in which the remuneration determination device acquires, from the requester, an evaluation of the target agricultural work that has been performed; and a remuneration determination step in which the remuneration determination device determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work by referring to the agricultural work information and the evaluation.

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a reward determination system that is composed of a client terminal into which a client of a target agricultural work to be performed by remote control of a work machine or autonomous operation of the work machine inputs information, and a server that can send and receive information to and from the client terminal, and is controlled by at least one control device, wherein the control device executes a farming work information acquisition process that acquires farming work information for the target agricultural work from the client terminal via the server, an evaluation acquisition process that acquires an evaluation of the target agricultural work that has been performed from the client terminal via the server, and a reward determination process that determines a reward for performing the target agricultural work by referring to the farming work information and the evaluation.

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a farming support device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a registration information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of assistant information for work assistants who can perform farming 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; a farming work information acquisition unit that acquires, from a requester, farming work information for a target farming work to be performed by remotely operating a work machine or autonomously operating the work machine; a request target selection unit that selects a target for requesting the target farming work by comparing the farming work information for the target farming 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 farming work; a trouble processing unit that determines, when a problem occurs in the target farming work, whether the problem can be recovered from by remotely operating the work machine or autonomously operating the work machine; an evaluation acquisition unit that acquires, from the requester, an evaluation of the target farming work that has been performed; and a remuneration determination unit that determines a remuneration for performing the target farming work based on the farming work information and the evaluation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine the remuneration for agricultural work performed by remotely controlling or autonomously operating a work machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a farm work support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method for the agricultural work support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a flowchart 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. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a remuneration determination process included in the control method. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display on the operator terminal during remote operation or monitoring. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of notifications displayed on the worker terminal and the client terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0017] [Configuration of agricultural work support system 1] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the 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.

[0018] 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 performing the agricultural work from among work assistants who have worker terminals 30. A work assistant is someone who can accept a request for agricultural work and perform the agricultural work by monitoring and remotely operating a work machine such as a brush cutter 10. Therefore, the work assistant does not need to live near the land where the agricultural work will actually be performed.

[0019] The term "agricultural work" in the present invention not only refers to work related to the production of agricultural crops, etc., but also includes work related to agriculture that does not contribute to the production of agricultural crops, etc., such as work outside the field, such as weeding 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 related to the production of agricultural crops, such as sowing, planting, management, or harvesting within the field, 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.

[0020] The requested work assistant 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 notify local personnel or the like to deal with the situation appropriately. In addition, the farm work support system 1 can determine appropriate compensation for the work assistant.

[0021] In this specification, the agricultural work requested by the requester may be referred to as the "target agricultural work," the land where the target agricultural work is to be performed may be referred to as the "work area," and the work supporter who performs the agricultural work in response to the request may be referred to as the "remote worker." Furthermore, when simply referring to the "requester" in this specification, it refers to the requester who requests agricultural work using the agricultural work support system 1.

[0022] (Grass cutter 10) The grass cutter 10 is a working machine that moves within a work area for a specific agricultural task and performs agricultural tasks such as mowing. The grass cutter 10 can be remotely controlled and can also operate autonomously. Here, "remotely controlled operation" includes not only operation performed by a remote operator, but also operation of the grass cutter 10 by remote control 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 control device that remotely controls 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 work area.

[0023] The brush cutter 10 includes a machine control device 11, a machine image capturing device 12, a position acquisition device 13, a status detection sensor 14, and a machine communication device 19.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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 using a satellite positioning system such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The position acquisition device 13 outputs position information indicating the position of the grass cutter 10 to the machine control device 11. Note 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 work area, and the position of the grass cutter 10 within the work area can be easily acquired from the length of the string.

[0026] The status detection sensor 14 is a sensor that detects the status of the grass cutter 10. The grass cutter 10 may be equipped with, for example, an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration, or an inclination sensor such as a gyroscope that measures the inclination angle of the grass cutter 10, as the status detection sensor 14. The status detection sensor 14 outputs the detection result to the machine control device 11.

[0027] The machine control device 11 controls the overall operation of each part of the grass cutter 10. The machine control device 11 controls the movement and mowing operation of the grass cutter 10, for example, 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 to switch 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 from the machine control device 11 itself or the server 50.

[0028] The machine communication device 19 communicates with the server 50. The machine communication device 19 may also communicate with the client terminal 20 and the worker terminal 30.

[0029] The grass cutter 10 may be a work vehicle that operates completely autonomously without receiving remote control of its operation via a remote operation. Furthermore, the work vehicle 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 vehicle that performs agricultural work may be one that does not move within its work range, such as a liquid fertilizer mixing device or liquid fertilizer spreading device that is installed in a fixed position.

[0030] (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.

