Information management device and program

Abstract

To control an apparatus for direct seeding in a short time regardless of the type of grain even in a place where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery. [Solution] The management server 2 has a paddy field information storage unit 22 that stores the identification number (paddy field ID) of the area (paddy field) where grains are to be planted, the angular coordinates of the paddy field, the spacing between multiple parallel virtual rows spaced at a predetermined interval determined based on the angular coordinates, and the radius of a circle centered on the base point where the grain seeds will fall, a seed rice information storage unit 23 that stores, for each row number that identifies the row, the seed rice drop position based on the spacing between the virtual rows and the radius of the circle, and information on the seed rice dropped by the D rice direct sowing device 4 based on the set drop position, and a processing unit 21 that outputs information on the position where drop was completed and the position where drop was not possible for each row.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information management device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known to use aircraft such as drones in growing agricultural crops. For example, an aircraft control system for controlling an aircraft that sprays a pesticide on a field includes a quality information acquisition unit that acquires quality information related to the measured quality of crops harvested in a predetermined area of the field from a quality measuring device that measures the quality of the crops, linking the measured quality information with the area, and a plan calculation unit that calculates a pesticide spray plan and a flight plan for the aircraft based on the quality information and the area. The aircraft sprays the pesticide on the field based on the spray plan and the flight plan. The air vehicle also includes a memory unit that stores a spray management table that records the spray plan for the harvested crops and quality information of the harvested crops, linking the spray plan with the area each time the crops are harvested. The plan calculation unit refers to the spray management table and calculates the flight plan by referring to the spray management table and the transition of the quality information of previously harvested crops and the spray plan for each area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-058235 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Due to global warming in recent years, some areas traditionally known as grain-producing regions are losing conditions suitable for growing grain. In particular, high temperatures in summer are inhibiting the development of grain ears, resulting in reduced yields. For this reason, growing grains in mountainous areas where temperatures are relatively low is being reconsidered. However, mountainous areas can be difficult to move machinery for sowing and harvesting due to their rugged terrain and narrow roads. In one aspect, the present invention aims to control an apparatus that performs direct seeding of any type of grain in a short time even in places where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above object, the disclosed information management device includes a first memory unit that stores the identification number of an area where grains are to be planted, the coordinates of the corners of the area, the spacing between multiple virtual parallel rows spaced at a predetermined interval based on the coordinates, and the radius of a circle centered on the base point where the grain seeds will fall, a second memory unit that stores, for each row number that identifies the row, the seed drop position based on the row spacing and the circle radius, and information on the seed drops by a drone-type flying object based on the set drop position, and an output unit that outputs information on the positions where dropping was completed and the positions where dropping was not possible for each row. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In one embodiment, the device can be controlled to perform direct seeding in a short time regardless of the type of grain, even in places where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating hardware included in a drone according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a direct seeding device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram explaining how the drone control unit calculates the drop point and number of seeds. [Figure 5] D is a diagram explaining the operation of the rice seed direct sowing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the reaping device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the reaping device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating reaping according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a paddy field information storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a seed rice information storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a seed rice direct sowing information storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a reaping information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a reaping information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of how to find the vertex coordinates of an n-sided rice paddy. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a seed rice information setting process. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a direct broadcasting operation according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the seed rice dropping process. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the seed rice dropping process. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a reaping operation according to an embodiment. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a reaping process. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a reaping process. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a drone collision avoidance process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The system according to the embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the following drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings, etc. In the embodiments, elements expressed in the singular include the plural unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system according to an embodiment.

[0010] The system 100 of the embodiment is a system for planting rice seeds in paddy fields and harvesting grown rice ears, for example. Rice described in the embodiment is an example of a grain, and the system 100 of the embodiment can also be applied to grains other than rice. The system 100 includes a drone (aircraft) 1, a management server 2, a terminal device 3, a direct seeding device 4, and a reaping device 5. The drone 1, management server 2 and terminal device 3 are connected via a network 50. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating hardware included in the drone according to the embodiment. The drone 1 of this embodiment has a housing 1a and a rotor 1b used for flight. The housing 1a and the rotor 1b are fixed by a fixed shaft 1c.

[0011] The chassis 1a is equipped with a Raspberry Pi 5:101, which controls the entire drone 1. Various accessories are connected to the Raspberry Pi 5:101 via interface 107.

[0012] Examples of accessories include a GPS (Global Positioning System) module 102, a camera module 103, a communication module 104, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) warning light 105, and a distance measurement module 106. The GPS module 102 may be a serial connection type or a USB connection type.

[0013] The drone 1 continues to acquire location information using the GPS module 102 during flight. The drone 1 also orbits the camera module 103 at predetermined times to capture still images and moving images. The drone 1 also transmits and receives data to and from the management server 2 via the communication module 104 at predetermined times. The communication method is not particularly limited, but examples include communication via Wi-Fi and communication via a satellite internet service. The timing of communication is also not particularly limited. It may be real-time communication or communication at predetermined times. In addition, the drone 1 can flash the LED warning light 105 in response to instructions from the management server 2. The drone 1 can also measure the distance to other objects using the distance measurement module 106. The drone 1 also includes a battery 108 that supplies power to flight and various control units. An attachment 1d to be attached to the reaping device 5 is provided at the bottom of the housing 1a. In addition, a drone equipped with a camera may be used as long as it is possible to judge the image of the ears. Returning to FIG. 1 for further explanation.

[0014] The management server 2 stores the information acquired from the drone 1. In addition, the management server 2 executes various processes based on the information acquired from the drone 1 and issues instructions to the drone 1. The terminal device 3 can access the management server 2 to view various information.

[0015] The direct seeding device 4 is attached to the drone 1. Hereinafter, the direct seeding device 4 attached to the drone 1 will be referred to as the "D direct rice seeding device." As its name suggests, the direct seeding device 4 can sow rice seeds directly into a paddy field (or field) without using a seedbed.

[0016] The reaping device 5 is attached to the drone 1. The reaping device 5 reaps and harvests grain ears. Hereinafter, the reaping device 5 attached to the drone 1 will be referred to as the "D ear reaping device 5." FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a direct seeding device according to an embodiment. In Figure 3, the drone control unit 11 is a function realized by the Raspberry Pi 5:101. The direct broadcasting device 4 is controlled by the drone control unit 11. The direct seeding device 4 has a seed rice storage section 41 , a housing 42 , and a drop pipe 43 . The seed rice storage section 41 stores seed rice. The housing 42 is provided with a rice threshing rotation device 44, a rice threshing lid 45, and a spray unit 46.

