Automatic driving system for agricultural work cart and agricultural work cart

Abstract

To provide an automatic operation system for farm work dolly that enables a farm work dolly to run automatically between a collection station and a harvest site in a field, avoiding obstacles along a route and realizing labor-saving transportation of harvested goods.SOLUTION: A farm work dolly 12 moves to a harvest site 11 based on second location information D2 that is location information of the harvest site 11, and third location information D3 of the farm work dolly 12 itself. After loading the harvest, the farm work dolly moves from the harvest site 11 to a collection station 10 based on first location information D1 that is location information of the collection station 10 and the third location information D3. After unloading the harvest at the collection station 10, when moving to the harvest site 11, the farm work dolly moves from the collection station 10 to the harvest site 11 based on the second location information D2 and the third location information D3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle and an agricultural work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the agricultural workforce has been declining and the agricultural workforce is aging, making labor-saving in farming an urgent issue. To reduce the burden of farm work, development is underway to mechanize and automate farm work. However, the task of transporting heavy harvested produce, such as apples and other fruits and vegetables, from the fields to collection points places a heavy burden on farmworkers.

[0003] As a system for reducing the labor required for transporting harvested products, an agricultural work support system for loading and transporting harvested products has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This agricultural work support system is composed of a wireless transmitter carried by a worker performing harvesting work, a wireless receiver provided on a farm work assistance robot (which can be replaced with a farm work cart) performing the transport work, and a wireless transmitter provided on a truck transporting the harvested products. In this agricultural work support system, when the farm work cart receives a transmission signal from the worker, it automatically travels following the worker and stops at a predetermined position near the worker. Then, once the farm work cart has loaded the harvested products, it automatically travels toward the transmission signal from the truck and stops at a predetermined position near the truck. After transferring the harvested products onto the truck, the farm work cart again automatically travels toward the transmission signal from the worker and stops at a predetermined position near the worker, allowing the worker to resume loading work.

[0004] There is also an agricultural work support system for improving the accuracy of agricultural work (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This agricultural work support system has a first position information acquisition device carried by the worker, a second position information acquisition device provided in a work vehicle (which can be replaced by an agricultural work cart), and a communication unit capable of sending and receiving information between the worker and the agricultural work cart. The agricultural work cart receives the worker's position information and automatically travels along a travel route specified to follow the worker. The travel route of the agricultural work cart is set from information on the outer perimeter contour (boundary line) of the field obtained by the worker walking or driving the work vehicle, and from specification information of the work vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-66809 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-201342 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the agricultural work cart described in Patent Document 1 travels toward the worker in response to a signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter carried by the worker, and travels toward the truck in response to a signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter carried by the truck. Therefore, in a field where there are many rows of harvested plant ridges or where the ridges are scattered in multiple locations, it is difficult to automatically run the agricultural work cart along any desired route.

[0007] Furthermore, the work vehicle described in Patent Document 2 travels based on a travel route created from information about the outer contour of the field and the specifications of the agricultural work vehicle (size and specifications of the travel means). Because the travel route created in this way is linear, circular, or made up of U-turns at regular intervals, it is difficult to make the agricultural work vehicle travel along an arbitrary travel route in a field where the rows of planted crops to be harvested are irregularly arranged in multiple rows or are scattered in multiple locations.

[0008] Furthermore, in the agricultural work support system described in Patent Document 2, the travel start and end points of the agricultural work vehicle are set to fixed positions that have been set in advance. For example, trucks that transport harvested products loaded by work vehicles are not equipped with position information acquisition devices, and therefore cannot respond when the truck's waiting position (travel end point) moves.

[0009] In addition, the agricultural work support systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem that they cannot add information such as obstacles or impassable areas on the driving route to the driving route, or detect obstacles and allow the vehicle to avoid them.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide an "automatic driving system for agricultural work carts" and an agricultural cart that can automatically drive agricultural work carts between collection points that may be moved within a field and harvest sites, and that can avoid obstacles on the driving route, thereby realizing labor savings in the work of transporting harvested products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] [1] The automatic driving system for an agricultural work cart of the present invention comprises: a first wireless transmitting device having a first position information acquisition device and capable of transmitting first position information regarding the location of a harvest collection point; a second wireless transmitting device having a second position information acquisition device and capable of transmitting second position information regarding the location of a harvest site; and an agricultural work cart having a third position information acquisition device and capable of acquiring third position information regarding its own location, a wireless receiving device that receives the first position information from the first wireless transmitting device and the second position information from the second wireless transmitting device, and capable of automatically traveling between the harvest site and the collection point based on the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information.The agricultural work cart is characterized in that when transporting harvested products loaded at the harvest site to the collection point, it moves from the harvest site to the collection point based on the first position information and the third position information, and when unloading the harvested products at the collection point and then moving to the harvest site, it moves from the collection point to the harvest site based on the second position information and the third position information.

