Harvesting Machine

Abstract

To provide a harvester that can suitably detect a current above-ground height of a harvesting part with respect to a field surface in front of the harvesting part.SOLUTION: A harvester comprises: a harvesting part 4 supported by a machine body so as to be capable of being vertically elevated / lowered, and for harvesting crops in a field; an imaging device 13 provided in the harvesting part 4, and for imaging a field surface located in front of the harvesting part 4 as an object to be imaged during working travel; a position calculation unit 21 for calculation positional information of the object to be imaged shown in an image taken by the imaging device 13, on the basis of the image; a flat surface determination unit 22 for determining a flat surface portion F in the object to be imaged on the basis of the positional information; a distance calculation unit 23 for calculating a distance D between the flat surface portion F and the imaging device 13; and a height calculation unit 24 for calculating a current above-ground height H of the harvesting part 4 with respect to the field surface on the basis of the distance D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a harvester. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the harvester disclosed in Patent Document 1, the current height of the harvesting section (referred to as the "cutting section" in the document) that harvests crops (referred to as the "planted culms" in the document) from the ground is detected. The current height of the harvesting section from the ground is detected by a plate-shaped contact section provided at the bottom of the harvesting section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-23119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the ground contact part provided in the harvester disclosed in Patent Document 1 only detects the height of the ground relative to the field surface directly below the ground contact part, and cannot detect the height of the ground relative to the field surface located in front of the harvesting part. For this reason, detection of a situation in which the front end of the harvesting part is too high or too low relative to the field surface tends to be delayed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a harvester that can suitably detect the current ground height of the harvesting section relative to the field surface in front of the harvesting section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The harvester according to the present invention includes a harvesting unit that is supported on a machine body so as to be capable of ascending and descending, and harvests crops in a farm field; an imaging device that is provided on the harvesting unit and captures an image of a farm scene located in front of the harvesting unit as an imaging target during work travel; and a position calculation unit that calculates position information of the imaging target shown in the captured image based on an image captured by the imaging device. A change over time in the position information of the imaging target in each of the plurality of captured images.a plane surface identifying unit that identifies a plane portion in the imaging target based on the Based on a change over time in the position information of the imaging target in each of the plurality of captured images, The present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance between the planar portion and the imaging device, and a height calculation unit that calculates the current ground height of the harvesting part relative to the field scene based on the distance.

[0007] According to the present invention, an imaging device is provided in the harvesting section, and the imaging device captures an image of a field scene located in front of the harvesting section as an imaging target. Then, position information of the imaging target is calculated based on the captured image, and the current ground height of the harvesting section is calculated based on the distance between the imaging device and a flat portion of the imaging target. In other words, the present invention makes it possible to calculate the current ground height for the field scene located in front of the harvesting section. Therefore, compared to the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a situation in which the front end of the harvesting section is too high or too low relative to the field scene is detected earlier. This realizes a harvester that can suitably detect the current ground height of the harvesting section relative to the field scene in front of the harvesting section. In addition, in flat areas of the field scene, it is easier to calculate the current ground height of the harvesting part relative to the field scene with high accuracy compared to uneven areas of the field scene. Flat areas are identified based on the position information of the imaging target, but with this configuration, the position information of the imaging target is obtained from multiple captured images, so the current ground height of the harvesting part relative to the field scene can be calculated with even higher accuracy.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the position information be coordinates with the imaging device as a reference point.

[0009] With this configuration, the imaging target shown in the image captured by the imaging device is managed as coordinates, making it possible to easily calculate the distance between the imaging device and the imaging target.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable to provide a harvest height control unit that performs lifting and lowering control of the harvesting unit so that the ground height of the harvesting unit approaches the target ground height based on the current ground height and a predetermined target ground height of the harvesting unit.

[0013] With this configuration, the height of the harvesting unit above the ground can be suitably adjusted according to the field conditions in front of the harvesting unit.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the imaging device is provided below the harvesting portion.