[0017] The rice threshing rotation device 44 has a rotating cylindrical body 441 having a groove 441a, a rotation sensor 442, and a drive motor 443. The rotating cylindrical body 441 is supported by a shaft 444.

[0018] When one grain of rice seed falls into the groove (see enlarged view) 441a of the rotating cylinder 441 of the rice seed dropping rotation device 44, the rotation sensor 442 drives the drive motor 443, and for example, three grains of rice seed fall onto the rice seed dropping lid 45 at the bottom of the housing 42. The rotation sensor 442 controls the rotation and stopping of the drive motor 443 so that three grains of rice seed fall. Note that three grains is just an example, and an error of ±1 grain is acceptable.

[0019] The conditions for the seed rice to easily enter the grooves of the rotating cylinder 441 from the top of the housing 42, such as the speed of rotation of the rotating cylinder 431 and when to stop rotation, are all adjusted by the drone control unit 11 as a rice-dropping mechanism.

[0020] The rice-dropping lid 45 is disposed at the lower part of the housing 42, at the connection part with the drop pipe 43. The rice-dropping lid 45 is biased by a coil 451 to a position (hereinafter referred to as position A) that prevents the seed rice from falling.

[0021] The ejection unit 46 ejects compressed air in response to instructions from the drone control unit 11. The ejected compressed air passes through an air flow pipe 47, and a portion of the air is sent to the lower part of the housing 42.

[0022] The drop pipe 43 is disposed at the bottom of the housing 42. The tip 43a of the drop pipe 43 is sharp and has a shape that makes it easy to pierce into the soil. The drop pipe 43 forms a passage that guides the seeds discharged from the housing 42 into the soil. A sensor 43b for direct seeding of rice is arranged on the side of the base end of the drop pipe 43. The sensor 43b for direct seeding of rice counts the number of seeds passing through the drop pipe 43. An example of the operation of the direct broadcasting device 4 will now be described.

[0023] When the rotation sensor 442 recognizes an image of three rice seeds passing through the groove 441a of the rotating cylinder 441 and falling onto the rice chuck lid 45, the drone control unit 11 sends a signal to the injection unit 46 to inject air. The injected air that is injected by the injection unit 46 and passes through the air flow pipe 47 has sufficient air pressure. Therefore, the high-pressure air spreads throughout the entire lower part of the housing 42. The momentum of some of the injected air pushes the rice chuck lid 45 from position A down to position B, rotated 90 degrees clockwise against the force of the coil 451.

[0024] The high pressure air flowing into the drop pipe 43 causes the rice seeds to slide down the pipe 43, with their sharp tips 43a penetrating into the rice field soil. The air flowing into the drop pipe 43 reduces the pressure to 1 atmosphere, so the rice seed drop lid 45, pushed down to position B, rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise by the force of the coil 451 and jumps up to position A. This mechanism is based on the same principle as firing a bullet with an air gun.

[0025] Although the rice seeds are packed in the upper part of the housing 42, it is not sealed, so part of the injected air is supplied to the top of the rotating cylinder 441, which pushes up the rice seeds that are slightly clogged, eliminating the condition where they are difficult to drop. Therefore, it becomes easier for each grain of rice seeds to enter the grooves of the rotating cylinder 441.

[0026] There is a dry-field direct seeding method for rice planting in which water is not added to the rice field beforehand, but in this case too, if the D rice seeding device 4 increases its descent speed, the tip of the drop pipe 43 will be inserted deeper into the dry rice field soil, so the rice seeds can be placed underground rather than on the surface. For this reason, dry-field direct seeding can be operated in the same way as paddy fields. Next, the drop point of the seed rice by the D rice direct sowing device 4 will be explained. Figure 4 is a diagram explaining how the drone control unit calculates the falling point and number of seeds.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4(a), if the position of the rice to be dropped is point P, the number of seed rice that can fall on all n rows of rows can be defined by the rice drop area AR, which is a circle with radius R centered at point P and line L passing through point P. FIG. 4(b) is a diagram for explaining the imaginary striations and the seed rice falling position.

[0028] First, the D rice seeding device 4 is flown over the paddy field where direct seeding is planned (hereinafter referred to as the "paddy field"). The GPS module 102 and camera module 103 equipped on the drone 1 are used to photograph the paddy field's banks (north, south, east, west in this figure) and the shape of the paddy field (within the four dashed lines in this figure).

[0029] Considering the growth of rice, seedlings are planted in a north-south direction facing the sun. Therefore, if, based on the shape of the ridge, the boundary between the western ridge and the water surface of the rice field in this diagram is taken as line 0 (reference line) L0, the drone control unit 11 draws imaginary line 1 L1 on the water surface of the rice field, parallel to line 0 L0 and 1 / 2N cm to the left of line 0 L0. N cm is, for example, 20 cm to 25 cm. If an arbitrary value is input in advance as the line spacing n of the drone control unit 11, the drone control unit 11 will calculate and draw M imaginary lines on the water surface of the rice field that are the maximum value, and save this data on the drone control unit 11's recording medium.

[0030] This diagram clearly illustrates the distance between adjacent rice seeds falling on the same row L as a single rice seed, and the distance between adjacent rice seeds falling on the row L adjacent to that row L. If the corners on the north and west sides of the levee of the paddy field (i.e., the location where the direct rice seed sowing device 4 starts direct sowing) are taken as the first rice seed dropping base point P0, the distance between this base point P0 and the corners on the north and west sides of the levee is approximately a radius R = 1 / 2N cm. Once this base point P0 is determined, the drone control unit 11 can calculate the exact positions and maximum number of rice seeds falling on the M rows (L1, L2, L3, ... Ln) based on data on the shape of the paddy field photographed from above. The left side of Figure 4(b) is an enlarged view of the continuous rice seed dropping area. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the D rice seed direct sowing device.

[0031] First, the D direct rice seeding device 4 inserts the drop pipe 43 into the rice field soil below the water at the first seed rice drop base point and drops the seed rice (rice drop position #1), then the D direct rice seeding device 4 immediately rises and moves to the right (flight position #1).The D direct rice seeding device 4 again inserts the drop pipe 43 into the rice field soil below the water and drops the seed rice (rice drop position #2).After that, the D direct rice seeding device 4 simply repeats the flight movement and rice drop operations on one line until it reaches flight position #n or rice drop position #n. Next, the reaping device 5 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0032] Fig. 6 is a front view illustrating the reaping device of the embodiment, Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating the reaping device of the embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a view illustrating reaping of the embodiment.

