Field work equipment

Abstract

To provide a field work implement capable of approaching more, to a specific obstacle, relative to approaching to other obstacles.SOLUTION: A field work implement comprises: an obstacle detection unit 70 detecting an obstacle including a furrow; a machine position calculating part 52 for calculating a machine position; a travel control part 6 for causing the machine to automatically or manually travel; a recognizing unit 54 for recognizing a specific recognition object registered in advance; and an obstacle managing part 55 for managing an approach inhibition distance of the machine to the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70, or an approach possible period to the obstacle. The specific recognition object is registered as a symbol for allowing approach of the machine to the obstacle, the obstacle managing part 55 reduces the approach inhibition distance or extends the approach possible period of the machine to the obstacle, when the obstacle is the specific recognition object or the specific recognition object is recognized in the vicinity of the obstacle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomously traveling field work machine that works in a field that is bounded by ridges. [Background technology]

[0002] When conventional field work machines, such as rice transplanters and harvesters, travel near ridges, a control boundary line for travel control is set at a position farther from the ridge than the actual boundary line to prevent accidental contact between the machine and the ridge. While working in the field, field work machines need to approach the ridge to replenish seedlings and fertilizer, unload harvested crops, refuel, and so on. However, if a control boundary line is set when approaching such a ridge, it becomes impossible for the machine to approach the very edge of the ridge. To solve this problem, the rice transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a function that automatically extends the travel control boundary line toward the ridge when it detects that the machine is traveling straight toward the ridge to replenish seedlings, etc. This extension of the control boundary line allows the rice transplanter to approach the very edge of the ridge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-108597 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the rice transplanter disclosed in Patent Document 1, when travel beyond the boundary line is permitted based on a predetermined travel condition, the boundary line is expanded, allowing the rice transplanter to approach the very edge of the ridge. However, if a travel condition that allows boundary line expansion is incorrectly detected, the boundary line is expanded unnecessarily, causing the machine to approach places where it does not need to approach very close. To avoid this, the places where boundary line expansion is permitted must be accurately detected, but such a method is not disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a field work machine that can approach specific obstacles more closely than other obstacles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The self-traveling farm work machine according to the present invention is adapted to work in a farm field that is bounded by ridges, and includes the ridges. The object of recognition is an obstacle an obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle; an aircraft position calculation unit that calculates the aircraft position; and a driving control unit that controls automatic or manual driving of the aircraft; The recognition target including the ridge around the aircraft Pre-registered specific recognition targets Whether it is recognition and output as the recognition result a recognition unit for Based on two determination conditions, namely, the detection result of the obstacle by the obstacle detection unit and the recognition result of the specific recognition target by the recognition unit, an obstacle management unit that manages a no-approach distance of the aircraft from the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit or a time during which the aircraft can approach the obstacle, and the specific recognition target is detected by the obstacle detection unit to the obstacle of the aircraft The obstacle management unit is configured to detect whether the obstacle is The recognition target recognized as the specific recognition target or in the vicinity area of ​​the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit. The existing recognition object is The specific recognition target as If recognized, reduce the no-approach distance or direct the aircraft toward the obstacle. The aforementioned Extends approach time.

[0007] According to this configuration, when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle and the recognition unit recognizes a pre-registered specific recognition target, an obstacle management unit is activated, which manages the aircraft's no-approach distance or the aircraft's allowable approach time to the obstacle. That is, if the detected obstacle itself is a recognized specific recognition target, or if a recognized specific recognition target exists in the vicinity of the detected obstacle, the system determines that the detected obstacle is an object that the aircraft should approach as closely as possible, and shortens the no-approach distance or extends the aircraft's allowable approach time to the obstacle. A shorter no-approach distance allows the aircraft to approach the obstacle more closely. The allowable approach time to the obstacle varies depending on the vehicle speed. However, assuming that the aircraft's speed approaching the obstacle is approximately constant, a longer allowable approach time also extends the distance the aircraft can travel to the detected obstacle, thereby shortening the aircraft's approach distance to the obstacle. The specific recognition target is registered as a symbol that allows the aircraft to approach the obstacle, i.e., as a criterion for determining approach. In other words, based on the two judgment conditions of obstacle detection and recognition of a specific recognition target, the aircraft is permitted to approach closer to the obstacle, thereby realizing safe and reliable approach travel control.

[0008] Obstacles frequently detected when a field implement travels are ridges, and the field implement must approach as closely as possible to specific ridge sections designated for tasks such as supplying seedlings or fertilizer, unloading harvested crops, and refueling. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the obstacle used by the obstacle management unit to determine whether to shorten the no-approach distance or extend the approachable time is the ridge, and the specific recognition object is a specific ridge that is a specific section of the ridge or an object located in the vicinity of the specific ridge. The term "ridge" here can be interpreted broadly and includes not only structural materials such as concrete, wood, plastic, and earth, but also walls rising from the field, artificial slopes, and naturally occurring slopes.