[0031] The first terminal control device 21 comprehensively controls the processing of each unit of the client terminal 20. The first touch panel 22 serves as both an input device for receiving instructions from the client and a display device for displaying images. The first terminal communication device 29 communicates with the server 50.

[0032] 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.

[0033] (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.

[0034] 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 brush cutter 10 based on an input made by the remote operator using the second touch panel 33.

[0035] The second touch panel 33 serves as both an input device for receiving instructions from the 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.

[0036] The worker terminal 30 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or laptop computer, or may be a fixed terminal such as a personal computer. The worker terminal 30 has a function for remotely controlling the brush 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 brush cutter 10, in which case the worker terminal 30 does not need to include the machine control unit 32. Furthermore, if the brush cutter 10 is a work machine that does not accept remote control of its operation via remote operation and operates completely autonomously, the worker terminal 30 does not need to include the machine control unit 32.

[0037] (Fixed imaging device 40) The fixed imaging device 40 captures an image of all 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 the image data to the server 50. The fixed imaging device 40 may also communicate with the worker terminal 30 and output the 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.

[0038] 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 body that can travel 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.

[0039] Furthermore, if 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, if 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. If 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 worker performing agricultural work can monitor and remotely operate the grass cutter 10 using multiple viewpoints.

[0040] (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.

[0041] 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 machine information about work machines such as the brush cutter 10, as long as multiple pieces of either information are registered.

[0042] The assistant information may include information such as the assistant's registration number, personal information such as age, past history of agricultural work performed by remote control, past evaluations received from client, proficiency in remote control of each work machine, available work dates and times, and desired remuneration, etc. Furthermore, the machine information may include information such as the type of work machine, model year, available agricultural 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.

[0043] The information on the work assistant's proficiency in remotely operating 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 trouble. The proficiency information may also include proficiency information for each work area, which is generated for each work area in which agricultural 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 agricultural work.

[0044] The autonomous operation performance of a work vehicle is information indicating the degree to which the work vehicle is capable of autonomous operation. For example, information such as (a) all tasks can be performed autonomously, (b) only some agricultural tasks can be performed autonomously, or (c) movement can be performed autonomously, 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 autonomously.

[0045] Additionally, database 53 stores farm work information for target farm work. The farm work information for target farm work may include information such as the content of the target farm work entered by the client, the work period for the target farm work, land information for the work range of the target farm work, past farm work history, and past trouble history. 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 vehicle. The suitability index is an index that indicates the suitability of a work vehicle, such as brush cutter 10, for the work range (for example, whether the work vehicle can be used appropriately for the work range).

[0046] The database 53 may also include evaluations of the remote worker entered 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 information on past weather and weather forecast information.

[0047] Note that this example shows various types of information being registered in database 53. However, for example, 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.

[0048] 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 send and receive data to and from other devices included in the agricultural work support system 1. Sending and receiving data 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] (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 .

[0051] 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 brush cutter 10, but may be machine information for 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.

[0052] The registration information acquisition unit 61 also acquires agricultural work information for the target agricultural work requested by the requester. The registration information acquisition unit 61 may also acquire weather information stored in the database 53.

[0053] The candidate extraction unit 62 compares the farming work information of the target farming work with the supporter information to extract as candidates work assistants who can be requested to perform the target farming work. The candidate extraction unit 62 may also compare the farming work information of the target farming work with the machine information to extract as candidates working machines that can be requested to perform the target farming work. In this case, it is preferable that the working machines extracted as candidates are working machines that do not require remote control and are capable of fully autonomous operation.

[0054] Furthermore, when the registration information acquisition unit 61 acquires weather information, the candidate extraction unit 62 may use the weather information to estimate the dates and times during the work period when the target agricultural work can be performed, and use the estimation results to extract candidates. For example, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period dates and times when weather unsuitable for performing the target agricultural work, such as heavy rain, is forecast. Furthermore, if muddy ground is unsuitable for performing the target agricultural work, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period dates on which rain is forecast and the several days following. Furthermore, if the target agricultural work is agricultural work that requires sunny weather even after completion, such as sowing seeds or spraying liquid fertilizer, the candidate extraction unit 62 may exclude from the work period dates on which rain is forecast and the day before.

[0055] Furthermore, if multiple consecutive days of sunny weather are required to perform the target agricultural work, the candidate extraction unit 62 may specify a period of consecutive sunny weather 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," and "cutting grass-drying-turning." Also, consecutive sunny weather is preferable when harvesting multiple nearby fields at the same time in order to obtain a large yield.

[0056] Furthermore, if the target agricultural work is agricultural work that is required after rainfall, such as spraying fungicide, the candidate extraction unit 62 may use only the day after rainfall is forecast during the work period to extract candidates.