[0033] The harvesting device 5 is detachably attached to the drone 1 by an attachment 1d. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, the direct seeding device 4 can be attached to the bottom of the harvesting device 5. This allows the rice ears harvested by the harvesting device 5 to be supplied to the direct seeding device 4 as seed rice. The reaping device 5 has an upper reaping part 51 , a tip guide part 52 , and a lower reaping part 53 . The upper reaping section 51 is provided with a blower 51a, a head intake port 51b, and an internal sensor 51c. The internal sensor 51c detects when the number of ears of grass taken into the reaping device 5 reaches a predetermined amount or more.

[0034] The tip guide section 52 is provided with a rotary cutting blade 52a, a drive motor 52b, guide plates 52c, 52c, and guide plate support sections 52d, 52d. The rotary cutting blade 52a is rotated by the drive motor 52b, allowing the tips to be cut. Note that the tips are schematically indicated by arrows in Figures 7 and 8. The guide plates 52c, 52c and the guide plate support sections 52d, 52d are partially located outside the lower reaping section 53. The guide plates 52c, 52c are V-shaped and guide the tips to the rotary cutting blade 52a. The guide plate support section 52d supports the guide plate 52c. A rice ear storage layer 53a for storing rice ears is arranged inside the lower reaping section 53. The lower reaping section 53 is an example of a storage section.

[0035] Furthermore, joint 53d between side surfaces 53b of lower reaper 53 is convex. Joint 53d is shaped like the bow of a ship, and side surfaces 53b and 53b are shaped like the sides of a ship, so that the reaped rice stalks are separated into left and right halves at the convex part of joint 53d and are pushed backward while sliding along the sides of side surfaces 53b and 53b.

[0036] A discharge section 53c is disposed at the bottom of the lower reaping section 53. The discharge section 53c opens and closes according to instructions from the drone control section 11. When the discharge section 53c opens, the rice ears stored in the ear accumulation layer 53a pass through the discharge section 53c and are discharged to the outside of the reaping device 5. The side view of the reaping device 5 shown in FIG. 7 shows the reaping device 5 reaping ears of grain. An example of the operation of the reaping device 5 will now be described.

[0037] In this embodiment, the grain is rice and the explanation will be given using ears of rice. It is assumed that rice is planted in multiple rows (rows) in a paddy field, and how the reaping device harvests one row of rice will be explained.

[0038] When the D ear harvesting device 5 moves in the direction of travel (to the right in Figure 7), the camera module 103 captures images of the height, inclination, and ear droop of the uncut rice ear and stalk before the rice ear enters the V-shaped opening 52c1 (see Figure 8) of the guide plate 52c.

[0039] The drone control unit 11 processes the captured image using a program and, according to the data, moves the drone 1 to a position where the cutting rotary blade 52a can reliably cut under the ears of rice.

[0040] When the uncut rice ear a4 and stalk s4 (which have already been cut in Figure 7) enter the V-shaped opening 52c1, the drone 1 moves further to the right in the direction of travel, causing the unseparated rice ear a4 and stalk s4 to come into contact with the cutting rotary blade 52a, and the stalk s4 and ear a4 are instantly cut.

[0041] The contact resistance with the rotary blade surface (same as in a rotary blade mower) and the wind force from the blower 51b above the rice ear intake ensure that the rice ears fall to the bottom of the rice ear accumulation layer 53a, where they pile up as accumulated rice ears. The images of rice ears a1, a2, and a3 are discontinuous images of rice ears that were cut by the cutting rotary blade 52a before rice ear a4 and fell into the rice ear accumulation layer. The images of rice ears a5 (stalk s5), a6 (stalk s6), and a7 (stalk s7) are uncut rice ears of the same row that are guided by the guide plate 52c to the cutting rotary blade 52a after rice ear a4 (stalk s4).

[0042] The stalk s4 from which the ear a4 has been cut strikes the joint (convex part) 53d between the sides 53b and 53b and is cut apart, in the same way as waves are divided by the bow and the following left and right sides when a ship moves across the sea. Next, as the drone 1 moves towards the right side of the page, the cut stalk s4 moves with little resistance along the surfaces (curved surfaces: corresponding to the ship's sides) of the sides 53b and 53b of the lower reaping part 53, being pushed and bent downward to the left and right, expanding the cut surface, and moving rearward.

[0043] When the internal sensor 51c detects that the ear accumulation layer 53a is full of harvested ears, the drone control unit 11 moves the D ear harvesting device 5 to a discharge location in another location not shown.

[0044] The internal sensor 51c can determine, for example, when the limit of the amount of cut rice ears piled up in the ear-pooling layer 53a has reached the height of the cut ears, which is approximately the same as the cutting rotary blade 52a. This prevents excessive ears of rice that have accumulated in the ear-pooling layer 53a from coming into contact with the cutting rotary blade 52a and breaking the rice grains.

[0045] When the D ear harvesting device 5 arrives at the discharge location, the drone control unit 11 opens the discharge unit 53c, and the rice ears stored in the ear accumulation layer 53a are discharged. The discharged rice ears are transferred to a thresher. The rice ears transferred to the thresher are hulled.

[0046] Unlike a combine harvester, it does not require the functions of reaping, threshing, and sorting, but above all it is easy to handle, and since it is equipped with a drone control unit 11, it can automate the harvesting of grain ears no matter where the farmland is located, and it is easy to see that it is far more economical.

[0047] In this embodiment, the harvesting of one row of grain has been described, but rather than changing the structure of the ear guide unit 52 to accommodate two-row or three-row harvesting like a combine harvester, it is more efficient and economical to increase the number of D ear harvesting devices 5 in operation. To achieve this, it is preferable to install a collision prevention program in each drone 1 so that multiple D ear harvesting devices 5 can operate simultaneously. The collision prevention program will be described later.

[0048] The vertical width of the V-shaped guide plates 52c, 52c on the side (base end) that is fixed to the D-ear harvesting device 5 is shorter than the vertical width of the protruding end (tip end), and the lower sides of the guide plates 52c, 52c are inclined toward the base end. This is to ensure that when the stalk s4 from which the ear a4 has been cut is pushed against the joint (convex portion) 53d between the side surfaces 53b, 53b, it can bend smoothly downward without getting caught on the guide plates 52c, 52c.