[0009] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the specific recognition target is a specific communication terminal registered in advance, and the recognition unit recognizes the communication terminal based on data transmitted from the communication terminal. In this configuration, simply placing a specific communication terminal in an area where the field work machine can approach closer allows the field work machine to approach the area more closely. For example, in a specific area (specific ridge) of a ridge set aside for work purposes such as supplying seedlings or fertilizer, unloading harvested crops, or refueling, a supervisor is on standby to perform or monitor the work. Therefore, by having such a supervisor carry this specific communication terminal, the field work machine can approach as close as possible to the location where the supervisor is on standby.

[0010] If the field work machine is equipped with a remote control function, it is convenient for an observer supervising work on a specific ridge to use the remote control to control the field work machine approaching the ridge. In this case, a synergistic effect can be achieved if the communication terminal, which is the specific recognition target recognized by the recognition unit, is integrated with the remote control. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communication terminal, which is the specific recognition target of the recognition unit, has a remote control operation function for the field work machine.

[0011] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recognition unit has an image recognition function, and the specific recognition target is recognized by the image recognition function. Since inexpensive, high-performance image recognition devices are commercially available, specific objects can be recognized without technical or cost burdens. Furthermore, by setting any object as the image recognition target in advance, any object can be used as the specific recognition target of the present invention.

[0012] Furthermore, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the specific recognition target recognized by the recognition unit is an observer who monitors the movement of the field work machine from a ridge. By registering a specific observer, for example an observer wearing a specific outfit, in the recognition unit, the problem of a person unrelated to the work being recognized and the field work machine mistakenly approaching a ridge can be avoided.

[0013] If the image recognition function of the recognition unit is added with a function to recognize the gestures of people standing on the ridge, the obstacle management unit can respond to the gestures and instruct the driving control unit to stop the vehicle or move forward or backward. This makes it easy to use gestures to not only control the vehicle's approach to the ridge but also to control its driving in an emergency.

[0014] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recognition unit has a voice recognition function, the specific recognition target is a voice emitted from the ridge, and the obstacle management unit issues a driving state change command to the navigation control unit to change the vehicle's driving state based on the voice recognized by the recognition unit. Even in this embodiment, inexpensive, high-performance voice recognition devices are commercially available, making it possible to configure the recognition unit to recognize the voice adopted as the specific recognition target without technical or cost burdens. Furthermore, by registering the voice of an observer as the specific recognition target, problems such as noise unrelated to the work or a person's voice being recognized as the specific recognition target and the field work machine mistakenly approaching the ridge can be avoided. Furthermore, if the recognition unit's voice recognition function is configured to recognize simple words related to vehicle navigation control, the obstacle management unit can issue a driving state change command to the navigation control unit to change the vehicle's driving state based on the voice recognized by the recognition unit. This allows for easy voice control not only to approach the ridge but also to control the vehicle's navigation in an emergency.

[0015] Furthermore, in one preferred embodiment, the obstacle management unit is connectable to an agricultural management system so as to exchange data, and the obstacle management unit manages the no-approach distance or the approach time of the aircraft to the specific recognition target registered in advance in the agricultural management system. In this configuration, if the no-approach distance or the approach time of the aircraft to the specific recognition target is registered in advance in an agricultural management system implemented on a computer installed in, for example, a cloud service center or a farmer's home, the obstacle management unit can access the agricultural management system to acquire and manage this data. This distributes data management, such as the no-approach distance and approach time for the specific recognition target, in the obstacle management unit, simplifying data management in the obstacle management unit.

[0016] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned agricultural management system is configured to automatically or selectively accumulate data on specific recognition targets detected by the image recognition function or voice recognition function of the recognition unit, information on the detected specific recognition targets will be stored in chronological order in the agricultural management system and will be available for various post-processing purposes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a rice transplanter equipped with an automatic steering system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating power transmission from an engine to a planting mechanism. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a travel route for automatic travel of the rice transplanter. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the rice transplanter. [Figure 5] 10 is a data flow diagram showing the flow of data and commands between control function units when traveling along the edge of a field. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following describes a rice transplanter as an example of one embodiment of an automatically traveling field work machine of the present invention. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "front" (the direction of arrow F shown in FIG. 1) means the front in the fore-and-aft direction (traveling direction) of the machine body, and "rear" (the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1) means the rear in the fore-and-aft direction (traveling direction) of the machine body. Furthermore, the left-right direction or lateral direction means the left-right direction of the machine body (machine body width direction) perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the machine body, "left" means the direction toward the front of the paper in FIG. 1, and "right" means the direction toward the back of the paper in FIG. 1.