[0015] During work travel, crops are planted in a field in front of the harvesting unit. With this configuration, it is easier for the imaging device to capture images of the field scene compared to a configuration in which the imaging device is provided above the harvesting unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an overall side view of the harvester. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating how a flat portion is identified based on a captured image. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of harvest height control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] [Basic configuration of the harvester] Figures 1 and 2 show a head-feeding combine as an example of a harvester. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this combine is equipped with a traveling body 1. The traveling body 1 is equipped with a crawler traveling device 2 and a body frame 3 supported by the crawler traveling device 2. A harvesting unit 4 is provided in front of the traveling body 1. The harvesting unit 4 is supported by the traveling body 1 around a swing axis X so as to be able to move up and down, and harvests crops (planted culms S, see Figure 4) in the field. The combine harvester moves forward on the crawler travelling device 2, while harvesting crops in front of the machine body one after another with the harvesting section 4. A driver's cabin 5 is provided at the front of the travelling body 1, and the driver's cabin 5 is located behind the harvesting section 4.

[0018] An engine (not shown) is provided below the driver's cabin 5. A grain storage tank 6 is provided behind the driver's cabin 5, and stores grains after threshing. A threshing device 7 is provided to the left of the grain storage tank 6, and threshes the stalks harvested from the harvesting section 4. This enables the combine to travel while working. A grain discharge device 8 is connected to the grain storage tank 6, and discharges the grains in the grain storage tank 6.

[0019] The harvesting section 4 is configured for multiple cutting (six-row cutting in this embodiment). The harvesting section 4 is equipped with multiple (seven in this embodiment) weed dividing tools 9, a raising section 10, a cutting blade device 11, and a conveying section 12. The weed dividing tool 9 divides the planted culms S (see FIG. 4, the same below). The raising section 10 raises the planted culms S divided by the weed dividing tool 9. The cutting blade device 11 cuts the base of the planted culms S raised by the raising section 10. The conveying section 12 conveys the reaped culms cut by the cutting blade device 11 toward the rear of the machine body. Of the multiple weed dividing tools 9, the image capturing device 13 is provided on the weed dividing tool 9 two tools away (the third from the right end of the machine body) from the weed dividing tool 9 on the right end of the machine body. In other words, the image capturing device 13 is provided on the lower part of the harvesting section 4. The imaging device 13 is a so-called monocular camera, and is configured to capture an image of the field scene in front of the harvesting section 4 on a color screen.

[0020] In the example shown in FIG. 2, uncut planted culms S are indicated by circles, and cut residual culms are indicated by crosses. When the combine travels forward with the uncut planted culms S located between the two weed splitting tools 9, the harvesting section 4 harvests the planted culms S in front. The imaging device 13 is provided on the third weed splitting tool 9 from the right end of the machine body. Therefore, the images captured by the imaging device 13 are as shown in images P1 to P3 in FIG. 4. In images P1 to P3 in FIG. 4, uncut planted culms S are captured on the left and right, and a field scene is captured between the planted culms S on the left and right.

[0021] [Control system configuration] FIG. 3 shows a control system of the harvester according to the present invention. The control system of the combine harvester is composed of a control unit 20 and various input / output devices that perform signal communication (data communication) with the control unit 20 through a wiring network such as an on-board LAN. The control unit 20 is composed of a large number of electronic control units called ECUs. The control unit 20 is configured to input captured image data from the imaging device 13. The control unit 20 also outputs a signal for controlling the elevation of the harvesting section 4. The control unit 20 is provided with a position calculation section 21, a plane identification section 22, a distance calculation section 23, a height calculation section 24, a harvest height control section 25, and a target harvest height setting section 26.

[0022] As described above, the imaging device 13 is provided on the grass splitter 9, and the imaging device 13 captures images in front of the harvesting unit 4. Therefore, when the harvesting unit 4 harvests the planted culms S in the field, the imaging device 13 captures images of the planted culms S and the ground between the two rows of the planted culms S, as shown in Fig. 4. In other words, the imaging device 13 captures images of the field scene located in front of the harvesting unit 4 as an imaging target over time while the combine is traveling. The images captured by the imaging device 13 are sent to the position calculation unit 21 over time.

[0023] As examples of images captured by the imaging device 13, images P1 to P3 are shown in FIG. 4. Images P1 to P3 were captured while the combine was traveling during work. Image P2 was captured later than image P1, and image P3 was captured later than image P2. Each of images P1 to P3 shows object A (including cases where the object A is not a specific object but is a part of a field scene) as an example of an imaged subject. Based on the images captured by the imaging device 13, position calculation unit 21 calculates position information of object A captured in the captured images.