[0057] The candidate extraction unit 62 may extract candidates on the assumption that the request target selection unit 64 will select multiple request targets. This is the case, for example, when agricultural work is performed using multiple work vehicles through division of labor. 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 conditions differ for each work vehicle, the candidate extraction unit 62 may extract candidates for each work vehicle by taking into account the content of the target agricultural work, the weather, and the work period. Furthermore, if agricultural work using multiple work vehicles is scheduled to be requested to a single work assistant, the candidate extraction unit 62 may extract candidates only for dates and times during the work period when the weather is suitable for all of the multiple work vehicles to perform the agricultural work.

[0058] With this configuration, the candidate extraction unit 62 can estimate the date and time when the target agricultural work can be performed, taking into account the effects of weather. Therefore, it is possible to extract as candidates work assistants who can perform the target agricultural work on the estimated date and time. This prevents the request target selected by the selection processing unit 60 from being unable to perform the target agricultural work due to the effects of weather.

[0059] 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 level included in the assistant information. For example, the work time estimation unit 63 may use the average work time of a person with no experience in the same or similar type of agricultural work as the target agricultural work as a standard, assuming that the higher the proficiency level, the faster the work speed, and may estimate a shorter work time.

[0060] The standard for average work time may be calculated from the past farm work history included in the farm work information for the target farm work. Furthermore, if there is no past farm work history for farm work of the same type as the target farm work, the standard for average work time may be calculated from the past work history for similar farm work. Furthermore, the requester may register the standard for work time in database 53 at the time of request.

[0061] The work time estimation unit 63 may also extract the area of ​​the work range from the land information included in the agricultural 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.

[0062] Furthermore, the work time estimation unit 63 may use topographical information included in the land information of the work area 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 area, as the topographical undulations of the work area become greater.

[0063] If 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 the more work the candidate working machine can perform by autonomous operation, or the faster the work speed of the work that can be performed by autonomous operation.

[0064] 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. In addition to the work time, the request target selection unit 64 may also select a request target based on factors included in the supporter information, such as the candidate's available work dates and times, past evaluations received from the requester, and whether or not the candidate has received other agricultural work orders. For example, the request target selection unit 64 may exclude candidates with work times longer than a predetermined time and prioritize candidates with high past evaluations received from the requester as the request target.

[0065] In this way, the selection processing unit 60 extracts candidates from the agricultural work information of the target agricultural work. Then, when selecting a target for request, the selection processing unit 60 uses the work time estimated for each candidate based on the remote operation proficiency of the work assistant or the autonomous operation performance of the work machine. Therefore, the selection processing unit 60 can select the candidate that is best suited to the work content of the target agricultural work as the target for request.

[0066] (Remote control processing unit 70) The remote control processing unit 70 includes a land information acquisition unit 71 and a work management unit 72.

[0067] The land information acquisition unit 71 acquires agricultural work information, including land information for the target agricultural work, registered in the database 53. Note that if the remote control processing unit 70 can acquire the agricultural work information acquired by the registered information acquisition unit 61, the land information acquisition unit 71 can be omitted.

[0068] 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.

[0069] The monitoring processing unit 73 acquires the working status of the grass cutter 10 as it is remotely operated 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 machine body imaging device 12 and / or the fixed imaging device 40 of the grass cutter 10 as information indicating the working status of the grass cutter 10. The monitoring processing unit 73 may also acquire the detection result of the status detection sensor 14 of the grass cutter 10 as information indicating the working status of the grass cutter 10.

[0070] In addition, even when the target agricultural work is performed by a lawnmower 10 that is capable of completely autonomous operation without the need for remote control, the monitoring processing unit 73 acquires the working status of the lawnmower 10 in the same way as when remote control is performed by a remote operator.

[0071] 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 that includes the land information of the work area or the machine information of the brush cutter 10 used in the target agricultural work. Trouble will be described later.

[0072] When a problem occurs in the target agricultural work, the problem processing unit 74 determines whether or not the problem can be recovered from by remote operation by a remote operator or the server 50, or by autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10.

[0073] A trouble may include any phenomenon that prevents the grass cutter 10 from carrying out the target agricultural work. Examples of trouble include a malfunction of the grass cutter 10 due to a malfunction or the like, the grass cutter 10 getting stuck due to overturning or the like, and the grass cutter 10 detecting an area where it cannot travel. Examples of trouble with work machines other than the grass cutter 10 include when the mixture ratio of fertilizer and solution is out of specification in a liquid fertilizer mixing device, and when a liquid fertilizer spraying device is unable to spray liquid fertilizer due to clogging or the like, or when spraying cannot be stopped even after the specified amount of liquid fertilizer has been sprayed.