[0019] [Overall structure] As shown in FIG. 1, the rice transplanter includes a riding, four-wheel-drive vehicle body 1. The vehicle body 1 includes a parallel quadruple link mechanism 13 connected to the rear of the vehicle body 1 so that it can be raised and lowered and swung; a hydraulic lifting cylinder 13a that drives the swinging of the link mechanism 13; a seedling planting device 3A that is connected to the rear end region of the link mechanism 13 so that it can roll; and a fertilizer applicator 3B that is installed between the rear end region of the vehicle body 1 and the seedling planting device 3A. In this embodiment, the seedling planting device 3A and the fertilizer applicator 3B are the liftable working devices 3 provided on the field work machine of the present invention, and perform seedling planting work along a predetermined row direction. The link mechanism 13 and the lifting cylinder 13a form a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the seedling planting device 3A and the fertilizer applicator 3B.

[0020] The machine body 1 includes a wheeled traveling device 12, an engine 2A, and a hydraulic continuously variable transmission 2B that serves as the main transmission. The continuously variable transmission 2B is, for example, a hydrostatic transmission (HST), and changes the rotation speed of the power (rotational power) output from the engine 2A by adjusting the angles of a motor swash plate and a pump swash plate. The traveling device 12 has left and right front wheels 12A that function as steering wheels for changing the vehicle's orientation, and left and right rear wheels 12B that cannot be steered.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the machine body 1 has a driver's section 14 in its rear side area. The driver's section 14 is equipped with a steering wheel 10 for steering the front wheels, a main speed change lever 7A that adjusts the vehicle speed by changing the speed of the continuously variable transmission 2B, an auxiliary speed change lever 7B that enables speed change operation of the auxiliary speed change lever, an operation control lever 11 that operates to raise and lower the seedling planting device 3A, and a driver's seat 16 for passengers (driver, worker, manager). Furthermore, in front of the driver's section 14, a spare seedling storage device 17A that stores spare seedlings is supported on a spare seedling support frame 17.

[0022] The steering wheel 10 is connected to the front wheels 12A via a steering mechanism (not shown), and the steering angle of the front wheels 12A is adjusted by rotating the steering wheel 10. A steering motor M1 is connected to the steering mechanism, and during automatic steering, the steering motor M1 operates based on a steering signal to adjust the steering angle (steering degree) of the front wheels 12A. Furthermore, a speed change motor M2 for automatically operating the main speed change lever 7A is also provided, and during automatic driving, the speed change position of the continuously variable transmission 2B is adjusted by the speed change motor M2 operating based on a speed change signal.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the seedling planting device 3A is illustrated as an 8-row planting type as an example, but other types such as 6-row or 10-row planting types are also possible. Power from the engine 2A is distributed to each planting mechanism 22 via the planting clutch C0 and the individual row clutch EC. The planting clutch C0 switches the drive state of the seedling planting device 3A by turning on and off the power transmission from the engine 2A. The individual row clutch EC is configured to allow the start and stop of operation by the seedling planting device 3A to be selected for each two rows. By controlling the individual row clutch, the planting type can be changed to 2-row, 4-row, 6-row, or 8-row planting.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling planting device 3A includes a seedling tray 21 and a planting mechanism 22. The seedling tray 21 is a platform on which eight rows of mat-shaped seedlings are placed. The seedling tray 21 moves back and forth in the left-right direction with a constant stroke corresponding to the width of the mat-shaped seedlings. Each time the seedling tray 21 reaches the end of its stroke, it vertically transports each mat-shaped seedling on the tray 21 toward its lower end at a predetermined pitch. The eight planting mechanisms 22 are rotary-type and are arranged in the left-right direction at constant intervals corresponding to the spacing between the planting rows. Power is transmitted from the engine 2A to each planting mechanism 22, which cuts a single seedling (seedling to be planted) from the bottom of each mat-shaped seedling placed on the seedling tray 21 and plants it in the muddy soil (field area) after leveling the land. Thus, when the seedling planting device 3A is in operation, the seedlings can be removed from the mat-shaped seedlings placed on the seedling tray 21 and planted in the muddy soil of the paddy field.

[0025] Fertilizer application device 3B has a hopper 25 that stores granular or powdered fertilizer (chemicals or other agricultural materials), a delivery mechanism 26 that delivers the fertilizer from hopper 25, and a fertilizer application hose 28 that transports the fertilizer delivered by delivery mechanism 26 and discharges the fertilizer into the field. The fertilizer stored in hopper 25 is delivered in predetermined amounts by delivery mechanism 26 and sent to fertilizer application hose 28, and is transported through fertilizer application hose 28 by the delivery air of blower 27 and discharged into the field from furrow former 29. In this way, fertilizer application device 3B supplies fertilizer to the field.

[0026] The furrow formers 29 are mounted on the ground leveling floats 15. Each furrow former 29 rises and falls together with each ground leveling float 15, and when each ground leveling float 15 is traveling and touching the ground, it forms a fertilizer furrow in the muddy part of the rice paddy and guides fertilizer into the furrow.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the communication terminal 9, which is removably attached to the driving unit 14, is composed of, for example, a tablet computer, and outputs various types of information to the operator as visual and audible information, and can also accept input of various types of information. The communication terminal 9 is connected to the rice transplanter's control system wirelessly or via a cable so that data can be exchanged. Various functions for automatic driving are installed in the communication terminal 9, and it is also possible to provide a remote control function that allows the rice transplanter to be remotely operated from a location away from the rice transplanter, for example.