[0012] [2] In the automatic driving system for an agricultural work cart of the present invention, it is preferable that the system further has a map information creation unit that can create field map information in advance and register a driving path in the field map information, and that the agricultural work cart has a driving route creation unit that can create an arbitrary driving route based on the driving path, and a map information storage unit that stores the field map information and the driving path.

[0013] [3] In the automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle of the present invention, it is preferable that the field map information includes registered field boundaries, and the driving route is created within a range in which the agricultural work vehicle does not cross the boundary lines.

[0014] [4] In the automatic driving system for an agricultural work cart of the present invention, the agricultural work cart preferably further has an obstacle detection sensor that detects obstacles on the driving route, and if the obstacle detection sensor detects an obstacle while the cart is traveling along the driving route, the driving control is preferably such that "the cart stops traveling until the obstacle is no longer detected" or "the cart changes the driving route to avoid the obstacle and continue traveling."

[0015] [5] In the automatic driving system for an agricultural work cart of the present invention, when the obstacle detection sensor detects an obstacle on the driving route, the agricultural work cart is preferably controlled to create a driving route that allows it to pass the obstacle and continue driving, and once it has passed the obstacle, to drive according to the pre-set driving route.

[0016] [6] In the automatic driving system for an agricultural work cart of the present invention, it is preferable that a map image taken from the air by an unmanned aerial vehicle can be superimposed on the field map information.

[0017] [7] In the automatic driving system for agricultural work carts of the present invention, when there are multiple harvesting sites operating in parallel within a farm field, it is preferable that the second wireless transmitting device is provided for each of the multiple harvesting sites, and that the agricultural work cart is capable of moving from the collection point to any one of the multiple harvesting sites according to a predetermined driving route.

[0018] [8] In the automatic driving system for agricultural work carts of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the agricultural work carts can travel simultaneously within a field, and that each of the plurality of agricultural work carts is controlled so that it can move from the collection point to the harvesting site and from the harvesting site to the collection point according to a predetermined procedure.

[0019] [9] The automatic driving system for agricultural work carts of the present invention includes an agricultural work cart having a third position information acquisition device capable of acquiring first position information regarding the location of a harvest collection point, second position information regarding the location of the harvest site, and third position information regarding its own position, and the agricultural work cart is configured to move from the harvest site to the collection point based on the first position information and the third position information when transporting harvested goods loaded at the harvest site to the collection point, and to move from the collection point to the harvest site based on the second position information and the third position information when unloading the harvested goods at the collection point and then moving to the harvest site.

[0020]

[10] The agricultural work cart of the present invention is an agricultural work cart having a third position information acquisition device capable of acquiring first position information regarding the location of a harvest collection point, second position information regarding the location of the harvest site, and third position information regarding its own position, and is characterized in that when transporting harvested goods loaded at the harvest site to the collection point, the agricultural work cart is configured to move from the harvest site to the collection point based on the first position information and the third position information, and when unloading the harvested goods at the collection point and moving to the harvest site, it is configured to move from the collection point to the harvest site based on the second position information and the third position information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] In the "automatic driving system for agricultural work vehicles" of the present invention, the agricultural work vehicle can acquire its own position information (third position information) in real time while moving. In addition, the agricultural work vehicle can receive position information (second position information) of the harvesting site and position information (first position information) of the collection point while moving, and can recognize the relative positions of the harvesting site and the collection point relative to its own position, so it can automatically travel between the collection point and the harvesting site along a predetermined driving route.

[0022] The agricultural work vehicle also has an obstacle detection sensor. When the obstacle detection sensor detects an obstacle such as a person or another agricultural work vehicle on the travel route, the agricultural work vehicle can either stop or create a travel route that avoids the obstacle.

[0023] Furthermore, if there are multiple harvesting sites within a farm field where harvesting is being carried out in parallel, each harvesting site will have a second wireless transmitting device, allowing the agricultural work cart to travel automatically between the collection point and the multiple harvesting sites.

