Harvesting machine travel path generation device

Abstract

To provide a travelling route creation device for a harvesting work machine capable of calculating an efficient travelling route while suppressing occurrence of jamming of grain culm, including information on the inside of a farm field such as a lodging state of grain culm.SOLUTION: A machine body is provided with a travelling device 4, a reaping device 15, a thresher 6, and a travelling program 302 for causing the machine body to travel according to a set route. A farm field image 203 is acquired by an imaging device 201 provided on a flight device 200. A region outside the farm field where grain culm is not present is excluded from the farm field image 203 by region analysis means 311, and using extent analysis means 312 and direction analysis means 313, the extent of lodging and the direction of the grain culm are calculated and the farm field image 203 is corrected accordingly. On the basis of the corrected farm field image 203, travelling route data 301 is calculated including a travelling route for reaping and harvesting the lodged grain culm by the reaping device 15 from an appropriate direction. A control device 300 is provided to actuate the travelling program 302 on the basis of the travelling route data 301.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel path generating device that calculates a travel path for a harvesting machine to harvest stalks. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a combine harvester that automatically moves around a field based on a program, automatically moves to a discharge position when the amount of grain stored in the grain tank exceeds a certain amount, and automatically returns to its travel path after discharge to continue harvesting (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-27377 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The automatic operation and driving program, which includes grain discharge, eliminates the need for an operator to operate the combine, thereby reducing the labor required for culm harvesting and enabling unmanned operation.

[0005] However, the automatic driving program calculates an automatic driving route based on position information obtained while driving to cut the stalks on the periphery of the field, by combining a work driving route that moves straight to cut the stalks and a turning driving route that moves to the next straight driving line, and does not take into account whether the stalks are lodged or the degree to which they are lodged.

[0006] Depending on the direction and speed of the combine harvester, stalks that are heavily lodged may not be sufficiently lifted, causing a large amount of stalks to get into the transport path, causing a blockage and stopping the harvesting operation.

[0007] Therefore, in areas where stalks have fallen over, the automatic driving program must not be used and the operator must operate the machine, which creates the problem of insufficient labor savings.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a driving path generation device for a harvesting machine that can calculate an efficient driving path while reducing the occurrence of stalk clogging, including information within the field such as the state of stalk lodging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention described in claim 1 is provided with a reaping device (15) that reaps and harvests stalks on a machine that travels on a traveling device (4), a threshing device (6) that separates grains from the stalks reaped by the reaping device (15), and a traveling program (302) that causes the machine to travel along a set route, and an imaging device (201) provided on a flying device (200) acquires a field image (203), and an area analysis means (311) removes areas outside the field where no stalks exist from the field image (203). The control device (300) calculates the degree and direction of lodging of the culms using a degree analysis means (312) and a direction analysis means (313) to correct the field image (203), calculates travel path data (301) including a travel path for reaping and harvesting the lodged culms from an appropriate direction using the reaping device (15) based on the corrected field image (203), and operates the travel program (302) based on the travel path data (301). The travel route data (301) is generated so that the route is set so that the mowing work at the non-lodged position is performed first and the mowing work at the lodged position is performed last, and the lodged position is set as the travel route for reciprocating mowing. The present invention relates to a harvesting machine travel path generation device.

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 is that the flying device (200) is provided with a GNSS antenna (202), and location information of the image taken by the imaging device (201) is incorporated into the image data, and a direction sensor (205) is provided, and the flying device (200) is oriented so that the upper side of the image taken by the imaging device (201) faces north. Image data acquired by the imaging device (201) that does not include the entire field is recorded as a partial image (203a), and multiple partial images (203a) are combined by an image integration program (204). The harvester path generation device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the image integration program (204) combines the partial images (203a), the arrangement of each partial image (203a) is determined from the position coordinates of the image data, and feature points (S) are extracted from each partial image (203a) using a feature point extraction algorithm (314), and parts of the multiple feature points (S) with high matching scores are determined to be overlapping parts, and generated as one of the field images (203).

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is a harvesting machine travel path generation device described in claim 1, characterized in that the lodging of stalks calculated by the degree analysis means (312) is classified and recorded into multiple stages, and only those determined to be lodging that restricts the direction of harvesting work by the harvesting device (15) are used to calculate the travel path data (301).

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is a harvesting machine travel path generation device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the travel program (302) allows the input of a field position where harvested grains are discharged, and when the discharge position is input, a round trip path to the discharge position is added to the travel path data (301). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 1, by excluding areas outside the field from the field image (203) obtained by aerial photography, it is possible to prevent information outside the field from being mistakenly included when calculating travel route data (301) within the field, thereby preventing the calculated travel route from being unsuitable for work.

[0014] In addition, the load of the calculation process when analyzing and correcting the in-field information of the field image (203) can be reduced, which shortens the time required to calculate the travel path data (301) and reduces the load on the processor.

[0015] In addition, in areas where there are fallen stalks, the travel route data (301) takes into account the appropriate direction for reaping, which makes it less likely that the reaping device (15) will be clogged with reaped stalks, causing work to be interrupted, thereby shortening the work time.

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, the captured field image (203) has the top side facing north, so the image integration program (204) does not need to consider the orientation when integrating the partial images (203a), which reduces the load on the calculation process and prevents the integrated field image (203) from being significantly different from the actual field.

[0017] Furthermore, by integrating multiple partial images (203a) to generate one field image (203), there is no need to move the flying device (200) to a high altitude to photograph the field, and no flight permit or license is required for the flying device (200), which prevents restrictions on workers who perform the photographing work.

[0018] In addition, since the resolution of the field image (203) can be increased, a decrease in the accuracy of determining whether the stalks have fallen and of distinguishing between inside and outside the field is prevented, and the accuracy of harvesting work using the driving program (302) is improved.

[0019] According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, by using only the part of the fallen stage where it is determined that the direction of travel will be restricted during the harvesting operation by the harvesting device (15) in calculating the travel path data (301), it is possible to prevent the travel path by the travel program (302) from becoming too complicated, thereby preventing a decrease in work efficiency and an increase in the load of calculation processing.