[0028] The aircraft 1 is equipped with a positioning unit 8 that outputs positioning data for calculating its position (aircraft position: expressed, for example, in map coordinates) and orientation (aircraft orientation). The positioning unit 8 includes a satellite positioning module 8A that receives radio waves from satellites of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and an inertial measurement module 8B that detects the tilt and acceleration of the three axes of the aircraft 1 (see Figure 6). The positioning unit 8 is supported on top of the spare seedling support frame 17.

[0029] Furthermore, the rice transplanter is equipped with an obstacle detection unit 70 for obstacle detection. In this embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 70 includes a camera unit 71 and a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) unit 72. The obstacle detection unit 70 detects objects by combining images captured by the camera unit 71 with point cloud images captured by the LiDAR unit 72, calculates the position and shape of the object, and sends this as detected object information to the rice transplanter's control system. Object detection and object recognition can also be performed from images captured by the camera unit 71. Furthermore, object detection and object recognition can also be performed from point cloud data captured by the LiDAR unit 72. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 70 may be composed of either the camera unit 71 or the LiDAR unit 72. In this embodiment, the images captured by the camera unit 71 are used by the recognition unit 54 (see FIG. 4 ), which recognizes a specific recognition target (described later), and therefore the camera unit 71 is provided on the machine body 1.

[0030] [Route] The automated driving of the rice transplanter to plant seedlings in the field is explained using Figure 3.

[0031] The rice transplanter in this embodiment can selectively be driven manually or automatically. In manual driving, the driver manually (including remote control operation) operates the steering wheel 10, main speed change lever 7A, sub-speed change lever 7B, work operation lever 11, etc. to drive and work. In automatic driving, the rice transplanter drives and works under automatic control along a preset target driving route.

[0032] When a rice transplanter is planting seedlings, the operator first manually drives the rice transplanter around the perimeter (edge) of the field without performing any work. Once the perimeter shape of the field is calculated through this mapping run, a field map is generated that divides the field into an outer area OA and an inner area IA, as shown in Figure 3.

[0033] Once the field map is generated, a driving route to be used by the rice transplanter for automatic driving is also generated. In the inner area IA, a plurality of straight driving routes (hereinafter referred to as straight driving routes, but not necessarily limited to straight lines) extending substantially parallel to one side of the field are generated. The extension direction of these driving routes is also called the row direction. These straight driving routes are the driving routes along which the rice transplanter travels to perform work throughout the entire inner area IA, and automatic steering during automatic driving is performed using these straight driving routes as the target driving route. Each straight driving route is connected by a U-shaped turning driving route (effectively a 180-degree turning route). Driving along the straight driving routes and the turning driving routes is performed by automatic driving control consisting of automatic steering and automatic gear shifting.

[0034] In the outer peripheral area OA, one or more circular travel routes are generated that travel around the outer peripheral area OA along the periphery (outer edge) of the field. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the circular travel routes consist of two circular travel routes, an inner one and an outer one. Both the inner and outer circular travel routes can be automatically driven, but either one or both of them can also be driven manually.

[0035] Most of the travel along the straight travel path is work travel. During work travel, the machine body 1 travels while the seedling planting device 3A, which is the work device 3, is lowered to the lower position and is operating. This allows seedling planting work to be carried out in a straight line, with several rows at a time.

[0036] The 180-degree turning travel in which the machine body 1 changes direction from the straight travel path where the work travel has ended to the next straight travel path where the work travel should be made is a non-work travel, and the machine body 1 travels with the seedling planting device 3A, which is the work device 3, raised to the upper position, the ground leveling float 15 positioned above the paddy field surface, and the seedling planting device 3A stopped.

[0037] When planting seedlings in a rectangular field such as that shown in Figure 3, seedling planting is first carried out in the inner area IA by combining straight-line travel, which is work travel, with 180-degree turns, which is non-work travel. Next, seedling planting is carried out in the outer area OA by combining straight-line travel, which is work travel, with 90-degree turns, which is non-work travel on the outer route. The 180-degree turns used in seedling planting in the inner area IA are carried out in the outer area OA, which is in an unworked state (where no seedlings have been planted), so sufficient turning space can be secured.

[0038] [Special driving along the edge of fields] In addition to the straight-line travel and 180-degree turn travel described above, rice transplanters also perform special travel along complex paths along ridges. One such special ridge travel is a turn around a corner during mapping circular travel, indicated by the symbol SR1 in Figure 3. This 90-degree turn is performed at a corner bordered by a ridge. While Figure 3 shows a simple path, in reality, the machine often repeats forward and reverse travel several times. The reference position for field mapping is calculated when the seedling planting device 3A is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position. Therefore, to obtain an accurate reference position, the seedling planting device 3A must be lowered as close to the ridge as possible. Additionally, ridge crossing travel is also required, in which the machine body 1 approaches the ridge while the seedling planting device 3A is raised above the ridge.