[0024] The position information of object A on the screen differs between images P1 to P3. The position calculation unit 21 detects object A by performing a known matching process such as ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF) on each of images P1 to P3, and calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of object A with the imaging device 13 as the reference point based on the change in the position information of object A on the screen. In other words, the position calculation unit 21 calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of object A with the imaging device 13 as the reference point based on the multiple captured images as the position information of object A.

[0025] The position of the imaging device 13 in the field is different at the imaging timing of each of the images P1 to P3. The change in the position of the imaging device 13 can be detected using, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), an Inertial Measurement Sensor (IMU), a vehicle speed sensor, etc. The position calculation unit 21 may calculate the three-dimensional coordinates of the object A with the imaging device 13 as a reference point based on the change in the position information of the object A on the screen and the change in the position of the imaging device 13.

[0026] In addition to the object A, images P1 to P3 contain many other captured objects in the field scene and planted stalks S, and these many captured objects are input to the position calculation unit 21 as point cloud data. The position calculation unit 21 calculates three-dimensional coordinates for each of these point cloud data. The point cloud data is sent from the position calculation unit 21 to the plane identification unit 22.

[0027] The plane identification unit 22 identifies a plane portion F in the imaged object, i.e., a field scene, using a known technique called RANSAC (random sample consensus) based on a large number of point cloud data sent from the position calculation unit 21. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a plane portion F between the rows of the planted culm S as shown in the image PF is identified based on the images P1 to P3. That is, a large number of point cloud data including the object A are acquired from a large number of imaged objects, and among these point cloud data, the point cloud data of the part shown in the plane portion F is identified as an inlier point cloud data. In this way, the plane identification unit 22 identifies the plane portion F based on position information obtained from a plurality of captured images. The identification result of the plane identification unit 22 is sent to the distance calculation unit 23.

[0028] The distance calculation unit 23 calculates the distance D between the planar portion F and the imaging device 13 based on the three-dimensional coordinates included in the point cloud data of the portion shown on the planar portion F. The calculation result of the distance calculation unit 23 is sent to the height calculation unit 24. Then, the height calculation unit 24 calculates the current ground height H of the harvesting unit with respect to the farm scene based on the distance D.

[0029] The target ground height HT is set by a target harvest height setting unit 26. The target harvest height setting unit 26 may be configured to set a value stored in advance in a storage device (not shown) built into the control unit 20 as the target ground height HT, for example, or may be configured to set a value set by a manual operation as the target ground height HT.

[0030] The harvest height control unit 25 performs lifting control so that the ground height of the harvesting unit 4 approaches the target ground height HT based on the current ground height H and the target ground height HT. Here, lifting control means controlling the driving of the lifting actuator (not shown) of the harvesting unit 4. The harvest height control unit 25 automatically performs lifting control. Note that the harvest height control unit 25 does not have to automatically perform lifting control, and may assist manual lifting control, for example. In other words, the harvest height control unit 25 only needs to perform lifting control of the harvesting unit 4 so that the ground height of the harvesting unit 4 approaches the target ground height HT based on the current ground height H and the preset target ground height HT of the harvesting unit 4.

[0031] For example, FIG. 5 shows a farm field having a flat portion F and a raised portion G. The raised portion G is located in front of the flat portion F in the direction of travel of the combine. The flat portion F is indicated by a thick line in FIG. 5. The combine harvests the planted stalks S on the flat portion F after climbing over the raised portion G. When the combine harvester climbs over the raised portion G, the entire body of the combine is tilted upward at the front, and the current height H of the harvesting section 4 above the ground relative to the flat portion F becomes higher by the height of the raised portion G. For this reason, the stalk height becomes higher in the area of ​​the flat portion F adjacent to the raised portion G. Considering subsequent tillage, it is desirable for the stalk height in the field to be as low as possible.