[0020] According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the round trip route of the harvested grain to the discharge position can be added to the travel route data (301), thereby preventing the machine from stepping over unharvested stalks when moving to the discharge position. This prevents the stalks from being damaged and unable to be harvested by the harvesting device (15), which requires manual harvesting, and also prevents a decrease in the quality and yield of the harvested product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] Left side view of combine harvester [Figure 2] Right side view of combine harvester [Figure 3] Top view of a combine harvester [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of a combine harvester's cabin [Figure 5] Right side cross section of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 6] Front cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 7] Right-side cross-section of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view to explain the function of the combine harvester's heating and cooling cabinet [Figure 9] Front cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 10] Bottom cross section of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 11] Front cross-sectional view of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 12] Right-side cross-section of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 13] Left side cross section of the main part of the combine harvester's cabin [Figure 14] Block diagram showing components and programs related to image processing of field images based on field data including the degree of lodging and the direction of lodging, calculation of travel route data, and processing of the automatic travel program. [Figure 15] Front view showing the flight device [Figure 16] (a) Image of a field taken from a high altitude, (b) Partial image of a field taken from a low altitude, (c) Partial image of a field taken from a low altitude, (d) Partial image of a field taken from a low altitude, (e) Partial image of a field taken from a low altitude [Figure 17] (a) Field image obtained by integrating partial images of the field, (b) Field image obtained by identifying the inside and outside of the field using a region analysis method, and (c) Field image obtained by removing information about the outside of the field. [Figure 18] Field image divided into grids [Figure 19] (a) Field image showing the lodging level for each grid as a number, (b) Field image showing the automatic travel path for reciprocating harvesting calculated according to the lodging of culms. [Figure 20] (a) Field image showing the direction of culm lodging for each grid, (b) Calculation of the direction of culm lodging based on the calculation results. [Figure 21] Rear view of the main part of a combine harvester equipped with a straw diffusion plate [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main part showing the attachment parts of the side cover [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing attachment parts of a side cover in another configuration example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] A combine harvester 1, which is an example of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding, the directions are described as follows, with the front being the front side, the rear being the rear side, the right side being the right side, and the left side being the left side, as seen from the operator's perspective; however, the configuration is not limited to these directions.

[0023] <Overall configuration of the combine> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the combine harvester 1 has a traveling device 4 mounted on the lower side of a chassis 2 and having a pair of left and right traveling crawlers 3 that travel on the soil surface, and on the left and right sides of the chassis 2 are a threshing device 6 that threshes and sorts the grain stalks that are clamped and transported by a feed chain 5, a grain tank 7 as a storage device for temporarily storing the grains, and a grain discharging auger 8 that discharges the grains stored in the grain tank 7 outside the machine, and a straw waste processing device 9 is mounted on the rear end of the threshing device 6. The grain discharging auger 8 raises and lowers by operating an auger lifting cylinder when discharging grains.

[0024] In front of the threshing device 6, a harvesting device 15 having a grass dividing body 11 that divides unharvested stalks from the front end, a raising section 12 that raises the divided stalks, a cutting blade section 13 that cuts the raised stalks, and a supply adjustment conveying section that rakes in the harvested stalks and adjusts the handling depth during transport and hands it over to the feed chain 5 is suspended from the front end of the chassis 2 so that it can be raised and lowered freely relative to the soil surface by a harvesting lifting cylinder.

[0025] An operating device for controlling the operation of the combine 1 and an operating seat 21 where the operator sits are provided at the upper rear of the reaping device 15, an engine 22 is mounted below the operating seat 21, the grain tank 7 is positioned at the rear, and a cabin 23 is provided to cover the operating device and operating seat 21, and these traveling devices 4, threshing device 6, reaping device 15, operating device, engine 22, cabin 23, etc. are attached to the chassis 2 of the combine.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cabin 23 is configured in a box shape with a cabin roof 25 provided on top of a cabin frame 24 whose base is fixed to the chassis 2, and is equipped with a door 26 that opens and closes at the front with a right glass window 26a on the right side, a left glass window 27 on the left side, a windshield window 28 on the front side, and a rear glass window 29 on the rear side.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, an air conditioning unit 30 is provided in the upper left side of the cabin 23 at the center front to rear position, and a GNSS unit 31 as a location information acquisition device and a hot / cold storage cabinet 32 as a storage cabinet for keeping PET bottles 30a, 30b, canned bottles, etc., cold and warm are provided behind the air conditioning unit 30.

[0028] The GNSS unit 31 is arranged within the left-right width of the air conditioning unit 30, and the hot / cold storage 32 is arranged in a position where its left side overlaps with the right side of the air conditioning unit 30.

[0029] Furthermore, by arranging the GNSS unit 31 within the front-to-rear width of the hot / cold storage 32, it can be arranged without protruding rearward from the cabin 23.

[0030] Therefore, the air conditioning unit 30, the GNSS unit 31, and the hot / cold storage 32 can be compactly arranged in the upper left space inside the cabin 23.

[0031] In addition, the GNSS unit 31 and the hot / cold storage unit 32 are placed by utilizing the dead space behind the air conditioning unit 30, and the air conditioning unit 30 and the hot / cold storage unit 32 are positioned so that they overlap in the left-right direction, so that the space within the cabin 23 can be used effectively and the unit is prevented from protruding significantly into the living space within the cabin 23 or outside the cabin 23.

[0032] Furthermore, by providing the GNSS unit 31 inside the cabin 23, the appearance is improved.

[0033] The bottom surface of the GNSS unit 31 is configured to be higher than the bottom surface of the hot / cold storage 32, improving rear visibility.

[0034] The GNSS unit 31 is disposed to the left of the left end of the operator seat 21, ensuring a spacious interior space.

[0035] A front duct 33F is extended from the front right side of the air conditioning unit 30 toward the upper part of the cabin 23, curved (detouring) so that it juts out to the left in front of the air conditioning unit 30, and then extended from the left side to the right side of the front part of the cabin 23, and further extended from the right side of the cabin 23 toward the rear to the right side of the operator's seat 21.

[0036] The front duct 33F is provided with left and right front air outlets 34a, 34b at the front of the cabin 23, and further provided with front and rear right air outlets 34c, 34d at the right of the cabin 23 as side air outlets.

[0037] The left and right front air outlets 34a, 34b provided at the front of the cabin 23 are configured to blow out conditioned air downward, and also serve as a defroster for the windshield window 28.