[0039] Another type of special ridge-edge travel is forward supply travel, in which the machine approaches the ridge by moving forward from straight-line travel in the inner area IA to supply materials, and is shown by the symbol SR2 in Figure 3. Yet another type is reverse supply travel, in which the machine approaches the ridge by moving backward from straight-line travel in the inner area IA and then turns 180 degrees to supply materials, and is shown by the symbol SR3 in Figure 3. In either type of supply travel, it is important that the machine 1 approaches the ridge to supply materials smoothly. In particular, when reverse supply travel is performed, the machine also travels over the ridge. Furthermore, in some cases, the seedling planting device 3A is also placed on the top surface of the ridge.

[0040] During the special ridge-edge driving described above, the vehicle 1 approaches a ridge, which is detected as an obstacle by the obstacle detection unit 70. When an obstacle is detected and detected object information, including the obstacle's position and shape, is sent to the control system, the control system controls the vehicle 1's driving so that the distance between the detected obstacle and the vehicle 1 does not fall below a preset no-approach distance or does not exceed the allowable approach time for the vehicle 1 to approach the detected obstacle. However, since special ridge-edge driving requires the vehicle 1 to get as close to the ridge as possible, if the detected obstacle (ridge) is determined to be a specific ridge set as a specific ridge area in this field, the no-approach distance is shortened or the allowable approach time is extended, allowing the vehicle 1 to approach the ridge more closely. In other words, if the detected ridge is a previously set specific recognition target, or if a specific recognition target is recognized in the vicinity of the detected ridge, the vehicle 1 is allowed to approach this special ridge. The recognition process for this specific recognition target will be described in detail later. It should be noted that even when traveling in a manner other than the special ridge-edge traveling, control may be adopted to change the no-approach distance or approach allowable time for an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70.

[0041] [Control system] Next, the control system of this rice transplanter will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a control block diagram of the control system, and Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of data related to the recognition processing of a specific recognition target in the control system.

[0042] The control system of the rice transplanter includes a control unit 100 that controls various operations of the rice transplanter, and a communication terminal 9 that can exchange data with the control unit 100. Signals are input to the control unit 100 from a positioning unit 8, a manual operation tool sensor group 31, a travel sensor group 32, and a work sensor group 33. Control signals from the control unit 100 are output to the travel equipment group 1A and the work equipment group 1B.

[0043] The control unit 100 acquires positioning data for calculating the position and orientation (forward / backward orientation) of the vehicle 1 from the satellite positioning module 8A of the positioning unit 8, and acquires inertial measurement data relating to the inclination and acceleration of the three axes of the vehicle 1 from the inertial measurement module 8B.

[0044] The control unit 100 acquires detected object information from an obstacle detection unit 70 that detects objects (obstacles) present around the aircraft 1. In addition, an image captured by the camera unit 71 of the obstacle detection unit 70 is sent to the recognition unit 54 built in the control unit 100 in this embodiment, and is used to recognize a specific recognition target.

[0045] The traveling equipment group 1A includes, for example, a steering motor M1 and a gear shifting motor M2, and based on a control signal from the control unit 100, the steering motor M1 is controlled to adjust the steering angle, and the gear shifting motor M2 is controlled to adjust the vehicle speed.

[0046] The work equipment group 1B includes, for example, a lifting cylinder 13a that raises and lowers the seedling planting device 3A, a seedling harvesting amount adjustment device that adjusts the amount of seedlings harvested by the planting mechanism 22, a feed amount adjustment device that changes the amount of fertilizer fed by the feed mechanism 26, and an on / off control device for the planting clutch C0 and the individual row clutch EC.

[0047] The manual operation tool sensor group 31 includes sensors and switches that detect the operating status of various manual operation tools. The travel sensor group 32 includes various sensors that detect the status and corresponding set values ​​of the steering angle, vehicle speed, engine RPM, etc. The work sensor group 33 includes various sensors that detect the operating status of the seedling planting device 3A and the fertilizer application device 3B, such as a ground sensor that detects the ground contact of the ground leveling float 15 and a lift position sensor that detects the lift position of the link mechanism 13.

[0048] The control unit 100 includes functional units such as an input signal processing unit 50, a travel control unit 6, an operation control unit 51, a machine position calculation unit 52, a travel path setting unit 53, a recognition unit 54, and an obstacle management unit 55.

[0049] The input signal processing unit 50 receives data from external devices such as measuring instruments, monitoring instruments, and communication instruments, performs necessary data conversion processing, etc., and provides the data to the functional units of the control unit 100. For example, it can receive voice recognition data generated by a voice recognition device, data from mobile devices such as smartphones, and even Wi-Fi data or public line data from a remote management computer. The farm management system described below is built in this management computer.