[0024] Furthermore, in the case where multiple agricultural work carts are configured to travel within a field, each of the multiple agricultural work carts is configured to travel a predetermined route according to a predetermined procedure, making it possible for each agricultural work cart to travel automatically between the collection point and the harvesting site.

[0025] Furthermore, the agricultural work vehicle can acquire first location information of the collection point, second location information of the harvesting site, and third location information of the vehicle itself. Therefore, even if the first wireless transmission device and the second wireless transmission device described in [1] above are not placed at the collection point and the harvesting site, respectively, the agricultural work vehicle can automatically travel between the collection point and the harvesting site.

[0026] From the above, the automatic driving system for agricultural work carts of the present invention makes it possible to automatically drive agricultural work carts between collection points and harvest sites within a field, and enables the carts to avoid obstacles on their travel route, thereby reducing the labor required for transporting harvested products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the relationship of the configuration of the automatic driving system 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the farm work vehicle 12. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of travel control of the agricultural work vehicle 12. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for creating a travel route R. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of traveling of the agricultural work vehicle 12. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of the traveling of the agricultural work vehicle 12. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing obstacle avoidance travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a driving method in the automatic driving system 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 3. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a driving method in the automatic driving system 3. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, "automatic driving systems 1, 2, 3, 4 for agricultural work carriages" according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. In the following description, "automatic driving systems 1, 2, 3, 4 for agricultural work carriages" may be abbreviated to "automatic driving systems 1, 2, 3, 4."

[0029] (First embodiment) 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 1 according to a first embodiment. The automatic driving system 1 is a system for automatically driving an agricultural work cart 12 between a collection point 10 for collecting harvested products and a harvesting site 11 where a worker M harvests fruits, vegetables, etc., and transporting the harvested products from the harvesting site 11 to the collection point 10. The number of worker M is not limited to one.

[0030] The collection point 10 includes a place where the harvested products are temporarily collected, a sorting area where the harvested products are sorted, and a loading area for trucks and other vehicles that transport the harvested products from the farm field 50 (see Figure 4) to the collection and shipping area, and these locations are located within or near the farm field 50. The collection point 10 may move. The starting point 54 and ending point 55 (see Figure 4) of the travel of the farm work cart 12 may also be referred to as the collection point 10. The harvest site 11 moves from moment to moment depending on the progress of the harvesting work. Worker M collects the harvested products in a harvesting container 34 (see Figure 2) and loads the container 34 onto the farm work cart 12.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the automated driving system 1 includes a first wireless transmitter 14 having a first position information acquisition device 13 that acquires first position information D1 regarding the location of the collection point 10 and transmits the first position information D1 to the agricultural work vehicle 12, and a second wireless transmitter 16 having a second position information acquisition device 15 that acquires second position information D2 regarding the location of the harvesting site 11 and transmits the second position information D2 to the agricultural work vehicle 12. The first wireless transmitter 14 and the second wireless transmitter 16 can each be unitized and made portable (movable). The first wireless transmitter 14 can be placed at any location in the collection point 10, and the second wireless transmitter 16 can be carried by a worker M at the harvesting site 11, which moves depending on the progress of the harvesting work, or it can be placed near a container 34 placed at the harvesting site 11 or near the worker M.

[0032] The agricultural work vehicle 12 has a third position information acquisition device 18 that acquires third position information D3 regarding its own position, and a wireless receiving device 17 that receives first position information D1 from the first wireless transmitting device 14 and receives second position information D2 from the second wireless transmitting device 16.

[0033] The first position information acquisition device 13, the second position information acquisition device 15, and the third position information acquisition device 18 use a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that accurately measures position information on the earth. Note that each of these position information acquisition devices uses a Real Time Kinematic (RTK)-GNSS to acquire accurate position information.

[0034] The first position information acquisition device 13, the second position information acquisition device 15, and the third position information acquisition device 18 can acquire the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the third position information D3 in real time. However, if the location of the collection point 10 is fixed for a certain period of time and then moves, the location after the move is acquired as the first position information D1 and transmitted to the wireless receiving device 17. At the harvest site 11, the interval for acquiring position information can be determined in advance to match the harvesting speed of the worker M. In the agricultural work cart 12, the interval for acquiring the third position information D3 can be arbitrarily set to match the set traveling speed.