[0049] In this embodiment, the extent to which the cutting rotary blade 52a extends is adjusted so that the uncut rice ears a4 and stalks s4 are cut just before the innermost part of the V-shaped guide plates 52c, 52c, as shown in Figure 7.

[0050] 7, the reaping device 5 and the direct seeding device 4 may be integrated. In this case, grain ears stored in a storage layer of harvested ears by the reaping device 5 may be used as seeds and directly sown by the direct seeding device 4. Next, the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 9 illustrates a hardware configuration of a management server according to an embodiment.

[0051] The management server 2 is entirely controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 202 and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to the CPU 201 via a bus 208.

[0052] The RAM 202 is used as the main storage device of the management server 2. The RAM 202 temporarily stores at least a part of the OS (Operating System) programs and application programs executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 202 also stores various data used in processing by the CPU 201.

[0053] A hard disk drive (HDD) 203, a graphics processing unit 204, an input interface 205, a drive unit 206, and a communication interface 207 are connected to the bus 208.

[0054] The hard disk drive 203 magnetically writes and reads data to and from an internal disk. The hard disk drive 203 is used as a secondary storage device for the management server 2. The hard disk drive 203 stores the OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory can also be used as the secondary storage device.

[0055] A monitor 204a is connected to the graphics processing unit 204. The graphics processing unit 204 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 204a in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 201. Examples of the monitor 204a include a display device using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and a liquid crystal display device.

[0056] A keyboard 205a and a mouse 205b are connected to the input interface 205. The input interface 205 transmits signals sent from the keyboard 205a and the mouse 205b to the CPU 201. Note that the mouse 205b is an example of a pointing device, and other pointing devices can also be used. Examples of other pointing devices include a touch panel, a tablet, a touchpad, and a trackball.

[0057] The drive device 206 reads data recorded on a portable recording medium such as an optical disc on which data is recorded so that it can be read by reflected light, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. For example, if the drive device 206 is an optical drive device, it reads data recorded on the optical disc 200 using laser light or the like. Examples of the optical disc 200 include Blu-ray (registered trademark), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DVD-RAM, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and CD-R (Recordable) / RW (Rewritable).

[0058] The communication interface 207 is connected to the network 50. The communication interface 207 transmits and receives data to and from other computers or communication devices via the network 50. The processing functions of this embodiment can be realized by the hardware configuration described above. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a management server according to an embodiment.

[0059] The management server 2 has a processing unit 21, a paddy field information storage unit 22, a seed rice information storage unit 23, a seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit 24, a seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 25, and a harvesting information storage unit 26. The processing unit 21 exchanges information with the drone 1. In addition, the processing unit 21 displays various information stored in the management server 2 on the monitor of the terminal device 3 in response to a request from the terminal device 3. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the paddy field information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 shows the information in a table.

[0060] The paddy field information table T1 has the following columns: record ID, paddy field ID, name, paddy field coordinates, image, corner coordinates, R, start point, row spacing, registration date, planting flag (TF), planting date and time, harvesting flag (HF), harvesting date and time, and error flag (EF). The information listed horizontally is associated with each other. In the record ID field, a number that identifies the record is set. In the column of sequence number (paddy field), a character string that identifies the paddy field is set. The paddy field name field contains a character string that identifies the paddy field. The photograph date and time may be set as a default value. The paddy field coordinates field contains the GPS coordinates of drone 1 at the time the photograph of the paddy field was taken. The paddy field image field contains the file name of the image captured by Drone 1. The corner coordinates of the paddy field are set in the corner coordinates column. The R column contains the radius (unit: cm) of a circle whose center is the seed rice drop base point P0. The starting point field contains the starting point of the imaginary line (starting position of the line from the north of the ridge, in cm). The space between adjacent imaginary stripes (unit: cm) is set in the "Spacing between stripes" field. The date and time when the paddy field information was registered is set in the registration date column.

[0061] The rice planting flag field contains a number that identifies the rice planting status. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed, "1" indicates rice planting is possible, "2" indicates rice planting is in progress, and "3" indicates rice planting is complete. The initial value is "0." The date and time when rice planting was carried out is set in the rice planting date and time column.

[0062] The reaping flag field contains a value that identifies the reaping status. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed, "1" indicates reaping in progress, and "2" indicates reaping complete. The initial value is "0." The date and time of harvesting is set in the harvesting date and time column.

[0063] The error flag column contains a numerical value that identifies the type of error. In this embodiment, "0" indicates normal, "1" indicates a comparison mismatch (when planting rice), "2" indicates an error in the rotation sensor 442, "3" indicates an error in the rice direct sowing sensor 43b, and "4" indicates a comparison mismatch (when harvesting). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the seed rice information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 shows the information in a table format.

[0064] The seed rice information table T2 has columns for record ID, paddy field ID, row number, seed rice sequence ID, paddy drop position (GPS coordinates), planting completion flag (TCF), planting date and time, harvesting completion flag (HCF), harvesting date and time, and error flag. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. Of this information, the paddy field ID, planting date and time, harvesting date and time, and error flag are the same as those in the paddy field information described above, so their explanation will be omitted. In the record ID field, a number that identifies the record is set. The row number column contains the row number calculated based on the ridges and row spacing. In the field of the seed rice sequence ID, a character string that identifies the seed rice number is set. In the field for the rice dumping position (GPS coordinates), a character string is set that identifies the rice dumping position calculated based on the ridge, row spacing, and R. In the rice planting completion flag (TCF) field, a numerical value is set to identify the state of rice planting. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed, and "1" indicates rice planting completed. The reaping completion flag (HCF) field contains a value that identifies the reaping status. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed and "1" indicates reaping completion. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 shows the information in a table format.

[0065] The seed rice direct sowing initial information table T3 has columns for record ID, lowering distance, number of rice grains, and error number. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. In the record ID field, a number that identifies the record is set. In the column of the drop distance, the drop distance (unit: cm) when seed rice is dropped from the D rice direct sowing device 4 is set. The number of rice grains to be dropped in one rice threshing is set in the number of rice grains column. The allowable error for the number of rice grains to be dropped is set in the error column. The user can operate the terminal device 3 to set the seed rice direct sowing initial information at any timing. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the seed rice direct sowing information storage unit according to the embodiment. The seed rice direct sowing information is stored for each paddy field. FIG. 14 shows the information in a table format.