[0050] The vehicle position calculation unit 52 calculates the vehicle position (map position) of the vehicle 1 based on the satellite positioning data and inertial navigation data successively sent from the positioning unit 8. The map coordinates may be not only latitude and longitude but also coordinates in a field coordinate system or a specific coordinate system.

[0051] In this embodiment, the communication terminal 9 is equipped with a touch panel IF90, a field information storage unit 91, a travel route map generation unit 92, a travel route generation unit 93, a remote control unit 94, etc. The touch panel IF90 is a graphic interface and has the function of displaying and inputting information via a touch panel equipped in the communication terminal 9. Therefore, the communication terminal 9 can function as an input / output interface for the control unit 100.

[0052] The field information storage unit 91 stores information about the field, such as the location of the field entrance (exit) and locations where seedlings and fertilizer can be replenished. The travel path map generation unit 92 calculates the external dimensions of the field based on the travel trajectory obtained by having the machine body 1 travel around the outermost periphery of the outer periphery area OA (see Figure 3) of the field, i.e., along the boundary line between the ridges. The travel path generation unit 93 divides the field into an outer periphery area OA and an inner area IA based on the external dimensions of the field, and generates a travel path for automatic travel. As shown in Figure 3, the travel path consists of a circular travel path for traveling through the outer periphery area OA and a straight travel path for traveling through the inner area IA. The generated travel path is sent to the control unit 100.

[0053] The remote control unit 94 has a program that causes the communication terminal 9 to function as a remote control for operating the rice transplanter. When the remote control unit 94 is operating, the manager can remotely operate the rice transplanter using hardware switches attached to the communication terminal 9 or software switches displayed on the touch panel of the communication terminal 9.

[0054] The driving route setting unit 53 built in the control unit 100 receives and manages the driving route generated by the driving route generation unit 93 from the communication terminal 9, and sequentially sets the driving route that serves as the target for path-following steering control as the target driving route.

[0055] In automatic driving, the work control unit 51 automatically controls the work equipment group 1B based on a program that has been given to it in advance, and in manual driving, it controls the work equipment group 1B based on the operation of the driver.

[0056] The travel control unit 6 is equipped with an automatic travel control unit 61, a manual travel control unit 62, and a control management unit 63. This rice transplanter can be switched between an automatic travel mode in which the rice transplanter travels automatically and a manual travel mode in which the rice transplanter travels manually. The control management unit 63 selects either the automatic travel mode or the manual travel mode based on a signal from a manual operation tool sensor (one of the manual operation tool sensors 31) that detects the state of a travel mode switching tool (not shown) or a switching signal that is generated by the control unit 100.

[0057] The manual driving control unit 62 operating in manual driving mode controls the steering motor M1 based on the amount of operation of the steering wheel 10, and also controls the gear shift operation motor M2 based on the operation of manual operating tools such as the main shift lever 7A and the sub-shift lever 7B.

[0058] The automatic driving control unit 61 operating in automatic driving mode uses the vehicle position calculated by the vehicle position calculation unit 52 to calculate the position deviation (lateral deviation from the target driving path) and azimuth deviation (deviation angle of the vehicle orientation from the orientation of the target driving path) of the vehicle 1 relative to the target driving path, and steers the vehicle 1 so that this position deviation and azimuth deviation are reduced.

[0059] The recognition unit 54 recognizes a specific recognition target that has been registered in advance. The specific recognition target is registered as a symbol that allows the aircraft to approach an obstacle. Here, the "symbol (approach determination material)" refers to an object that can be recognized by the recognition unit 54, such as an object, a human body, equipment, or behavior. The recognition unit 54 has at least one of the following recognition functions to recognize the specific recognition target: an image recognition function, a voice recognition function, a code matching function, etc.

[0060] The obstacle management unit 55 manages the no-approach distance or allowable approach time of the vehicle 1 to an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70. As described above, this rice transplanter is equipped with a no-approach distance change function or an allowable approach time change function that shortens the no-approach distance or extends the allowable approach time of the vehicle 1 to allow the vehicle 1 to approach the obstacle if the detected obstacle, such as a ridge, is an object in a specific area set as a specific area in the field. The obstacle management unit 55 performs this no-approach distance change function or the allowable approach time change function. If the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70 is a specific recognition object recognized by the recognition unit 54, or if a specific recognition object recognized by the recognition unit 54 is recognized in the vicinity of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70, the obstacle management unit 55 shortens the no-approach distance or extends the allowable approach time. This allows the vehicle 1 to approach the obstacle.

[0061] The obstacle management unit 55 shortens the no-approach distance or extends the approachable time during forward supply travel, in which the vehicle approaches a ridge in forward motion to replenish materials from a straight line in the internal area IA, or during reverse supply travel, in which the vehicle approaches a ridge in reverse motion to replenish materials. In other words, one of the obstacles used by the obstacle management unit 55 to determine whether to shorten the no-approach distance or extend the approachable time is a specific area of ​​the ridge. The recognition unit 54 pre-registers the specific ridge, which is the specific area of ​​the ridge used for replenishment of materials, as a specific recognition target. When the obstacle management unit 55 recognizes that the specific ridge exists in the vehicle's direction of travel, it considers the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70 to be the specific ridge, and shortens the no-approach distance or extends the approachable time.