[0074] In addition, in the example of a problem where the liquid fertilizer spraying device is unable to spray, it is conceivable that the remaining amount of liquid fertilizer runs out midway through operation. In this case, recovery from the problem can be achieved by replenishing liquid fertilizer to continue spraying. Furthermore, if it is determined that more liquid fertilizer than a specified amount is being sprayed, spraying can be stopped and the unsprayed area identified. A case in which more liquid fertilizer than a specified amount is being sprayed would be, for example, when there is a problem with the liquid fertilizer valve control, causing the liquid fertilizer to be consumed faster than expected. The amount of liquid fertilizer sprayed by valve control is related to the valve opening, air pressure, water pressure, the movement speed of the mower 10, and other factors. Therefore, possible problems with valve control include loose valves, incorrect settings for the link between spraying and the speed of the mower 10, and incorrect settings for the liquid fertilizer spray volume. It should be noted that the spraying device does not necessarily have to spray liquid fertilizer; it could also spray pesticides, for example.

[0075] 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 be 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 for the target farm work with the work status of the grass cutter 10, and detect the occurrence of a trouble if the grass cutter 10 performs an operation such as a stop that is not scheduled for the target farm work.

[0076] The trouble processing unit 74 may determine whether recovery from a trouble is possible if the history information of past troubles contained in the land information or machine information includes information about a similar trouble. For example, if the history information of troubles includes cases in which the brush cutter 10 recovered through autonomous operation or remote control when a similar trouble occurred, the trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery is possible. Furthermore, if the brush cutter 10 stops in front of an impassable location, the trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery is possible if the land information includes information about an alternative route that can avoid the impassable location.

[0077] The trouble processing unit 74 may determine that recovery from the trouble is impossible if it determines from the trouble history information that recovery is not possible through autonomous operation or remote operation, or if a type of trouble not included in the trouble history information occurs. If it determines that recovery from the trouble is impossible, the trouble processing unit 74 notifies the emergency contact associated with the target agricultural work of a request for help.

[0078] The emergency contact may be a local person in charge of the work area where the target agricultural work is performed and who responds to problems with the target agricultural work, or may be an emergency response team in the area that includes the work area. 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.

[0079] If the emergency contact is a local person, when a problem occurs, the trouble processing unit 74 may notify the local person of the occurrence of the problem and the working status of the brush cutter 10. Furthermore, when the problem is resolved, the trouble processing unit 74 may notify the local person of the resolution of the problem. With this configuration, when a problem occurs, the local person can easily determine whether or not to wait to deal with the problem.

[0080] The emergency contact may also be a recovery device (not shown) other than the grass cutter 10, or its operator, that is capable of recovering the grass cutter 10 from a problem. The recovery device may be, for example, a device equipped with a robot arm that lifts the overturned grass cutter 10 and returns the grass cutter 10 to its normal position.

[0081] Furthermore, if the working machine is a device other than the brush cutter 10, such as a liquid fertilizer mixing device, and the problem is a malfunction in the liquid fertilizer mixing ratio, 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 in the solution tank or the facility that stores the solution, rather than in the liquid fertilizer mixing device. Therefore, such a problem cannot be recovered by remotely operating the liquid fertilizer mixing device or by autonomously operating 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 remotely or the recovery device is capable of autonomous operation, recovery work by on-site personnel is not required.

[0082] The trouble processing unit 74 may notify the occurrence of a trouble, the working status of the brush cutter 10, recovery from the trouble, or a request for assistance by, for example, sending a text message, sending an email, making an automated voice call, etc. Furthermore, the trouble processing unit 74 may notify the request for assistance by sending an emergency signal to an emergency contact.

[0083] The trouble processing unit 74 may refer to the trouble history information and notify the remote operator who remotely operates 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.

[0084] The trouble processing unit 74 may also notify the grass cutter 10 of locations where trouble may occur. In this case, the grass cutter 10 can operate autonomously to travel while avoiding locations where trouble may occur.

[0085] In this way, the remote control processing unit 70 can request help from an emergency contact when a problem occurs during the target agricultural work performed by remote control 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 suspended due to a problem.

[0086] (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 proficiency management unit 86, and a registration information update unit 87.

[0087] The farm work information acquisition unit 81 acquires farm work information for the target farm work from the requester. Here, "acquired 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.

[0088] The remuneration type information acquisition unit 82 may acquire from the requester remuneration type information indicating the type of remuneration for performing the target agricultural work. The remuneration type information indicates whether the remuneration for performing the target agricultural work is exchange value exchangeable for agricultural products or agricultural products themselves. Agricultural products include not only agricultural products themselves, but also, for example, merchandise containing agricultural products or processed agricultural products. Exchange value exchangeable for agricultural products may include, for example, points or discount coupons that can be used to purchase products on an electronic commerce (EC) site or at a brick-and-mortar store. Exchange value exchangeable for agricultural products may also be regional currency or digital regional currency. Points or discount coupons may be electronically added to a registered account, or may be in the form of a point code or coupon code, or may be in the form of a ticket or the like printed with these codes and sent by mail.