[0032] In the example shown in Fig. 5, when the combine harvester climbs over the raised portion G, the distance calculation unit 23 calculates the distance D between the flat portion F and the imaging device 13. Then, the height calculation unit 24 calculates the current ground height H based on the distance D. The current ground height H shown in Fig. 5 is higher than the target ground height HT. Therefore, the harvest height control unit 25 controls the lowering of the harvesting unit 4 so as to lower the ground height of the harvesting unit 4 relative to the flat portion F. Therefore, the harvesting unit 4 descends from the state shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5 to the state shown by the solid line in Fig. 5.

[0033] In Fig. 5, the distance calculation unit 23 calculates the distance d between the flat portion F and the imaging device 13 after the harvesting unit 4 has descended. The distance d is shorter than the distance D calculated before the harvesting unit 4 descends. The height calculation unit 24 then calculates the current ground height h after the harvesting unit 4 descends based on the distance d. In Fig. 5, the target ground height HT is indicated by a dashed line. The current ground height h is lower than the current ground height H shown in Fig. 5, and is closer to the target ground height HT than the current ground height H shown in Fig. 5.

[0034] Also, immediately after the combine harvester passes over the raised portion G, the entire body of the combine harvester may tilt downward toward the front, and the current ground height H of the harvesting unit 4 relative to the flat portion F may become lower than the target ground height HT. In this case, the harvesting height control unit 25 controls the harvesting unit 4 to rise so as to increase the ground height of the harvesting unit 4 relative to the flat portion F. This reduces the risk of the tip of the harvesting unit 4 piercing the field surface.

[0035] [Another embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and other representative embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0036] (1) Although the imaging device 13 shown in the above embodiment is a so-called monocular camera, the imaging device 13 may be a stereo camera. Even in this configuration, the plane surface identifying unit 22 can identify the plane portion F based on position information obtained from a plurality of captured images.

[0037] (2) In the above embodiment, the position information of the imaging target calculated by the position calculation unit 21 is a coordinate with the imaging device 13 as a reference point. This is not limited to the embodiment, and the position information of the imaging target may be, for example, a coordinate with an arbitrary position of the harvesting unit 4 (such as the bottom of the harvesting unit 4) as a reference point.

[0038] (3) In the above embodiment, the imaging device 13 is provided on the grass dividing tool 9 two tools away (the third from the right end of the body) from the grass dividing tool 9 on the right end of the body. This is not limiting, and the imaging device 13 may be provided on any grass dividing tool 9. For example, if there is no problem with the residual stalks that have already been cut being captured as shown in Figure 2, the imaging device 13 may be provided on the grass dividing tool 9 on the right end of the body. The imaging device 13 may also be provided, for example, in front of the raising unit 10.

[0039] (4) In the above embodiment, the imaging device 13 captures the farm scene in front of the harvesting unit 4 using a color screen. However, the imaging device 13 may be configured to capture the farm scene using a grayscale image having grayscale values.

[0040] The configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction occurs. In addition, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] The present invention can be applied not only to head-feeding combine harvesters, but also to whole-culm-injection combine harvesters, corn harvesters, forage harvesters, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1: Running body 4: Harvesting section 13: Imaging device 21:Position calculation section 22: Plane identification part 23: Distance calculation unit 24: Height calculation section 25: Harvesting height control unit D: Distance between the flat surface and the imaging device F: Flat part HT: Target height above ground Hd: Current height above ground

Claims

1. A harvesting unit that is supported on the machine body so as to be capable of ascending and descending and harvests crops in a field; An imaging device provided in the harvesting unit that captures an image of a field scene located in front of the harvesting unit during work travel; a position calculation unit that calculates position information of the imaging target shown in the captured image based on the captured image captured by the imaging device; a plane identifying unit that identifies a plane portion of the imaging target based on a change over time in the position information of the imaging target in each of the plurality of captured images; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the planar portion and the imaging device based on a change over time in the position information of the imaging target in each of the plurality of captured images; A harvester is provided with a height calculation unit that calculates the current ground height of the harvesting unit relative to a field scene based on the distance.

2. The harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the position information is a coordinate system with the imaging device as a reference point.

3. A harvester as described in claim 1 or 2, which is provided with a harvest height control unit that controls the lifting and lowering of the harvesting unit so that the ground height of the harvesting unit approaches the target ground height based on the current ground height and a predetermined target ground height of the harvesting unit.

4. The harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is provided under the harvesting section.

Images