[0035] Next, the system configuration of the agricultural work vehicle 12 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The wireless receiving device 17 can be made into a unit and placed at any position taking into consideration the size and shape of the agricultural work vehicle 12, such as towards the front end, rear end, or lower center of the agricultural work vehicle 12.

[0036] The automatic driving system 1 has a map information creation unit 20 that can create field map information D4 related to the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12 and register drivable travel paths 53 (see FIG. 2) in the field map information D4. The agricultural work vehicle 12 has a travel route creation unit 25 that can create an arbitrary travel route R (see FIGS. 5 to 7) based on first position information D1, second position information D2, and information on the travel path 53, and a map information storage unit 26 that stores information on the field map information D4 and the travel path 53. The map information creation unit 20 is configured by a PC (computer) that is placed outside the agricultural work vehicle 12. The first position information D1, second position information D2, and third position information D3 are input to the travel route creation unit 25. The travel route creation unit 25 constantly recognizes the positions of the collection point 10, the harvesting site 11, and the agricultural work vehicle 12. The map information creation unit 20 registers the travel path 53 in the field map information D4 acquired in advance and inputs it into the map information storage unit 26. The travel route creation unit 25 creates a suitable travel route R from the information on the travel path 53 stored in the map information storage unit 26, the first position information D1, and the second position information D2. The agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels between the collection point 10 and the harvest site 11 according to the travel route R.

[0037] The agricultural work vehicle 12 has a travel control unit 27 that controls the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12 based on the travel route R, and an obstacle detection sensor 28 that detects obstacles H (see FIG. 7) on the travel route R. The obstacle detection sensor 28 can be a camera, radar device, ultrasonic device, contact sensor, or the like, and can be selected appropriately depending on the object to be detected. It is also possible to combine multiple types of obstacle detection sensors 28. Obstacles H include harvest residue that may hinder the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12, uneven or sloped ground, mud, narrow parts of the travel path 53 that make the travel path 53 impassable, as well as people on the travel path 53 and other agricultural work vehicles 12.

[0038] The obstacle detection sensor 28 detects whether or not there is an obstacle H on the travel route R, and when an obstacle H is detected, it detects the relative positional relationship between the obstacle H and the agricultural work vehicle 12. The relative positional relationship includes information such as the height of the obstacle H from the travel road surface, its horizontal position within the travel road surface, and the extent of the obstacle H, and this information is input to the travel route creation unit 25 as position information D5 of the obstacle H. The travel route creation unit 25 determines whether the agricultural work vehicle 12 can travel without changing the travel route R, whether it can travel while avoiding the obstacle, or whether avoidance is impossible, and creates the travel route R. Obstacle avoidance travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0039] The wireless receiving device 17, travel route creation unit 25, map information storage unit 26, travel control unit 27, and obstacle detection sensor 28 are controlled by a controller 29. Although not shown, the agricultural work vehicle 12 is equipped with a battery as a power source, and the first wireless transmitting device 14, second wireless transmitting device 16, and wireless receiving device 17 are each equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or the like. The map information creation unit 20 is made up of a PC separate from the agricultural work vehicle 12, and is connected to the map information storage unit 26 via an internet line or directly.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the agricultural work vehicle 12. The agricultural work vehicle 12 is composed of a main body 30 that stores a travel route creation unit 25, a map information storage unit 26, a travel control unit 27, and a controller 29, a loading platform 31 on top of the main body 30 on which harvested crops are placed, and wheels 32 as a traveling means. The unitized wireless receiving device 17 is disposed at any position on the agricultural work vehicle 12. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 2, the traveling means is wheels 32, but crawlers can also be used instead of the wheels 32. In addition, gates 33 are provided on four sides of the loading platform 31, and a container 34 can be loaded inside the gates 33. However, it is also possible to load harvested crops directly inside the gates 33.

[0041] Any of the obstacle detection sensors 28 described above is disposed at the four corners of the main body 30. Considering that the agricultural work vehicle 12 can move forward, backward, and make U-turns, an appropriate number of obstacle detection sensors 28 are disposed at appropriate positions where the relative position of an obstacle H (see FIG. 7) and the agricultural work vehicle 12 can be detected.

[0042] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the travel control system of the agricultural work vehicle 12. The travel control unit 27 has a drive motor control unit 40 and a steering control unit 41. The drive motor control unit 40 is responsible for starting, stopping, and controlling the rotation speed (travel speed) of the motor, which is the drive source. The steering control unit 41 is responsible for controlling the travel direction of the agricultural work vehicle 12 by controlling the steering motor.