[0066] The seed rice direct sowing information table T4 has columns for record ID, paddy field ID, lowering distance, number of rice grains, and error number. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The direct seed sowing information table T4 is the same as the direct seed sowing initial information table T3, except that a paddy field ID is set.

[0067] When the seed direct sowing information is set, the descending distance, number of rice grains, and error number of the seed direct sowing information are automatically set for each paddy field ID. The user can modify the descending distance, number of rice grains, and error number of the seed direct sowing information table T4 at any time. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the reaping information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 15 shows the information in a table format. The harvesting information table T5 has columns for record ID, head comparison image, and discharge location. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. In the record ID field, a number that identifies the record is set.

[0068] The file name of an image for determining whether to harvest rice ears is set in the field for comparison of ear harvesting. This image can be an image captured by the camera module 103 of the drone 1.

[0069] The discharge location field contains the coordinates of the location where the rice ears stored in the rice ear storage layer 53a are discharged. The coordinates obtained by the GPS module 102 of the drone 1 can be used as the coordinates of the location. When direct seeding is carried out in the system 100 of this embodiment, information about the paddy field is acquired using a drone 1.

[0070] 16 is a flowchart illustrating the paddy field registration process according to the embodiment. Note that the processing procedure shown in the flowchart of the embodiment is an example, and some of the processing may be replaced with other processing, the order of some of the processing may be changed, or other processing may be added. During the paddy field registration process, drone 1 continues to acquire its own location information using GPS module 102.

[0071] [Step S1] After arriving at a rice paddy, the drone control unit 11 activates the camera module 103 to capture an image of the entire rice paddy. At this time, the drone 1 also calculates the coordinates of the ridges.

[0072] [Step S2] The drone control unit 11 transmits the coordinates of the levee and an image of the rice paddy to the management server 2 via the communication module 104. The management server 2 references the rice paddy information table T1 and automatically sets a unique record ID and rice paddy ID, respectively. It also sets the date and time the received image of the rice paddy in the name field. It also sets the coordinates of the levee in the rice paddy coordinate field. It also sets the file name of the received image in the image field. It also sets the coordinates of the levee and the date and time the image of the rice paddy was received in the registration date field.

[0073] [Step S3] The drone control unit 11 measures the vertex coordinates of the corners of the paddy field using the GPS module 102 and transmits the vertex coordinates of the paddy field via the communication module to the management server 2. The management server 2 refers to the paddy field information table T1 and sets the vertex coordinates of the paddy field corners in the corner coordinate column. Incidentally, paddy fields come in a variety of shapes, but in the case of a rectangular paddy field as shown in FIG. 1, the coordinates of four vertices are transmitted to the management server 2, and in the case of a hexagonal paddy field, the coordinates of six vertices are transmitted to the management server 2. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of how to find the vertex coordinates of an n-sided paddy field. Based on the north-south and east-west baselines, multiple vertical and horizontal lines are drawn at right angles at regular intervals, like on graph paper, to determine the vertex coordinates. The user operates the terminal device 3 and accesses the management server 2 to register R, the starting point, and the row spacing in the paddy field information table T1. Next, the control unit 21 sets seed rice information. FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the seed rice information setting process. [Step S11] The control unit 21 sets the paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 set in step S2 in the paddy field ID field of the seed rice information table T2. [Step S12] The control unit 21 connects the angular coordinates with lines to construct a virtual paddy field. [Step S13] The control unit 21 determines the longest distance between the north-south ridges and the east-west ridges of the virtual paddy field constructed in step S12 as the baseline. [Step S14] The control unit 21 refers to the row spacing column in the paddy field information table T1 and draws parallel rows along the baseline at the row spacing.

[0074] [Step S15] The control unit 21 numbers the parallel rows drawn in step S14 in order from the east side of the ridge, and sets them in the row number column of the seed rice information table T2. The points where the east-west and north-south rows intersect become the rice drop positions. The control unit 21 sets the rice drop positions in the rice drop position column of the seed rice information table T2. The control unit 21 also sets a unique seed rice sequence ID for each record. At this time, it is preferable to assign numbers with a part of the same seed rice sequence ID to records that have the same row number.

[0075] Next, the direct seeding operation of the system 100 will be described using a flowchart. In the following explanation, the operation when sowing rice ears in a paddy field will be described, but the type of grain ear is not limited to rice ears. Also, the growing area for grain is not limited to paddy fields. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating the direct broadcasting operation of the embodiment.

[0076] [Preprocessing] The user specifies the paddy field in which direct seeding is desired by operating the terminal device 3. The management server 2 refers to the specified paddy field information table T1 and sets the rice planting flag (TF) of the record having the paddy field ID of the specified paddy field to "1." [Step S21] The drone control unit 11 refers to the paddy field information table T1 and identifies records whose rice planting flag (TF) is "1". [Step S22] Drone 1 references the paddy field coordinates in the record identified in step S21 (hereinafter referred to as the record in question) and obtains the paddy field location information. [Step S23] The D rice seeding device 4 flies to the paddy field based on the paddy field coordinates acquired in step S22.

[0077] [Step S24] When the D rice direct seeding device 4 arrives at the relevant paddy field, it takes a picture with the camera module 103 and sends the taken image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the image of the paddy field in the file name of the paddy field image of the record with the received image. AI judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0078] If the management server 2 determines that the image of the rice paddy in the file name of the rice paddy image matches the received image (Yes in step S24), it sets the rice planting flag column of the record to "2" and proceeds to step S25. If the management server 2 determines that the image of the rice paddy in the file name of the rice paddy image does not match the received image (No in step S24), it returns an error and proceeds to step S26.

[0079] [Step S25] The D rice direct sowing device 4 executes the rice seed dropping process. The rice seed dropping process will be described next. When the rice seed dropping process is completed, the direct sowing operation of FIG. 19 is completed.

[0080] [Step S26] The management server 2 sets "1" in the error flag field of the record, displays a warning on the terminal device 3, and sends an instruction to the D rice direct sowing device 4 to flash its warning light. 20 and 21 are flowcharts illustrating the seed rice dropping process.