[0089] 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 again information that has already been acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 61.

[0090] The evaluation acquisition unit 84 acquires from the requester an evaluation of the target agricultural work performed by the remote worker. If the target agricultural work is performed by completely autonomous operation of the brush cutter 10, the evaluation acquisition unit 84 may acquire an evaluation of the target agricultural work performed by the autonomous operation of the brush cutter 10. The evaluation of the target agricultural work may be a score indicating a percentage of the perfect score, a relative value based on an average value, a graded evaluation such as "good," "average," or "poor," or may be a specific amount of compensation.

[0091] The evaluation of the target agricultural work may be determined by the client, taking into account the condition of the work area or yield after the target agricultural work is completed, the priority of the target agricultural work, the weather at the time the target agricultural work is performed, and other factors. The evaluation may also be based on the comparison of the work time estimated by the work time estimation unit 63 with the actual work time required for the target agricultural work. 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 of the estimated work time with the actual work time and the response history for recovery from the problem on the client terminal 20 along with the completion notification of the target agricultural work.

[0092] The client may determine the evaluation subjectively, or may determine the evaluation by incorporating objective indicators based on the evaluation criteria data, etc. Therefore, the remote control processing unit 70 may acquire the evaluation criteria data stored in the database 53 and display the evaluation criteria data on the client terminal 20 together with the notification of completion of the target agricultural work.

[0093] 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 target unit price of the target agricultural work by a client factor coefficient and an evaluation coefficient. For example, if the client factor coefficient and evaluation coefficient are greater than 1, the remuneration may be added to the target unit price, and if they are less than 1, the remuneration may be subtracted from the target unit price.

[0094] The estimated unit price for the target agricultural work can be determined by multiplying the estimated hourly rate for the target agricultural work by the actual work time. The estimated hourly rate for the target agricultural work may be calculated, for example, from the past agricultural work history included in the agricultural work information. Alternatively, a unit price table for each type of agricultural work may be pre-registered in the database 53, and the remuneration determination unit 85 may determine the estimated hourly rate by referring to the unit price table.

[0095] The requester factor coefficient may be a coefficient determined by the requester's desired budget, whether the requester has designated a work assistant, the importance of the target farming work, the priority of the target farming work, etc. For example, if the requester's desired budget is lower than the estimated hourly rate, or if the importance or priority of the target farming 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, or if the requester has designated a work assistant, or if the importance or priority of the target farming work is high, etc., the remuneration determination unit 85 may set the requester factor to a coefficient larger than 1.

[0096] The evaluation coefficient may be a coefficient determined based on the client's evaluation. For example, if the client's evaluation is higher than the standard "normal" evaluation, or higher than the average evaluation based on past farm work history, the remuneration determination unit 85 may set the evaluation coefficient to a coefficient greater than 1.

[0097] The remuneration determination unit 85 may further determine the remuneration by referring to the remote operator's proficiency in remote operation or the remote operation performance of the server 50. For example, the remuneration determination unit 85 may increase the estimated hourly rate for the target agricultural work the higher the remote operator's proficiency or the server 50's remote operation performance included in the supporter information. Note that if the target agricultural work is performed by completely autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10, the remuneration determination unit 85 may determine the remuneration by referring to the autonomous operation performance.

[0098] 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 as the remuneration an amount of agricultural products with a market value slightly higher than the calculated monetary value.

[0099] With this configuration, the client can select the reward from agricultural products or exchange value that can be exchanged for agricultural products. This allows for setting an appropriate reward for remotely operated agricultural work, which is difficult to offer a high reward for.

[0100] The proficiency management unit 86 may refer to the agricultural work information for the target agricultural work and change the remote operation proficiency of the remote operator or the remote operation performance of the server 50. For example, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the remote operation proficiency if the number of times the remote operator has performed the target agricultural work by remote operation exceeds a predetermined value. Furthermore, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the remote operator's remote operation proficiency for the grass cutter 10 if the remote operation time or the number of remote operations by the remote operator after the target agricultural work has been performed exceeds a predetermined value. Furthermore, the proficiency management unit 86 may increase the remote operation proficiency if the requester's evaluation of the remote operator is higher than average, and may decrease the remote operation proficiency if the evaluation is significantly below average.

[0101] The types of remuneration determined by the remuneration determination unit 85 may include an increase in proficiency level by the proficiency level management unit 86. For example, if the target agricultural work is extremely simple, it may be difficult for the client to set an appropriate remuneration. However, even if the target agricultural work is simple, the remote worker can become accustomed to remote operation by remotely operating the brush cutter 10. It can be expected that the higher the remote worker's proficiency in remote operation, the more likely the remote worker will be selected as a candidate for future request for the target agricultural work, and the more likely a higher remuneration will be determined. Therefore, even if the remuneration is simply an increase in proficiency level, the remuneration can motivate the work assistant to accept the target agricultural work.