[0038] A monitor 35 is disposed in a portion where the front left portion of the front duct 33F is curved (detouring) to widen the interior space of the cabin 23.

[0039] The monitor 35 is attached so as to be embedded into the interior side of the interior panel 36, giving it a sense of unity as if it were embedded in the interior panel 36 and providing a good appearance.

[0040] The monitor 35 is positioned above the underside of the interior panel 36 to prevent reflections, and is located to the left of the rearview mirror (which may be a rearview monitor) 37 located in the center of the front left and right, making it easy for the operator seated in the operating seat 21 to see.

[0041] In addition, a rear duct 33R is extended from the rear right side of the air conditioning unit 30 in a bifurcated manner toward the front and rear of the upper part of the cabin 23, and a left front air outlet 34e is provided as a side air outlet at the point where the rear duct 33R extended toward the left side of the operator's seat 21, and the end extended toward the rear opens at the top of the hot and cold storage compartment 32 to spray conditioned air into the hot and cold storage compartment 32, and a left rear air outlet 34f is provided as a rear air outlet on the opening and closing door 32a to blow conditioned air to the rear side of the operator's seat 21, allowing the back of the operator to be air-conditioned.

[0042] The front intake port 33Fa at the base of the front duct 33F connected to the front side of the right side of the air conditioning unit 30 is wider than the rear intake port 33Ra at the base of the rear duct 33R connected to the rear side of the right side of the air conditioning unit 30.

[0043] Therefore, the front duct 33F is a long duct that runs from the left to the right inside the cabin 23, where four front left and right air outlets 34a, 34b and front and rear right air outlets 34c, 34d are provided, via the front to the right, but a sufficient volume of conditioned air can be secured from the air conditioning unit 30 through the wide front intake port 33Fa, allowing for good air conditioning.

[0044] In addition, the rear duct 33R has a relatively short path for blowing out conditioned air from the left front air outlet 34e near the air conditioning unit 30 and the left rear air outlet 34f via the hot / cold storage 32, so a sufficient air conditioning effect can be obtained even from the air conditioning unit 30 through the narrow rear intake 33Ra.

[0045] Moreover, conditioned air is blown from the air conditioning unit 30 to the hot / cold storage 32 through the rear duct 33R, and fresh conditioned air is blown into the hot / cold storage 32 and then blown out from the left rear air outlet 34f, so that the inside of the hot / cold storage 32 can always be cooled or heated with fresh conditioned air.

[0046] In addition, conditioned air is ejected from the air conditioning unit 30 through the rear duct 33R to an upper position inside the hot / cold storage 32 and then ejected into the cabin 23 from the lower left rear air outlet 34f, thereby improving the cooling and heating efficiency of the hot / cold storage 32.

[0047] Furthermore, since the left rear air outlet 34f is provided on the door 32a of the hot / cold storage 32, it can be arranged without providing a separate space for the outlet, resulting in a simple and inexpensive configuration.

[0048] The front duct 33F and the rear duct 33R are integrally formed from synthetic resin, and although they are separate front and rear ducts, by forming them integrally, the number of parts does not increase and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0049] The underside of the hot / cold storage 32 is located higher than the underside of the air conditioning unit 30, ensuring a large space inside the cabin 23.

[0050] The hot / cold storage 32 is located in the upper left rear part of the cabin 23 and does not obstruct the forward visibility of the operator seated in the operator seat 21.

[0051] The hot / cold storage 32 is disposed behind the operator seat 21. Therefore, even if the plastic bottles 30a, 30b, etc. in the hot / cold storage 32 fall, they will not hit the operator seated in the operator seat 21.

[0052] The hot / cold storage 32 is disposed in a position where its front face is aligned with the backrest of the operator's seat 21. Therefore, the hot / cold storage 32 is not far from the operator's seat 21, which is the pilot's seat, and is therefore easy to use.

[0053] The door 32a of the hot / cold storage 32 has a pivot shaft in the front-to-rear direction at the bottom, and the top opens downward toward the front, so that the PET bottles 30a, 30b and other items stored inside will not fall out even when the door 32a is opened. In addition, a hook 32b that can be operated from the outside is provided at the top of the door 32a to keep it closed.

[0054] Hoses 30c of the air conditioning unit 30 are routed below the hot / cold storage 32, making effective use of the space below the hot / cold storage 32.

[0055] The left rear glass window 27a disposed behind the left glass window 27 extends up to the bottom surface of the hot / cold storage 32, improving the visibility to the left rear.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the hot / cold storage 32 can accommodate two 500 ml PET bottles 30a in a horizontal position, and three 350 ml PET bottles 30b in a vertical position.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 9, the hot / cold storage 32 has a recess 32c on the inner bottom surface to prevent a 500 ml PET bottle 30a from rolling when stored horizontally.

[0058] A space 25a is provided between the upper surface of the hot / cold box 32 and the cabin roof 25, so that the temperature of the cabin roof 25 is not directly transferred to the hot / cold box 32.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 10, the base of the mounting portion 35a of the monitor 35 is mounted in a monitor mounting hole 35b provided on the underside of the interior panel 36, resulting in a neat appearance.

[0060] The hot / cold storage 32 has its bottom attached to a cold storage attachment hole 32d provided on the underside of the interior panel 36, giving it a neat appearance.

[0061] In the above embodiment, an example of a hot / cold storage cabinet 32 is shown as the storage cabinet, but it may also be a cold storage cabinet that functions using cold air from the air conditioning unit 30, or a warm storage cabinet that functions using hot air from the air conditioning unit 30.

[0062] In summary, by providing the air conditioning unit 30, front duct 33F, rear duct 33R and multiple air outlets 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e and 34f above the cabin 23, a large living space within the cabin 23 can be ensured.

[0063] Furthermore, by making the front intake port 33Fa of the front duct 33F, which has a long air blowing distance, wider than the rear intake port 33Ra of the rear duct 33R, which has a short air blowing distance, conditioned air can be sent evenly from the air conditioning unit 30 to the multiple air outlets 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, and 34f around the inside of the cabin 23, making it possible to change the temperature inside the cabin 23 as evenly as possible and creating an environment that is easy to work in.