[0081] [Step S25a] The management server 2 transmits to the D direct rice seeding device 4 the record in the seed rice information table T2 and the record in the seed rice direct seeding information table T4 that have a paddy field ID that matches the paddy field ID of the relevant record.

[0082] [Step S25b] When the D rice direct sowing device 4 receives the records of the seed rice information table T2 transmitted in step S25a, it selects the record to be processed. For example, the record to be processed first is the record with the smallest seed rice sequence ID. Then, it proceeds to step S25c.

[0083] [Step S25c] The D rice direct sowing device 4 moves to the rice seed dropping position on the imaginary line described above, based on the rice seed dropping position included in the record selected in step S25b.

[0084] [Step S25d] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets the rice seeds to be dropped based on the number of rice seeds in the record of the received rice seed direct seeding information table T4, and then proceeds to step S25e. [Step S25e] The D-type rice direct sowing device 4 monitors the image using the rotation sensor 442. After that, the process proceeds to step S25f.

[0085] [Step S25f] The D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether the number of seeds set in step S25d matches the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the seed direct sowing information table T4 based on the monitoring results of the rotation sensor 442. If the number of seeds set in step S25d matches the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the seed direct sowing information table T4, or if the number of seeds set in step S25d does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the seed direct sowing information table T4 but the discrepancy is within the range of the number set in the field for error number (Yes in step S25f), the process proceeds to step S25g. If the number of seeds set in step S25d does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the seed direct sowing information table T4 and the discrepancy is outside the range of the number set in the field for error number (No in step S25f), the process proceeds to step S25n.

[0086] [Step S25g] The D rice direct seeding device 4 is lowered by the numerical value set in the lowering distance field of the seed rice direct seeding information table T4, and then the process proceeds to step S25h.

[0087] [Step S25h] After descending, the spray unit 45 sprays compressed air in response to an instruction from the drone control unit 11. This pushes down the rice-dropping lid 44, causing the rice seeds to pass through the drop pipe 43 and be dropped into the soil.

[0088] [Step S25i] The direct seeding sensor 43b counts the number of seeds passing through the drop pipe 43. If the counted number of seeds matches the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4, or if the counted number of seeds does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4 but is within the range of the number set in the field for error number (Yes in step S25i), the process proceeds to step S25j. If the counted number of seeds does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4 and is outside the range of the number set in the field for error number (No in step S25i), the process proceeds to step S25p.

[0089] [Step S25j] The D rice direct sowing device 4 sets the rice planting completion flag (TCF) of the record in question in the seed rice information table T2 to 1. Then, the process proceeds to step S25k.

[0090] [Step S25k] The D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether or not there are any records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S25b that have not been processed. Specifically, the D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether or not the rice planting completion flag of the record immediately below the record in the seed rice information table T2 selected in step S25b is "0". If the rice planting completion flag is "0" (Yes in step S25k), the record immediately below is selected. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25d, and processing from step S25d onwards is carried out. If all records have been processed, that is, if the rice planting completion flag fields of the records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S25b are all "1" (No in step S25k), the process proceeds to step S25m.

[0091] [Step S25m] The D rice direct sowing device 4 transmits the seed rice information table T2 to the management server 2 and returns. The management server 2 updates the contents of the received seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, if all of the rice planting completion flag columns in the received seed rice information table T2 are "1", the management server 2 sets "3" in the rice planting flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, the management server 2 sets the rice planting date and time in the paddy field information table T1 and the seed rice information table T2.

[0092] [Step S25n] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets "2" in the error flag column of the record in question. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also flashes the LED warning light 105. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also notifies the management server 2 that "2" has been set in the error flag column of the record in question. The management server 2 sets "2" in the error flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. The management server 2 also displays a warning on the screen of the terminal device 3. After that, the process proceeds to step S25d (re-challenge).

[0093] [Step S25p] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets "3" in the error flag column of the record in question. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also flashes the LED warning light 105. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also notifies the management server 2 that "3" has been set in the error flag column of the record in question. The management server 2 sets "3" in the error flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. The management server 2 also displays a warning on the screen of the terminal device 3. After that, the process proceeds to step S25c (re-challenge).

[0094] In the processing of Figures 20 and 21, an error flag is set immediately when an error occurs, but this is not limited to this. If the number of errors is less than a certain number, the error flag may not be set and the processing may proceed to step S25d to try again, and the error flag may be set when the number of errors exceeds the certain number.

[0095] Next, the harvesting operation of the system 100 will be explained using a flowchart. In the following explanation, the operation when harvesting rice ears from a paddy field will be explained, but the type of grain ear is not limited to rice ears. Furthermore, the growing area of grain is not limited to paddy fields. FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating the reaping operation of the embodiment.

[0096] [Preprocessing] The user specifies the paddy field to be harvested by operating the terminal device 3. The management server 2 references the specified paddy field information table T1 and sets the harvest flag (HF) of the record having the paddy field ID of the specified paddy field to "1." [Step S31] The drone 1 refers to the paddy field information table T1 and identifies records whose harvest flag is "1". [Step S32] Drone 1 references the paddy field coordinates of the record identified in step S31 and obtains the paddy field location information. [Step S33] The D ear harvesting device 5 flies to the rice paddy based on the position information of the rice paddy acquired in step S32.

[0097] [Step S34] When the D ear harvesting device 5 arrives at the relevant paddy field, it takes a picture with the camera module 103 of the imaging device and sends the taken image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the received image with the image of the paddy field with the file name of the paddy field image of the record identified in step S31. AI-based judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0098] If the management server 2 determines that the image of the paddy field in the paddy field image file name matches the received image (Yes in step S34), it sets the harvest flag column of the record to "2" and proceeds to step S35. If the management server 2 determines that the image of the paddy field in the paddy field image file name does not match the received image (No in step S34), it returns an error and proceeds to step S36. [Step S35] The D ear harvesting device 5 executes the harvesting process, which will be described next. When the harvesting process is completed, the harvesting operation shown in FIG. 22 ends.

[0099] [Step S36] The management server 2 sets "1" in the error flag field of the record identified in step S31 and displays a warning on the terminal device 3. It also sends an instruction to the D ear harvesting device 5 to flash its warning light. 23 and 24 are flowcharts illustrating the reaping process.

[0100] [Step S35a] The management server 2 transmits to the D ear harvesting device 5 the records in the seed rice information table T2 and the records in the seed rice direct sowing information table T4 that have paddy field IDs that match the paddy field ID of the record identified in step S31.