[0102] With this configuration, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 changes the proficiency level of the remote worker depending on the target agricultural work performed. This allows the proficiency levels of the remote workers registered in the database 53 to be managed to appropriate values.

[0103] 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.

[0104] In this way, the reward determination processing unit 80 can determine the reward according to the level of proficiency in remote operation or autonomous operation performance. Therefore, a larger reward is given for a remote operator with a higher level of proficiency in remote operation or for a target agricultural task being performed by a grass cutter 10 with higher autonomous operation performance. Therefore, the reward determination processing unit 80 can provide an incentive for becoming skilled in remote operation or for selecting a work machine with high autonomous operation performance.

[0105] 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 reward 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 reward determination system including only the reward determination processing unit 80.

[0106] 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, capable of executing the selection process S1, described below, using the selection processing unit 60. 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 the remote control system, capable of executing the remote control process S2, described below, using the remote control processing unit 70. The server control device 51 in the reward determination system can be said to be a reward determination device that determines the reward for performing the target agricultural work. The reward determination device is a control device that controls the reward determination system, capable of executing the reward determination process S3, described below, using the reward determination processing unit 80.

[0107] 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.

[0108] [Processing of agricultural work support system 1] A control method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 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.

[0109] (Selection process S1) 3, the registration information acquisition unit 61 first acquires, from the database 53, farm work information for the target farm work registered by the client (S11), and also acquires land information for the work area of ​​the target farm work (S12). The registration information acquisition unit 61 also executes a registration information acquisition process to acquire, from the database 53, assistant information for the work assistant and machine information for the work machine such as the brush cutter 10 (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 this multiple pieces of assistant information and machine information.

[0110] 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 agricultural work and the periods before and after the work period (S14).

[0111] Next, the candidate extraction unit 62 determines whether the farm work information for 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 determines whether the available work dates and times for the designated target, which is a designated work assistant or work machine, match the work period of the target farm work (S16). If the available work dates and times for the designated target match 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.

[0112] If the agricultural work information does not include a specification of a requested agricultural work target (No in S15), or if the available work date and time of the specified target does not match the work period of the target agricultural work (No in S16), the candidate extraction unit 62 executes a candidate extraction process. Specifically, the candidate extraction unit 62 extracts, as candidates, work assistants and work machines that can perform the work during the work period of the target agricultural work (S18, candidate extraction step). The candidate extraction unit 62 may refer to weather information when executing the candidate extraction process in S17 or S18.

[0113] Next, the work time estimation unit 63 executes a work time estimation process to estimate the 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.

[0114] Next, the request target selection unit 64 calculates the priority of each candidate based on information including the estimated work time (S20). The priority of the candidates may be calculated in ascending order of estimated work time. Alternatively, the priority 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.

[0115] 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 request targets, present them to the requester, and allow the requester to select the final request target. In this case, the requester can easily narrow down the most preferred request target from only the candidates with high priority.

[0116] 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 determines that the request target has not accepted the request for the target farm work (No in S23), the request target selection unit 64 returns 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.

[0117] If 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.

[0118] While the above description has been given using an example in which the target agricultural work is performed by the brush cutter 10 alone, it is also possible that the target agricultural work encompasses multiple types of agricultural work that should be performed by multiple types of working vehicles. In this case, the selection processing unit 60 may repeatedly or in parallel execute the selection process S1 for each type of agricultural work and select the most appropriate request target for each type of agricultural work. Alternatively, the selection processing unit 60 may select request targets that can be performed in parallel for multiple types of agricultural work. If the autonomous operation performance of the working vehicles performing each agricultural work is high, the remote operator only needs to focus on monitoring each working vehicle. Therefore, multiple types of agricultural work can be performed in parallel by a single remote operator.

[0119] (Remote control process S2) As shown in FIG. 4, first, the remote control processing unit 70 determines whether the mower 10 (working machine) for performing the target agricultural work and the fixed imaging device 40 (monitoring camera) are installed within the work area of ​​the target agricultural work (S31).

[0120] Regarding this determination, the remote control processing unit 70 may make the determination in S31 based on whether or not it has received a notification from local personnel in the work area of ​​the target agricultural work that the brushcutter 10 and fixed image capture device 40 have been installed. Alternatively, the remote control processing unit 70 may make the determination based on whether or not the position information acquired by the position acquisition device 13 of the brushcutter 10 indicates that the brushcutter 10 is within the work area of ​​the target agricultural work. To enable a similar determination for the fixed image capture device 40, it is preferable that the fixed image capture device 40 also be equipped with a position acquisition device (not shown) like the brushcutter 10.