[0064] In addition, the rear duct 33R guides the conditioned air to the hot / cold storage 32 that keeps PET bottles 30a, 30b, canned bottles, etc., cool or warm, and a rear air outlet 34f is provided in the hot / cold storage 32, so that the hot / cold storage 32 can be positioned utilizing the guide path of the conditioned air, thereby ensuring a large living space inside the cabin 23.

[0065] In addition, the hot / cold storage 32 is arranged at the rear side of the cabin 23, and its bottom is located higher than the bottom of the air conditioning unit 30, so that a large living space can be secured inside the cabin 23.

[0066] Furthermore, since the rear air outlet 34f is provided on the opening and closing door 32a, the space required for the air conditioner can be further reduced.

[0067] In addition, the opening and closing door 32a of the hot and cold storage unit 32 is configured so that the upper side opens downward and forward on a pivot shaft provided at the bottom, and the hot and cold storage unit 32 and the rear air outlet 34f are located behind the operator's seat 21, so that conditioned air can be sent to the rear of the operator's seat 21, improving the comfort of the cabin 23.Even if the opening and closing door 32a opens unintentionally and the PET bottles 30a, 30b etc. inside fall out, they are positioned so that they are unlikely to hit the operator seated in the operator's seat 21, ensuring safety.

[0068] In addition, the upper space of the cabin 23 can be utilized to compactly arrange the air conditioning unit 30, rear duct 33R, hot / cold storage 32, and position information acquisition device 31, thereby ensuring a large living space within the cabin 23.

[0069] Furthermore, the monitor 35 is arranged in a position where the interior space of the cabin 23 is widened by curving the front duct 33F, so that the living space of the cabin 23 can be widened and the monitor 35 can be arranged in a position where it is easily visible, enabling efficient work.

[0070] In addition, the front air outlets 34a, 34b located at the top of the windshield 28 blow out conditioned air toward the bottom of the windshield 28, which also serves as a defroster for the windshield 28, preventing a decrease in visibility.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, a wiper 40 is provided on the upper outer surface of the windshield window 28.

[0072] The cabin roof 25 protrudes forward beyond the windshield window 28 at the front of the cabin 23 .

[0073] The wiper 40 has a typical configuration in which its base is rotatably supported on an offset plate 39 fixed to the front protrusion of the cabin roof 25, and when not in operation, it is stored in a horizontal position within the underside of the front protrusion of the cabin roof 25.

[0074] Therefore, the wiper 40 is stored within the underside of the front protruding portion of the cabin roof 25 when not in operation, thereby improving forward visibility.

[0075] A wiper motor 41 that drives a wiper 40 is provided inside the front end of the cabin roof 25, and a drive shaft 41a of the wiper motor 41 is provided passing through the offset plate 39. By operating the rotary link mechanism of the wiper 40, the wiper 40 rotates back and forth between a horizontal inoperative position and a position facing vertically downward, thereby wiping off water droplets, dirt, etc. adhering to the outer surface of the windshield window 28.

[0076] A washer nozzle 42 is provided in the center of the left and right of the offset plate 39, and a washer pump is activated by operating an operating device to spray washing water onto the outer surface of the windshield window 28.

[0077] To efficiently reap and harvest stalks using the combine harvester described above, it is important to determine the reaping route before starting work. In particular, when using automatic or unmanned operation, accurate route setting is necessary to prevent overlapping of work rows, the occurrence of unworked areas, and work interruptions due to stalk jams. Stalk jams are likely to occur when the reaping device 15 contacts fallen stalks from an inappropriate direction, so for areas where lodging has occurred, it is necessary to set a route that allows the reaping device 15 to contact the fallen stalks from an appropriate direction for reaping.

[0078] However, the growth status of the culms near the center of the field can be difficult to confirm due to the culms on the periphery, and it is difficult to grasp unless you check from a higher elevation than the field itself. This is especially true when the field area is large, and in such areas there may not be any high ground near the field. Therefore, until some of the culms on the periphery have been harvested, the growth status of the culms near the center cannot be determined, and it may be necessary to redo the route planning partway through.

[0079] Therefore, one idea is to attach an aerial camera 201 to a flying device 200 such as a drone or radio-controlled helicopter as shown in Figure 15, take pictures of the state of growth of the stalks from above the field before harvesting, preferably just before the work begins, and use the images obtained to plan the work route. If the viewing angle of the lens mounted on this aerial camera 201 is approximately 90 degrees, the width of the captured image will be twice the altitude of the flying device 200, and if the aspect ratio of the captured image is set to 16:9, the height will be 1.125 times.

[0080] Therefore, if the flying device 200 is positioned at a high altitude, the entire field can be captured in a single field image 203, as shown in Figure 16(a), but the resolution will be lower, so the aerial photography camera 201, its lens, and the image analysis processor 300 must be high performance, which will increase costs. Furthermore, under the Aviation Act, a special application is required to fly at altitudes of 150 meters or higher.

[0081] Therefore, as shown in Figure 15, it is desirable to mount a GNSS antenna 202 on a flying device 200, photograph several locations in the field, acquire partial images 203a shown in Figures 16(b) to 16(e) with location information added, and then synthesize the multiple partial images 203a using an image integration program 204 to obtain a field image 203. In particular, for large fields, even when photographed from a high altitude, it may not be possible to fit the entire field into a single image, so an image integration program 204 is required that can integrate the multiple partial images 203a to generate a single image.

[0082] The flying device 200 is equipped with an orientation sensor 205, and when taking a photograph, the attitude of the flying device 200 is controlled so that the top of the image faces north (N).

[0083] This sets a standard for combining multiple images, which prevents the combined farm field image 203 from differing from the actual farm field, making it easier to set an appropriate work route.

[0084] Furthermore, the upper side of the farm field image 203 also faces north (N), so it is possible to prevent setting an incorrect work route by confusing north and south.

[0085] Furthermore, there is no need to move the flight device 200 to the high altitude where an application is required, and the workers performing the aerial photography are not restricted by whether they have the necessary qualifications, ensuring flexibility in the selection of workers.

[0086] The image integration program 204 uses a feature point extraction algorithm 314 to compare the feature points S of each image and determine whether or not they can be combined based on the combination with the highest matching score for multiple feature points S and the proximity of position coordinates obtained from the GNSS antenna 202. Note that because the images are combined at the top and bottom or left and right edges, emphasis is placed on feature points S near the edges of the images, and feature points S obtained from other positions are hardly used or are completely ignored. When combining images, the image shapes are changed using projective transformation before the images are overlaid, ensuring consistency in the combined parts.