[0101] [Step S35b] When the D ear harvesting device 5 receives the records of the seed rice information table T2 transmitted in step S35a, it selects the record to be processed. For example, the record to be processed first is the record with the smallest seed rice sequence ID. Then, the process proceeds to step S35c. [Step S35c] The D ear harvesting device 5 moves to the rice ear position on the imaginary row line based on the rice grain dropping position included in the record selected in step S35b.

[0102] [Step S35d] The ear harvesting device 5 takes an image with the camera module 103 at the position of the rice ear on the virtual row line to which it has moved, and sends the captured image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the received image with the ear harvesting comparison image in the harvesting information table T5, and determines whether harvesting can be carried out. AI-based judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0103] If management server 2 determines that reaping can be performed (Yes in step S35d), it transitions to step S35e. If management server 2 determines that reaping cannot be performed, for example, because the growth of the rice ears is insufficient (No in step S35d), it transitions to step S35h. [Step S35e] The management server 2 transmits a reaping instruction to the D ear reaping device 5. [Step S35f] The D ear harvesting device 5 performs harvesting in the manner described above. When harvesting is complete, the harvesting completion flag in the seed rice information table T2 is set to "1."

[0104] [Step S35g] When reaping is complete, the D ear harvesting device 5 determines using the internal sensor 51d that the number of rice ears in the ear accumulation layer 53a has not yet reached a certain level. If there is room in the ear accumulation layer 53a and the number of rice ears has not yet reached a certain level (Yes in step S35g), the process proceeds to step S35h. If the number of rice ears in the ear accumulation layer 53a has reached a certain level (No in step S35g), the process proceeds to step S35j.

[0105] [Step S35h] The D ear harvesting device 5 determines whether or not there are any records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S35b that have not been processed. Specifically, the D ear harvesting device 5 determines whether or not the harvest completion flag of the record immediately below the record in the seed rice information table T2 selected in step S35b is "0". If the harvest completion flag is "0" (Yes in step S35h), the record immediately below is selected. After that, the process proceeds to step S35c, and the processes from step S35c onwards are carried out. If all records have been processed, that is, if the harvest completion flag fields of the records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S35b are all "1" (No in step S35h), the process proceeds to step S35i.

[0106] [Step S35i] The D ear harvesting device 5 transmits the seed rice information table T2 to the management server 2 and returns. The management server 2 updates the contents of the received seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, if all of the reaping completion flag columns in the received seed rice information table T2 are "1", the management server 2 sets "3" in the reaping flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, the management server 2 sets the reaping date and time in the reaping date and time columns in the paddy field information table T1 and the seed rice information table T2.

[0107] [Step S35j] The D ear harvesting device 5 moves to the discharge location in the harvesting information table T5 and discharges the ears of rice. After that, it flies to the rice paddy based on the position information of the rice paddy acquired in step S32, and the process proceeds to step S35h. <Drone collision prevention>

[0108] Up to now, the operation of one drone 1 has been described, but consider a case where direct sowing or harvesting is performed using multiple drones 1. In this case, each drone control unit 11 performs collision avoidance between the drones 1. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the drone collision avoidance process.

[0109] [Step S41] The management server 2 determines that no other drones are present at the flight destination based on the location information sent from the GPS module 102 of each drone 1. If no other drones are present at the flight destination (Yes in step S41), the process proceeds to step S42. If other drones are present at the flight destination (No in step S41), the flight is canceled. [Step S42] The management server 2 grants permission to fly to the drone 1. The drone 1 that has been granted permission to fly begins flying and heads toward its destination.

[0110] [Step S43] The drone 1 activates the distance measurement module 106 during flight and confirms that no other flying objects exist within the predetermined distance range. If no other flying objects exist within the predetermined distance range (Yes in step S43), the process proceeds to step S44. If another flying object exists within the predetermined distance range (No in step S43), the process proceeds to step S45. [Step S44] The drone 1 continues flying. When it reaches the destination, the process in FIG. 25 ends.

[0111] As described above, according to the embodiment of the system 100, the management server 2 has a paddy field information storage unit 22 that stores the identification number (paddy field ID) of the area (paddy field) where grains are to be planted, the angular coordinates of the paddy field, the spacing between multiple parallel virtual rows spaced at a predetermined interval determined based on the angular coordinates, and the radius of a circle centered on the base point where the grain seeds will fall, a seed rice information storage unit 23 that stores, for each row number that identifies the row, the seed rice drop position based on the spacing between the virtual rows and the radius of the circle, and information on the seed rice dropped by the D rice direct sowing device 4 based on the set drop position, and a processing unit 21 that outputs information on the position where drop was completed and the position where drop was not possible for each row. Therefore, even in places where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery, it is possible to control the D direct rice seeding device 4, which directly seeds grains of any type in a short time.

[0112] Furthermore, the management server 2 has a seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 24 that stores the descending distance when the D rice direct sowing device 4 drops the rice seeds, the number of rice seeds to be dropped, and the allowable error number for the number of rice seeds to be dropped in association with each other, and the D rice direct sowing device 4 drops the rice seeds when the number of rice seeds to be dropped matches the number stored in the seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 24, or when the numbers do not match but the mismatch number is within the allowable error number for the number stored in the seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 24. This makes it possible to make the number of rice seeds dropped approximately uniform.

[0113] Furthermore, the management server 2 causes the D-ear harvesting device 5 to harvest grain ears at the positions where dropping has been completed stored in the seed rice information storage unit 23 for the paddy fields stored in the paddy field information storage unit 22, and stores information on the completion of harvesting for each seed rice dropping position, and the processing unit 21 outputs information on the positions where harvesting has been completed and the positions where harvesting was not possible for each seed rice dropping position. This makes it easier to manage the harvesting locations. The management server 2 also includes a harvesting information storage unit 26 that stores the location where harvested rice ears are discharged.

[0114] When the harvested and stored ears of rice reach a certain amount, the D-ear harvesting device 5 moves to a discharge location to discharge the ears of rice, and when discharge is complete, it refers to the seed rice information storage unit 23 and resumes harvesting from the position where harvesting has not been completed. This makes it possible to prevent ears of rice from overflowing from the D-ear harvesting device 5 during harvesting.

[0115] There are three types of grain sowing: broadcast sowing, row sowing, and spot sowing. However, by using the D direct rice seeding device 4 of the embodiment, seeds can be sown in a short time regardless of the type of grain.