[0121] If it is determined that the grass cutter 10 and the fixed image capture device 40 are not installed in the work area (No in S31), the remote control processing unit 70 executes the process of S31 again. On the other hand, if the remote control processing unit 70 determines that the grass cutter 10 and the fixed image capture device 40 are installed in the work area (Yes in S31), the land information acquisition unit 71 acquires land information of the work area from the database 53 (S32).

[0122] Next, the work management unit 72 determines whether the grass cutter 10 is capable of autonomously operating to perform the target agricultural work (S33). If it is determined that the grass cutter 10 is not capable of autonomously operating to perform the target agricultural work (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 determined that the grass cutter 10 is capable of autonomously operating to perform the target agricultural work (Yes in S33), the work management unit 72 adjusts the setting values ​​for autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 to match the land information (S35).

[0123] Here, the remote operation setting values ​​may be the travel speed of the grass cutter 10, the grass cutting work speed of the grass cutter 10, the imaging direction of the machine-mounted 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 of the grass cutter 10 by autonomous operation, the positions where grass will be cut, 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 grass cutter 10 to efficiently perform the target agricultural work by autonomous operation.

[0124] Depending on the content of the target agricultural work or the state of the work area, the grass cutter 10 may perform some work autonomously and other work remotely. In this case, the work management unit 72 may adjust both the remote control setting values ​​and the autonomous operation setting values.

[0125] Next, the work management unit 72 notifies the remote operator of any dangerous areas included in the land information. The work management unit 72 may also notify the grass cutter 10 of the dangerous areas. This allows the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 to carry out the target farm work while avoiding the dangerous areas. This reduces the possibility of trouble occurring in the grass cutter 10. The work management unit 72 then notifies the remote operator or the grass cutter 10 that work can begin, and causes the target farm work to begin (S37).

[0126] While the target agricultural work is being performed, the monitoring processing unit 73 executes monitoring processing to acquire the work status of the grass cutter 10 performing the target agricultural work as image data captured by the machine imaging device 12 or the fixed imaging device 40 (monitoring processing step). Therefore, the remote operator can monitor the work 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 when it is being remotely operated.

[0127] Next, the trouble processing unit 74 determines whether or not a problem has occurred in the grass cutter 10 (S38). If it is determined that a problem has occurred in the grass cutter 10 (Yes in S38), the trouble processing unit 74 determines whether or not the grass cutter 10 has recovered from the problem through remote operation by a remote operator or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 (S39). If it is determined that the grass cutter 10 has not recovered from the problem (No in S39), the trouble processing unit 74 determines that manual recovery is necessary and executes trouble processing to notify an emergency contact point of a request for assistance (S40, trouble processing step).

[0128] Then, the trouble processing unit 74 determines whether or not the grass cutter 10 has recovered from the trouble by on-site personnel or the like who rushed to the scene in response to the emergency request (S41). If it is determined that the grass cutter 10 has recovered from the trouble (Yes in S39 or S41), the trouble processing unit 74 notifies the remote operator that the grass cutter 10 has recovered 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 monitoring the grass cutter 10 until the grass cutter 10 has recovered from the trouble by on-site personnel or the like.

[0129] 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 the target farm work cannot be continued.

[0130] The trouble processing unit 74 does not execute the processes from S39 to S42 unless it determines in S38 that a trouble has occurred in the brush cutter 10 (No in S38). Then, when a work completion notification indicating the suspension or completion of the target farm work is received from the remote operator or the brush cutter 10, the remote control processing unit 70 ends the remote control process S2.

[0131] 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 to deal with trouble that occurs in the target agricultural work.

[0132] (Reward determination process S3) 5, the farm work information acquisition unit 81 executes farm work information acquisition processing to acquire farm work information for the 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 for 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 for the remote worker from the database 53, and acquires information on the proficiency of the remote worker included in the supporter information (S53).

[0133] The evaluation acquisition unit 84 acquires from the database 53 the actual work time required for the remote operator or the brush cutter 10 to perform the target agricultural work (S54). The actual work time may be, for example, the result of measuring the elapsed time from when the remote control processing unit 70 starts the target agricultural work with the brush cutter 10 in the remote control processing S2 until the reception of the work completion notification (the elapsed time from S37 to S43). The evaluation acquisition unit 84 also executes evaluation acquisition processing to acquire the evaluation of the performed target agricultural work that the requester registered in the database 53 from the requester terminal 20 (S55, evaluation acquisition step).

[0134] The remuneration determination unit 85 executes a remuneration determination process to determine the 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 worker's proficiency with the grass cutter 10 if the target farm work is performed by remote operation of the remote worker (S57). Then, the registration information update unit 87 registers or updates information such as the requester's evaluation of the remote worker or the grass cutter 10, and the remote worker's proficiency in the database 53 (S58). Thereafter, the remuneration determination processing unit 80 terminates the remuneration determination process S3.