[0087] The images captured by dividing this process are combined together to output a farm field image 203.

[0088] The above field image 203 is likely to include not only the interior of the field where the stalks grow, but also the ridges and roads on the periphery of the field. When a worker operates a combine harvester to perform reaping and harvesting work, there is no problem in looking at this field image 203 and planning the work route, but this information is unnecessary when performing automated driving, and an algorithm that can distinguish between inside and outside the field is required, especially when the route is automatically set from training data recorded on a cloud computer or the like.

[0089] Therefore, as shown in Figures 17(a) to 17(c), it is conceivable to use a region analysis means 311 that distinguishes between inside and outside of a field based on local features for object detection, so-called HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradient), and excludes out-of-field regions from the field image 203. The periphery of a field, if the soil is compacted, is often white, brown, or black, different from the color of unharvested grain stalks, and also tends to be concentrated with green, yellow, brown, and other pixels of weeds, making it possible to determine that the area is outside of the field. Furthermore, white and gray pixels are likely to be detected in the case of concrete ridges, and black or grayish-white pixels are likely to be detected in the case of paved roads, making it possible to determine that the area is outside of the field.

[0090] Of the areas determined to be within the field, adjacent fields that are partially visible in the field image 203 are excluded from the image as not being work targets if their area (number of pixels) in the image is less than a certain value. Then, a field image 203 showing only one field is generated, as shown in Figure 17(c), and if the image size is less than the default image size, the image size is enlarged to accommodate the available space.

[0091] By performing the above-mentioned identification process, areas outside the field are excluded from the field image 203, which eliminates the need for an algorithm to recognize areas outside the field when setting the driving route data 301, thereby reducing the processing load and shortening the time required to set the route.

[0092] The generated farm field image 203 may display multiple grids by drawing vertical and horizontal lines at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1.5 m) as shown in Fig. 18. This makes it easier to check the degree of lodging of the stalks for each grid, and to consider an efficient work route that takes into account the appropriate direction of travel of the combine harvester in areas with a high degree of lodging.

[0093] In addition to HOG, the above lodging determination uses BoVW (Bag of Visual Words), which quantum vectorizes local features in an image to generate a histogram, and SVM (Support Vector Machine), which classifies a data collection into two classes and draws a line to indicate which one it belongs to. As shown in Figure 19(a), a degree analysis means 312 is used to determine the lodging level of the culms, for example from level 0 to level 5, and classify the classes into no lodging (lodging levels 0 to 3, or 0 to 4), which means that harvesting can be done without changing course, and lodging, which means that clogging is likely to occur unless harvesting is done in the direction opposite to the direction the culms are lying (lodging levels 4 and above, or only 5).

[0094] Furthermore, a direction analysis means 313 such as a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) is used to make the determination and classify the culms into four classes, north-south, east-west, or eight classes, north-south, east-west, northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast, as shown in Figure 20(a). Grids classified as lodged are displayed on a display or the like using arrows or letters corresponding to the class, or the class number is displayed, making it easier to visually determine in which direction the culms have fallen.

[0095] The above-mentioned determination of whether a grid is lying down is performed for each grid, and the direction of lying down is recorded for grids classified as lying down. In addition, for grids classified as not lying down, the level of lying down is displayed. These are generated by combining the images of Figure 19(a) and Figure 20(a), for example.

[0096] In addition, it is advisable to make it easier to distinguish between the areas where harvesting work is carried out by using solid lines and the areas where movement to the fallen position is carried out by using dashed lines or different colors.

[0097] This allows the travel route during harvesting work to be set according to the type of landfall, reducing the frequency of changes in direction and the distance traveled, thereby shortening work time.

[0098] Furthermore, by displaying the lodging level at the location where the culms have fallen to a degree that does not interfere with reaping work, the traveling speed and the conveying speed of the reaping device 15 can be increased or decreased according to the lodging level, and the culms can be placed stably on the conveying path and conveyed in a position that does not interfere with threshing or straw conveyance. This prevents a decrease in threshing accuracy and prevents straw from being discharged as set.

[0099] The above data are integrated to generate travel route data 301, as shown in Figures 19(b) and 20(b), which describes the travel route to be taken when performing harvesting work in a field, including course changes to a harvesting direction suitable for lodging while minimizing the amount of extra travel distance. This travel route data 301 is loaded into the processor 300, which then causes the combine harvester 1 to automatically travel along the travel route. It is desirable that the processor 300 be able to handle large amounts of data and be able to communicate remotely with the combine harvester 1, and that the data be available via a cloud server or the like.

[0100] 14, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with an automatic driving program 302 that operates the left and right traveling crawlers 3, 3 individually and in conjunction with each other, controls the output of the HST 220 that receives power from the engine 22 to travel and output to the work equipment, and automatically increases / decreases the traveling speed, adjusts course, and turns. This automatic driving program 302 controls an output servo motor 304 that rotates the trunnion shaft (not shown) of the HST 220 to change the output, and travel transmission motors 305, 305 that operate the travel brakes and travel transmission clutches corresponding to the left and right traveling crawlers 3, 3.

[0101] In addition, the aircraft's own position as determined by the GNSS unit 31 is also used to make the aircraft travel along the position coordinates obtained from the GNSS antenna 202 of the flight device 200, which are recorded in the travel route data 301.

[0102] When performing ground work such as reaping and harvesting in a field using the above-mentioned travel route data 301 and automatic travel program 302, first, the combine harvester 1 is caused to travel along the sides of the field, passing through multiple corners of the field, in order to obtain coordinates that will be the reference for automatically generating a travel route using the GNSS unit 31. At this time, if there are stalks to be harvested on the travel route, the combine harvester is caused to travel while performing reaping and harvesting work.

[0103] The so-called circular mowing, which involves driving around the perimeter of the field to harvest and cut, is carried out around the outermost perimeter and two perimeters inside it.By increasing the number of reference points for route generation, the deviation between the generated driving route and the shape of the field can be reduced, and a driving route with good work efficiency can be obtained.