[0062] In an embodiment in which the recognition unit 54 has an image recognition function, image recognition is performed on the captured image acquired by the camera unit 71, and the specific ridge is recognized. However, if the shape of the ridge used for material supply is similar to the shape of other ridges, it becomes difficult to recognize the specific ridge. For this reason, if something other than a ridge is registered in the recognition unit 54 as a specific recognition target, and the specific recognition target is recognized near an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 70, the obstacle management unit 55 designates the ridge near the specific recognition target as the specific ridge. The following are "symbols" that can be used as specific recognition targets instead of the ridges themselves.

[0063] (1) Communication terminal 9 is the "symbol": The communication terminal 9 carried by the monitor who monitors the movement of the field implement from the ridge can also be used as a remote control device and a work progress status display device. Therefore, when replenishing materials, the monitor carries the communication terminal 9 and positions it near the ridge where materials are to be replenishing. For this reason, it is advantageous to designate the communication terminal 9 carried by the monitor as a specific recognition target. By registering feature data indicating the color and shape of the communication terminal 9 in the recognition unit 54, the recognition unit 54 can recognize the communication terminal 9 through image recognition processing. Furthermore, if the recognition unit 54 is equipped with a code matching function and the identification data that the communication terminal 9 can transmit is registered, the recognition unit 54 can recognize the communication terminal 9 by code matching the highly directional transmission data transmitted by the communication terminal 9, including the identification data. Transmission data from an IC tag can also be used as transmission data that can be code matched. In this case, an IC tag is attached to the ridge where materials are to be replenishing. If the code matching function has the ability to read code images, signs or the like printed with the code image can be attached to the ridge where materials are to be replenishing. A mobile phone with an application installed that can communicate and exchange data with the rice transplanter's control system can be used instead of the communication terminal 9. If the mobile phone's application is configured to register the identification data of the mobile phone in the recognition unit 54 via a cloud service computer, it will be possible to specify specific ridges that can shorten the approach distance in real time.

[0064] (2) The observer who watches the movement of the rice transplanter from the ridge is a "symbol": When replenishing materials, the observer is positioned near the ridge where the materials are to be replenishing. For this reason, it is advantageous to set the observer as a specific recognition target. By registering a facial photograph of the observer in the recognition unit 54, the recognition unit 54 can recognize the observer using a facial recognition function, which is a type of image recognition function. In addition, by registering a photograph of the observer wearing a specific outfit (such as a distinctive hat or jacket), it is possible to distinguish the observer from other people and recognize them.

[0065] (3) A person's gesture is a "symbol": Recognition unit 54 is equipped with a gesture recognition function, which is a type of image recognition function, and if a person's characteristic gesture (such as waving a hand) is registered, it can recognize a gesture made by a person located near a ridge as a specific recognition target. If a specific recognition target is recognized near a ridge detected by obstacle detection unit 70, obstacle management section 55 can regard this ridge as a specific ridge.

[0066] (4) The voices emitted by the characters are considered "symbols": If the recognition unit 54 is equipped with a voice recognition function and a microphone (preferably a microphone with good directionality) is connected to the input signal processing unit 50, the obstacle management unit 55 can properly identify a ridge detected by the obstacle detection unit 70 as a specific ridge through the voice emitted from the ridge and recognized by the recognition unit 54. Limiting the words and phrases that are voice-recognized simplifies the voice recognition function. Furthermore, recognizing the voice of a specific person can avoid mistakenly responding to the voices of children playing around the field.

[0067] If the recognition unit 54 has a function capable of recognizing gestures, the obstacle management unit 55 can give a running state change command to the running control unit 6 to change the running state of the machine 1 based on the gesture recognized by the recognition unit 54. In this configuration, the machine 1 can be stopped, moved forward, moved backward, etc., depending on the gesture.

[0068] If the recognition unit 54 has a function for recognizing voice, the obstacle management unit 55 can give a running state change command to the running control unit 6 to change the running state of the machine 1 based on the voice recognized by the recognition unit 54. Even in this configuration, the machine 1 can be stopped, moved forward, moved backward, etc. by voice.