[0135] 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 performing the target farm work.

[0136] 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 machine information for the grass cutter 10. Accumulating history information on the remote operation or autonomous operation of the grass cutter 10 is expected to improve the autonomous operation performance of the grass cutter 10. A configuration in which the grass cutter 10 is operated by remote control from a remote operator or the server 50, as in the agricultural work support system 1, makes it easier to collect the big data required for an autonomous grass cutter 10 than if a person directly operated the grass cutter 10. This facilitates the use of AI (artificial intelligence) for the autonomous operation of work machines such as the grass cutter 10. In this way, the agricultural work support system 1 can contribute to improving the autonomous operation performance of work machines such as the grass cutter 10 and promoting smarter agricultural work through the use of AI, etc.

[0137] When the autonomous operation performance of the grass cutter 10 reaches a level sufficient for the grass cutter 10 to perform 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 worker, except when a problem occurs in the grass cutter 10 that is difficult to recover from.

[0138] [Image of agricultural work support system in use] Fig. 6 shows an example of the display on the second touch panel 33 of the operator terminal 30 when a remote operator monitors or remotely operates the brush cutter 10. As shown in Fig. 6, in addition to image data captured by the fixed imaging device 40, augmented reality data AR may be displayed on the second touch panel 33 superimposed on the image data. The augmented reality data AR may include the status of the autonomous work, the planned route traveled by autonomous operation, topographical information about the work area, caution or warning information, weather information, elapsed time information, remaining battery power information, and the like.

[0139] In this way, by displaying augmented reality data AR on the second touch panel 33, the remote operator can easily grasp the autonomous operation of the brush cutter 10 while monitoring. Furthermore, the remote operator can easily grasp the next work position and dangerous areas while remotely operating the brush cutter 10. Therefore, the remote operator can easily and reliably monitor or remotely operate the brush cutter 10.

[0140] FIG. 7 also shows an example of the content displayed on the requester terminal 20 and the worker terminal 30 from the time the requester makes a request for the target agricultural work until the target agricultural 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 agricultural work support system 1. Furthermore, such notifications are not limited to being displayed as text using a messenger app, and may also be, for example, in the form of an email being sent for each notification.

[0141] As shown in Figure 7, the agricultural work support system 1 may notify the requester and the remote worker of the progress of the target agricultural work on a point-by-point basis. This allows the requester and the remote worker to easily understand the current status of the target agricultural work. In addition, the remote worker and the requester can intuitively and easily input evaluations and other information about the target agricultural work.

[0142] As described above, the agricultural work support system 1 can smoothly support the entire process from requesting the agricultural work to completing it, including matching the requesting farmer or other farmworker with a work assistant who is interested in remotely controlled agricultural work. Work assistants can participate in agricultural work performed in remote locations from the comfort of their own homes. This can reduce the burden on farmers, especially in rural areas, that is caused by a shortage of agricultural workers.

[0143] Furthermore, the agricultural work support system 1 allows for a high degree of flexibility in setting remuneration. Therefore, even types of agricultural work that have traditionally been difficult to outsource due to their low unit price can be easily requested by the client. Furthermore, even for simple agricultural work, the work assistant can receive, as remuneration, agricultural products obtained from the work in which they were involved. Therefore, the work assistant is more likely to be motivated to actively participate in agricultural work with a low unit price.

[0144] In this way, the agricultural work support system 1 allows farmers to request even detailed farm work from agricultural supporters, particularly in rural or developing countries, thereby reducing the workload and preventing long working hours. This is expected to contribute 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 achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 2, "Zero Hunger," and Goal 8, "Decent Work and Economic Growth."

[0145] [Software implementation example] The functions of the server control device 51 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the selection processing unit 60, remote control processing unit 70 and / or reward determination processing unit 80).

[0146] 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 of the above embodiments.

[0147] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on 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 supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0148] In addition, some or all of the functions of each control block can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each control block is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each control block can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0149] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the device, or may run on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0150] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 1. Farm work support system (selection system, remote control system, reward determination system) 10 Grass cutter (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 databases 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 Trouble Handling Department 81 Agricultural Information Acquisition Department 82 Remuneration type information acquisition unit 83 Worker information acquisition department 84 Evaluation Acquisition Department 85 Remuneration Determination Department 86 Proficiency Management Department

Claims

[Claim 1] an agricultural work information acquisition unit that acquires agricultural work information of a target agricultural work to be performed by remote control of the working machine or autonomous operation of the working machine from a requester; An evaluation acquisition unit that acquires an evaluation of the target agricultural work that has been performed from the requester; A remuneration determination device comprising: a remuneration determination unit that determines a remuneration for performing the target agricultural work based on the agricultural work information and the evaluation.

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