[0104] The above-mentioned travel path program 301 first generates a simple one that suits the conditions for back and forth mowing, circular mowing, etc., without using the field image 203 or any information added thereto, such as lodging. For example, it generates basic travel path data 206 that generates a travel path that repeats straight travel and turning travel to the next work position from the end point of the previous circular mowing, or that continues circular mowing toward the inner perimeter.

[0105] This basic travel path 206 is combined with a field image 203 to which information such as the state of lodging obtained from various image analyses is added, and the travel path is recalculated to generate actual travel path data 207 along which the actual combine will travel to harvest. The actual travel path data 207 may be the same travel path as the basic travel path data 206 if the field image 203 does not contain any areas classified as lodged, or if the direction of lodging is the same or nearly the same as that of the basic travel path data 206.

[0106] On the other hand, if there is an area in the field image 203 that is classified as lodging, and the travel route in the basic travel route data 206 is in a direction of lodging that would hinder harvesting of the stalks, the relevant location is bypassed and the machine is moved to a non-lodging position, harvesting travel is resumed, and then a route is set to move in a direction appropriate for the lodging of the stalks.

[0107] In this case, if the range of the fallen positions is narrow, setting a route that transitions to mowing at the fallen positions over the shortest distance after the detour reduces the travel distance to the fallen positions and the travel distance to the mowing position after working at the fallen positions.On the other hand, if the range of the fallen positions is wide, setting a route that mows the non-lodged positions first and then mows the fallen positions last reduces the need to include the positions of unmowed stalks or the edges of the field in the travel route setting, simplifying route generation.

[0108] Furthermore, by setting the position for discharging the harvested grain from the grain tank 7 to the outside of the machine in advance, and when discharging work becomes necessary during harvesting, the program generates a travel route that reduces the frequency of reversing or turning, eliminates the need to avoid unharvested stalks, and allows the machine to move to the discharge position in the shortest possible time, thereby reducing the time required for grain discharge work.

[0109] The growth conditions of grain culms growing in fields vary depending on weather conditions from the time seedlings are transplanted (or seeds are sown) to harvest, as well as on the nutrient content of the field. When there is an excess of nutrients and moisture in the field, the distance between nodes (internodes) increases, reducing strength and making the culms prone to elongation. Elongated grain culms become weaker to impacts as they grow due to their long internodes, and when exposed to strong winds, they bend at the internodes and fall over, failing to stand up properly even after time has passed. This not only limits the direction of harvesting using a combine, but also causes problems such as germination when grain grains are submerged in water accumulated in the field, resulting in a loss of commercial value for the grain.

[0110] If the height of the culms in areas where lodging is concentrated is significantly longer than the height of the culms in areas where lodging is not occurring much, the problem can be resolved by adjusting the tilling and fertilization procedures during the next rice cultivation.

[0111] On the other hand, if there is not much difference in the grass height compared to areas where lodging is not occurring much, the cause of lodging may not be leggy, so if the tilling depth is shallowed or the amount of fertilizer applied is reduced, this may cause poor growth.

[0112] 1 and 14, a grain quantity sensor 211 is provided to count the amount of grain separated by the threshing device 6 along the path from the threshing device 6 to the grain tank 7, and a straw discharge sensor 212 is provided at the rear of the machine to detect the strength of the discharged straw. The grain quantity sensor 211 is an impact sensor located between the top and bottom of the oscillating sorting shelf (not shown) and the first conveying spiral (not shown) in the threshing device 6, which measures the number of grains from the impact when it comes into contact with the falling grains, and an angle sensor which estimates the amount of grains from the angle at which they are pushed up by the grains being conveyed on the oscillating sorting shelf, and the straw discharge sensor 212 uses an impact sensor in the conveying area of the feed chain 5 and determines whether the grains are elongated or not from the strength of the detected impact force.

[0113] The above-mentioned determination of elongation is carried out by installing an elongation determination program 306 in a processor 300 mounted on the aircraft or which receives and processes communication information, which records the standard grains corresponding to the culm variety in a unit area (for example, the above-mentioned grid unit) and the impact force generated when a normally grown grain culm comes into contact with the straw discharge sensor 212, and compares the detected grain amount with the impact force to determine the degree of elongation.

[0114] As mentioned above, elongated culms are weaker than standard culms and often break when harvested, so the impact force when they come into contact with the straw discharge sensor 212 is smaller than that of standard seedlings.Therefore, if the impact force is below the standard value for the amount of grain, it can be inferred that elongated culms are likely to have occurred.

[0115] Since it is difficult to use the data for subsequent work when recording grain quantity and impact force without knowing which location in the field the stalk was harvested from, the start and end of the grid are divided by the position coordinates obtained from the GNSS unit 31, and the grain quantity and impact force are corrected to indicate that the reaping device 15 harvested the grain at that location, and then recorded in association with the position coordinates.

[0116] Corrections for the grain quantity and impact force are made based on the average time it takes for the grains to be threshed from the stalks cut by the harvesting device 15 and reach the oscillating sorting shelf, and the average time it takes for the threshed straw to come into contact with the straw discharge sensor 212, or the front-to-rear distance from the front of the harvesting device 15 (harvesting position) to the positions where the grain quantity sensor 211 and the straw discharge sensor 212 are located.

[0117] The detected value of the grain amount sensor 211 is compared with the recorded grain amount, and if the grain amount is large, the standard set value of the impact force by the straw discharge sensor 212 is increased, and if the grain amount is small, the standard set value of the impact force is decreased. At this time, if the impact force detected by the straw discharge sensor 212 is within a range that can be considered a standard value or is stronger than the standard value, it is determined that no spindly growth has occurred, and it is recorded that no lodging has occurred.

[0118] On the other hand, if the impact force is below the standard value, it is determined that lodging has occurred and recorded as lodging. At this time, the smaller the difference between the impact force and the standard value, the lighter the lodging stage, and the greater the difference, the more severe the lodging stage. By dividing the values by a predetermined value, a lodging level is assigned to each grid. Note that by rounding down values within the grid that are too small, it is possible to prevent the lodging level from being judged to be higher than the actual level when the vegetation of the culms is partially interrupted and the transport of the culms is interrupted, and this prevents hindering work improvements.