[0069] The control by the recognition unit 54 and the obstacle management unit 55 to shorten the no-approach distance or extend the approachable time of the vehicle 1 to obstacles such as ridges is limited to driving approaching specific obstacles such as ridges and trees or utility poles in the field, and the normal no-approach distance or approachable time is maintained for other obstacles. This prevents a malfunction from shortening the no-approach distance or approachable time. For this reason, the driving control unit 6 may be provided with a special driving management unit 64 that manages driving approaching specific obstacles that are known in advance as special driving. Such special driving management unit 64 issues an authorization command to the recognition unit 54 and the obstacle management unit 55 to permit control to shorten the no-approach distance or extend the approachable time only when the vehicle 1 is performing special driving.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the obstacle management unit 55 can exchange data with the farm management system built into the management computer via the input signal processing unit 50. The farm management system is pre-registered with a no-approach distance for a specific recognition target or a time during which the aircraft 1 is allowed to approach an obstacle. The obstacle management unit 55 can access the farm management system to obtain and manage the no-approach distance for a specific recognition target (detected obstacle) pre-registered in the farm management system or the time during which the aircraft 1 is allowed to approach a specific recognition target (detected obstacle).

[0071] Furthermore, the farm management system can automatically or selectively accumulate data on specific recognition targets detected by the image recognition function or voice recognition function of the recognition unit 54. This detected data on specific recognition targets is converted into information and stored in the farm management system in chronological order. [Another embodiment]

[0072] (1) In the above-described embodiment, a rice transplanter is used as the field work machine of the present invention, but the present invention can also be applied to other field work machines, such as a tractor, a harvester, a seed drill, etc. (2) Special driving such as special driving along the edge of fields, as determined by the special driving management unit 64, can be registered in advance in the driving route set by the driving route setting unit 53. (3) In the above-described embodiment, the traveling device 12 is a steering wheel type, but it may be a crawler type. (4) The division of functional units shown in Figures 4 and 5 is an example, and various modifications are possible, such as integrating each functional unit with other functional units, dividing each functional unit into multiple functional units, or distributing the control unit 100 into multiple control sub-units.

[0073] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0074] The present invention is applicable to a field work machine that can automatically travel in a field that is bordered by ridges. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Aircraft 1A: Running equipment group 1B: Work equipment group 3: Work equipment 6: Driving control unit 8: Positioning unit 8A: Satellite positioning module 8B: Inertial Measurement Module 9: Communication terminal 12: Running gear 50: Input signal processing section 52: Aircraft position calculation unit 54: Recognition unit 55: Obstacle Management Department 70: Obstacle detection unit 71: Camera unit 72: LiDAR unit 100: Control unit

Claims

1. An autonomously traveling farm work machine that performs work in a field that is bounded by ridges, an obstacle detection unit that detects a recognition object including the ridge as an obstacle; an aircraft position calculation unit that calculates an aircraft position; A driving control unit that drives the aircraft automatically or manually; a recognition unit that recognizes whether the recognition target including the ridge around the aircraft is a specific recognition target registered in advance and outputs the recognition result; an obstacle management unit that manages the no-approach distance of the aircraft from the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit or the time during which the aircraft is allowed to approach the obstacle based on two determination conditions: the detection result of the obstacle by the obstacle detection unit and the recognition result of the specific recognition target by the recognition unit; and Equipped with the specific recognition target is registered as a symbol that allows the aircraft to approach the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit; The obstacle management unit of the field work machine shortens the no-approach distance or extends the time during which the machine can approach the obstacle if the obstacle is a recognition target that has been recognized as the specific recognition target, or if a recognition target that exists in the vicinity of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit is recognized as the specific recognition target.

2. A field work machine as described in claim 1, wherein the obstacle used by the obstacle management unit to determine whether to shorten the no-approach distance or extend the approachable time is the ridge, and the specific recognition object is a specific ridge that is a specific area of ​​the ridge or a recognition object located in the vicinity of the specific ridge.

3. 3. The field work machine according to claim 1, wherein the specific recognition target is a specific communication terminal that has been registered in advance, and the recognition unit recognizes the communication terminal based on data transmitted from the communication terminal.

4. The field work machine according to claim 3 , wherein the communication terminal has a remote control function for operating the field work machine.

5. 5. The field work machine according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit has an image recognition function, and the specific recognition target is recognized by the image recognition function.

6. 6. The field work machine according to claim 5, wherein the specific recognition target recognized by the recognition unit is an observer who monitors the movement of the field work machine from a ridge.

7. 7. A field work machine according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the image recognition function of the recognition unit includes a function for recognizing a person on a ridge making a gesture, and the obstacle management unit issues a driving state change command to the driving control unit to change the driving state of the machine body.

8. the recognition unit has a voice recognition function, and the specific recognition target is a person making a voice from the ridge; The field work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the obstacle management unit issues a driving state change command to the driving control unit to change the driving state of the machine body based on the voice recognized by the recognition unit.

9. The obstacle management unit is connectable to an agricultural management system so as to be able to exchange data with the agricultural management system, The field work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the obstacle management unit manages the no-approach distance for the specific recognition object pre-registered in the agricultural management system, or the time during which the machine is allowed to approach the specific recognition object.

10. 10. The field work machine according to claim 9, wherein data of the specific recognition target detected by the image recognition function or voice recognition function of the recognition unit is automatically or selectively stored in the farm management system.

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