[0116] Currently, most farmers use agricultural machinery such as combine harvesters when harvesting grains such as rice, wheat, and buckwheat, but moving heavy combine harvesters on terraced farmland in mountainous areas is not an easy task.

[0117] The D ear harvesting device 5 can also reduce the labor required by farmers and shorten work time when harvesting grains in farmland with varying elevations, such as rice paddies in mountainous areas. Furthermore, the D rice direct sowing device 4 and the D ear harvesting device 5 can be used for both purposes by replacing some parts, which means there is no need to have a variety of agricultural equipment depending on the farming task, making it economical.

[0118] In recent years, it has been reported that a large-scale eruption of Mount Fuji could result in volcanic ash falling in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The volcanic ash may not necessarily fall in the city center depending on the wind direction, and conversely, if the eruption continues for a long time, the damage caused by ash fall in the Tokyo metropolitan area may be unavoidable.

[0119] If the eruption were to occur just before the rice harvest, and the impact were to reach the most severe stage 4 (30 cm or more), it would be impossible to bring combine harvesters into the ash-covered rice paddies to harvest the rice, and it is likely that all work would have to be done by hand.

[0120] In the embodiment of the D ear harvesting device 5, the ash covering the ears is blown away by the downward wind from the drone 1 (wind strength can be adjusted by the rotor blades), and if the entire rice plant is not buried in ash, the ears that are sticking out above the ash can be harvested. During ashfall, it is difficult to operate the combine and harvest rice because you cannot see ahead. Of course, receiving a GPS signal is even more difficult, as is the signal interference during snowfall. The processing performed by the management server 2 may be distributed among a plurality of devices. In addition, some of the functions of the drone control unit 11 may be provided by the direct sowing device 4 or the reaping device 5.

[0121] While the information management device and program of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having the same function. Furthermore, any other components or processes may be added to the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments.

[0122] The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In this case, a program is provided that describes the processing contents of the functions possessed by the management server 2. The above processing functions are realized on the computer by executing the program on the computer. The program describing the processing contents can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and semiconductor memories. Examples of magnetic storage devices include hard disk drives, flexible disks (FDs), and magnetic tapes. Examples of optical disks include DVDs, DVD-RAMs, and CD-ROM / RWs. Examples of magneto-optical recording media include MOs (Magneto-Optical disks).

[0123] When distributing a program, for example, the program is recorded on a portable recording medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM and sold. Alternatively, the program can be stored in a storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0124] A computer that executes a program stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server computer in its own storage device. The computer then reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing in accordance with the program. Note that the computer can also read the program directly from a portable recording medium and execute processing in accordance with that program. The computer can also execute processing in accordance with the program received each time a program is transferred from a server computer connected via a network.

[0125] At least a part of the above processing functions can also be realized by electronic circuits such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1. Drones (flying objects) 1a Housing 1b Rotor 1c Fixed axis 1d attachment 11 Drone control unit 2 Management Server 21 Processing section 22 Paddy Field Information Storage Unit 23 Seed information storage section 24 Seed direct sowing initial information storage unit 25 Seed direct sowing information storage unit 26 Reaping information storage section 3 Terminal Devices 4 Direct seeding device 41 Seed rice storage section 42 Case 43 Drop pipe 43a Tip 43b Sensor for direct seeding of rice 44 Rice threshing rotation device 441 Rotating Circle 441a Groove 442 Rotation Sensor 443 Drive Motor 444 axes 45 Rice Dropping Lid 451 Coil 46 Injection part 47 Air flow tube 5 Reaping device 51 Upper part of the reaping 51a Blower 51b Ear intake port 51c Internal Sensor 52 Tip guidance section 52a Cutting rotary blade 52b Drive motor 52c guide plate 52c1 V-shaped opening 52d Guide plate support part 53 Lower part of the reaping 53a Ear accumulation layer 53b Side 53c Discharge section 100 systems 101 Raspberry Pi 5 102 GPS module 103 Camera Module 104 Communication Module 105 LED warning light 106 Distance Measurement Module T1 Paddy Field Information Table T2 Seed rice information table T3 Seed rice direct sowing initial information table T4 Seed rice direct sowing information table T5 Harvesting Information Table

Claims

1. a first storage unit that stores an identification number of an area where grains are to be planted, coordinates of the corners of the area, spacing between a plurality of virtual parallel stripes spaced at predetermined intervals based on the coordinates, and the radius of a circle having a center at the drop point of the grain seeds; a second storage unit that stores, for each row number that identifies the row, the seed rice dropping positions that are set based on the row spacing and the radius of the circle, and information on the seed rice dropped by the drone-type flying object based on the set dropping positions; an output unit that outputs information on the positions where dropping was completed and the positions where dropping was not possible for each of the stripes; An information management device comprising:

2. a third storage unit that stores a descent distance when the flying object drops the rice seeds, the number of rice seeds to be dropped, and an allowable error for the number of rice seeds to be dropped in association with each other; The information management device described in claim 1, wherein the flying object drops the seeds if the number of seeds dropped matches the number stored in the third memory unit, or if the number does not match but the mismatch is within the range of the allowable error number stored in the third memory unit.

3. causing the flying object to harvest grain ears at the positions where dropping has been completed and stored in the second storage unit in the area stored in the first storage unit, and storing information on the completion of harvesting for each seed rice dropping position; 2. The information management device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs information on positions where reaping has been completed and positions where reaping has not been completed for each seed rice dropping position.

4. a fourth memory unit that stores a discharge location for the harvested grain ears; The information management device described in claim 3, wherein the flying object moves to the discharge location and discharges the grain ears when a certain amount of harvested and stored grain ears is reached, and when discharge is complete, the flying object refers to the second memory unit and resumes harvesting at locations where harvesting has not been completed.

5. On the computer, storing an identification number of an area where grains are to be planted, coordinates of the corners of the area, spacing between a plurality of virtual parallel stripes spaced at predetermined intervals determined based on the coordinates, and the radius of a circle having a center at the drop point of the grain seeds; The seed rice dropping position set based on the interval between the rows and the radius of the circle, and information on the dropping of the seed rice by the drone-type flying object based on the set dropping position are stored for each row number that identifies the row, outputting information on the positions where dropping was completed and the positions where dropping was not possible for each of the stripes; A program characterized by executing a process.

Images