[0119] As a result, the lodging level of culms can be obtained for each grid based on actual culm harvesting work, so even in areas where harvesting work is not hindered, the tilling depth can be made shallow to prevent excessive accumulation of fertilizer components due to water convection, and the amount of fertilizer applied can be reduced to prevent excessive fertilizer application. This makes it less likely for culms to locate even when exposed to strong winds such as typhoons, facilitating harvesting work and preventing deterioration in the quality and yield of harvested grain.

[0120] In addition, in order to eliminate other causes of leggy growth, such as insufficient sunlight around the base and poor ventilation in the field, the planting spacing of seedlings can be reviewed, thereby further preventing leggy growth.

[0121] The combine harvester that performs harvesting work in the field can use a speed change mechanism to switch between a working speed, which is the standard speed for harvesting work, and a lodging speed, which is a slow speed that is less likely to cause clogging when the stalks fall over. The lodging speed is used for stalks with a high level of lodging, so a lodging speed sensor 213 is provided to detect the setting of the lodging speed, and when the lodging speed is set, it is determined to be lodging even if the difference between the impact force detected by the straw discharge sensor 212 and the set standard impact force is less than a predetermined value.

[0122] In this case, if the number is close to the standard impact force, it is judged to be a medium lodging level (about 45 degrees to the field surface) that requires work at a low speed, and if the detected impact force is low, it is judged to be a higher lodging level.

[0123] This prevents a location where a worker recognizes a fallen crop as being in a lodging state and performs harvesting work from being recorded as a non-lodging location in the field, allowing for appropriate work improvements to be made from next time onwards.

[0124] In addition to the above, if the grain quantity and impact force deviate from the standard value by more than a specified value, the culms growing in that location may be experiencing poor growth other than elongation due to cultivation conditions or disease. Therefore, by assigning a different character or icon to indicate elongation to make it easier to distinguish, it becomes easier to extract problems during cultivation in more detail, which will lead to improvements in work from the next time onwards.

[0125] The straw transported to the rear of the machine is either discharged directly into the field, or chopped up by a straw cutter 214 and then discharged into the field, as shown in Figure 3. The discharged straw is collected by a tractor equipped with a rake or similar device that drives through the field after harvesting, and the chopped straw is left out in the open air in the field for a while, and then plowed into the soil during subsequent tillage work to provide nutrients to the field.

[0126] The above-mentioned waste straw is discharged evenly if the speed during harvesting is constant, but it is prone to increase or decrease in places where the working speed changes, such as when turning, resulting in uneven amounts being discharged. If the straw is unevenly distributed, it does not have much of an impact when it is collected because the straw is concentrated, but when it is incorporated into the field, there is a possibility that the nutrients will be high in places where the straw is concentrated and low in places where there is almost no straw. To make effective use of waste straw as a natural fertilizer, it is necessary to move the straw and make it even.

[0127] Therefore, the position coordinates acquired by the GNSS unit 31 and the discharge amount of discarded straw are calculated, and the amount of discarded straw for each discharge location is recorded in grid units. When shredding discarded straw, a rotation sensor 215 is attached to the rotation axis 214a of the discarded straw cutter 214, and the amount of discarded straw is calculated from the delay in time required for the rotation sensor 215 to detect one rotation due to the load caused by shredding the discarded straw. The shorter the detection delay, the smaller the amount of discarded straw, and the longer the delay, the greater the amount of discarded straw.

[0128] In addition, the amount of discarded straw recorded for each grid will be added together. If the combine is traveling at a slow speed, the discarded straw will be discharged at a closer position, so this process is necessary in places where the traveling speed is likely to decrease, such as at the start of turning.

[0129] As shown in Figure 21, the straw shredded by the straw cutter 214 is discharged into the field either in a normal discharge, in which the straw is discharged to a width roughly the same as the left-right width of the straw cutter 214, or in a wide-area discharge, in which the angle of the diffuser plate 216 located at the rear and bottom of the machine is changed to discharge the straw over a wider area. For normal discharge, the above straw discharge amount can be applied as is, but with wide-area discharge, there is a high possibility that the thickness will be thinner even if the amount is the same, so a wide-area switch 217 is provided on the diffuser plate 216 to detect when it has switched to wide-area discharge, and information such as "wide-area" is displayed when wide-area discharge is selected.

[0130] The stalks transported to the rear of the machine by the feed chain 5 are threshed to a depth suitable for threshing, i.e., the length that enters the threshing section. If the threshing depth is deep, the discharged straw will be short, and if the threshing depth is shallow, the discharged straw will be long.

[0131] This threshing amount can be switched automatically or manually, so the change in the threshing amount is detected by the threshing amount sensor 218 to determine whether it is shallow or deep. If it is deep, the straw discharge will be shorter, so the calculated amount of discharged straw is reduced by a certain amount, and if it is shallow, the straw discharge will be longer, so the calculated amount of discharged straw is increased by a certain amount.

[0132] This allows the calculated amount of waste straw to be closer to the amount of waste straw actually discharged, improving the accuracy of the distribution of waste straw discharge within the field.

[0133] Alternatively, since the load when threshing is performed by striking the tip of the grain with the grain attached from the stalk can be calculated based on the increase or decrease in the amount of grain that has entered the threshing device 6 detected by the grain amount sensor 211, it is possible to estimate the threshing depth from the strength of the detected load and make corrections to the amount of waste straw discharged.When the load during threshing is strong, the threshing depth is determined to be deep, so a correction is made to decrease the amount of waste straw discharged, and when the load is weak, the threshing depth is determined to be shallow, so a correction is made to increase the amount of waste straw discharged.

[0134] This configuration adds a program to existing components, which helps prevent an increase in the number of parts.

[0135] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, removably mounted on both the left and right sides of the harvesting device 15 are harvesting side covers 15a, 15a that prevent entanglement of stalks adjacent to the harvesting position and prevent straw chips and soil and sand from entering the transmission mechanism.

[0136] To make it possible to adjust the mounting positions of the above-mentioned cutting side covers 15a, 15a in the left-right and up-down directions, one or more mounting ribs 150 are formed in the front-to-back direction on the lower side, as shown in Fig. 22, and mounting bars 151, formed by bending a round bar into an L-shape, are inserted with their long sides facing the front-to-back direction of the machine body into mounting holes formed in the mounting ribs 150. At this time, the short sides of the mounting bar 151 are positioned so that they face the inside of the machine body.

[0137] A front mounting plate 152 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the tip of the long side of the mounting bar 151, i.e., at the front end of the machine body, and a rear mounting plate 153 extending in the up-down direction is provided at the tip of the short side, i.e., at the end inside the machine body. Long holes are formed in the front mounting plate 152 in the left-right direction, and long holes are formed in the rear mounting plate 153 in the up-down direction. By inserting fastening members such as bolts into these long holes and into mounting holes (not shown) on the side of the reaping device 15, it is possible to adjust the vertical position of the reaping side covers 15a, 15a as well as the left-right distance between the reaping device 15.

[0138] In addition, since the mounting bar 151 is made of a round bar and is installed by passing through the mounting hole of the mounting rib 150, it is possible to adjust the angle of the cutting side covers 15a, 15a in the inside and outside directions of the machine body using the mounting bar 151 as a pivot axis.

[0139] This prevents gaps from occurring between the reaping device 15 and the reaping side covers 15a, 15a, which prevents the stalks before reaping from being damaged and their quality from deteriorating, and prevents straw chips from getting wrapped around the transmission parts or soil and sand from adhering to them, causing the reaping device 15 to stop under load or be damaged.

[0140] 23, the short sides of the mounting bar 151 are oriented toward the upper side of the aircraft, and branch bars 151a are attached by welding or the like near the L-shaped bend so that they face inward. Left-right adjustable mounting plates 154, 154 are provided on the front end of the mounting bar 151 and the inner end of the branch bar 151a, and these adjustable mounting plates 154, 154 each have a long hole formed in the left-right direction.

[0141] A guard mounting plate 155 is provided on the outer surface of the fuselage at the tip of the short side of the mounting bar 151, i.e., the upper end, in the fore-and-aft direction of the fuselage, and multiple mounting holes 157 are formed along the fore-and-aft direction of the guard mounting plate 155, into which removable support members 156 such as plastic rivets can be attached.

[0142] A guard body 158 made of a soft material such as rubber or vinyl chloride is provided in the mounting hole portion 157, with a mounting hole (not shown) of approximately the same diameter formed near the upper side, and is attached via the support members 156. This guard body 158 is arranged so that it hangs downward.

[0143] The above configuration prevents gaps from occurring between the harvesting device 15 and the harvesting side covers 15a, 15a, which prevents damage to the stalks before harvesting, resulting in a deterioration in quality, and prevents straw chips from getting wrapped around the transmission parts or soil and sand from adhering, causing the harvesting device 15 to stop under load or become damaged.

[0144] Since it is possible to prevent gaps from being generated between the reaping device 15 and the reaping side covers 15a, 15a, it is possible to prevent the reaping device 15 from stopping under load or being damaged due to damage to the stalks before reaping and deterioration of quality, or straw dust getting wrapped around the transmission parts or soil and sand adhering thereto.

[0145] In addition, a guard body 158 can be provided inside the cutting side covers 15a, 15a, which can fill small gaps that allow dust and fine straw to get in depending on conditions such as the soil quality of the field and the length of the straw to be shredded, thereby reducing damage caused by the accumulation of impurities and the effort required to clean up the impurities. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 2 chassis 3 Traveling crawler (traveling device) 4. Threshing equipment (sorting equipment) 7 Grain Tank (Storage Device) 8. Discharge auger (discharge device) 9. Straw waste treatment equipment 15 Reaping device 23 Cabin (control section) 35 Monitor (display device) 50 Mirror stay (support arm) 52 Left side camera (first blind spot imaging device) 53 Extension sensor 54 Rear support stay 55 Rear camera (second blind spot imaging device) 56 Right side camera (third blind spot imaging device) 56a Camera arm 150 Reaping blade 161 Boarding and alighting steps 166 Lift motor (lift actuator) 167 Lifting Assist Grip (Assist Grip) 168 Auxiliary Belt 169a Extension switch 169b Contraction Switch 200 CPU (controller) BV overhead view image S Rotation circle S1 Large virtual circle S2 Small imaginary circle

Claims

1. The machine body traveling on the traveling device (4) is provided with a reaping device (15) for reaping and harvesting stalks, a threshing device (6) for separating grains from the stalks reaped by the reaping device (15), and a traveling program (302) for traveling the machine body along a set route; A field image (203) is acquired by an imaging device (201) provided on a flying device (200), and an area analysis means (311) is used to exclude areas outside the field where no stalks exist from the field image (203), and a degree analysis means (312) and a direction analysis means (313) are used to calculate the degree and direction of lodging of the stalks and correct the field image (203); Based on the corrected field image (203), travel route data (301) including a travel route for reaping and harvesting the fallen stalks by the reaping device (15) from an appropriate direction is calculated; a control device (300) that operates the driving program (302) based on the driving route data (301); The travel route data (301) is generated so that the non-lodged position is first mowed and the lodged position is mowed last, and the lodged position is generated as a travel route for reciprocating mowing.

2. The flying device (200) is provided with a GNSS antenna (202), and position information of the image captured by the imaging device (201) is incorporated into the image data. Also, a direction sensor (205) is provided, and the flying device (200) is oriented so that the upper side of the image captured by the imaging device (201) faces north. Image data acquired by the imaging device (201) that does not include the entire field is recorded as a partial image (203a), and a plurality of the partial images (203a) are combined by an image integration program (204) to create the field image (203); The harvesting machine travel path generation device described in claim 1, characterized in that when the image integration program (204) combines multiple partial images (203a), the position of each partial image (203a) is determined from the position coordinates of the image data, and feature points (S) are extracted from each partial image (203a) using a feature point extraction algorithm (314), and parts of the multiple feature points (S) with high matching scores are determined to be overlapping parts, and generated as a single field image (203).

3. The lodging of the culms calculated by the degree analysis means (312) is classified into a plurality of stages and recorded; A harvesting machine travel path generation device as described in claim 1, characterized in that only those items determined to be fallen and which restrict the direction of harvesting by the harvesting device (15) during harvesting work are used to calculate the travel path data (301).

4. A harvester path generation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the travel program (302) allows the input of a field position where harvested grains are to be discharged, and when the discharge position is input, a round trip path to the discharge position is added to the travel path data (301).

Images