[0043] The travel control unit 27 is controlled by a travel command signal from the controller 29 based on the travel route R acquired from the travel route creation unit 25. The drive motor control unit 40 has a tachometer 43 and measures the travel speed. The steering control unit 41 measures the steering angle using a potentiometer 44 or the like. Data on the travel speed and steering angle are stored in a travel history recording unit 45 included in the controller 29. By providing the travel history recording unit 45, it becomes possible for the agricultural work vehicle 12 to travel repeatedly and to check the travel state based on the data stored in the travel history recording unit 45.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 29 has a radio control receiver 46 (hereinafter simply referred to as the R receiver 46) that enables remote control of the agricultural work vehicle 12. The R receiver 46 receives a radio signal from a control device 47 carried by the worker M, and can cause the agricultural work vehicle 12 to travel as intended by the worker M using the travel control unit 27, even when a travel route R has not been set. The control device 47 may be carried by the worker M at all times, or may be placed in an appropriate position on the agricultural work vehicle 12 and carried and operated by the worker M when necessary. Next, a method for creating a travel route R will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating how the map information creation unit 20 creates a travel path 53. The map information creation unit 20 imports field map information D4 in advance. The field map information D4 includes aerial photographs and GIS (Geographic Information System) provided by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, map information available from Google's web mapping platform, satellite photographs, and aerial photographs. From these map information, a field area where the planting rows and the outer edge 58 of the field 50 are discernible is cut out and used as field map information D4. The field 50 shown in FIG. 4 is an example of a densely planted field with fruit trees 51, such as apples. The planting rows of the fruit trees 51 are divided into ridges 52A, 52B, 52C, and 52D, and there is space between the ridges and around the entire ridges where the farm work cart 12 can travel. This space serves as the travel path 53.

[0046] First, the creation of the travel path 53 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The travel path 53 serves as basic information for creating the travel route R. The map information creation unit 20 has loaded field map information D4. A map image showing the arrangement of the ridges 52A-52D and the outer edge 58 of the field 50 is displayed on the computer display of the map information creation unit 20. The travel path 53 can be created by registering multiple reference points P in the field map information D4. The reference points P are set at the travel start point 54 (the same position as the travel end point 55) of the collection point 10, between the outer edges 58 of the ridges 52A-52D, between the ridge 52A and the outer edge 58, between the ridge 52D and the outer edge 58, and at intermediate positions or arbitrary positions within the space between each furrow where the agricultural work vehicle 12 can travel. The map information creation unit 20 creates the travel path 53 by connecting the registered multiple reference points P with lines. The farm field map information D4 and the travel path 53 are stored in the map information storage unit 26.

[0047] If the ridges 52A-52D are curved, it is possible to create a travel path 53 that includes the curve by setting reference points P to be registered according to the degree of curvature, regardless of the number of ridges. Generally, when planting fruits and other crops, the planting arrangement is fixed. However, for vegetables and other crops, the planting arrangement may change or become irregular depending on the type and season, and this may not be reflected in the field map information D4 at all times. In such cases, the worker M can carry one of the wireless receiving device 17, the first wireless transmitting device 14, or the second wireless transmitting device 16, or remotely operate the agricultural work vehicle 12, trace the expected travel path 53, and register reference points P at his or her own discretion. In this way, the map information creation unit 20 can create a travel path 53 that corresponds to the planting arrangement situation.

[0048] It should be noted that the agricultural work vehicle 12 must avoid traveling beyond the boundary line 57 of the field 50. In other words, the field map information D4 is required to identify the boundary line 57. A method for creating the boundary line 57 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0049] The boundary line 57 can be created using the same concept as the travel path 53. In the example shown in Figure 4, the field 50 is rectangular. An image in which the outer edge 58 of the field 50 can be recognized is displayed on the computer display of the map information creation unit 20. The boundary line 57 can be created by registering multiple boundary reference points P0 along the outer edge 58 in the field map information D4. The boundary reference points P0 are placed at the four corners of the field 50. In the example shown in Figure 4, the map information creation unit 20 increases the number of boundary reference points P0 at the four corners because the four corners of the field 50 are formed by arcs. The boundary line 57 can be identified by connecting the registered boundary reference points P0 with lines. The field map information D4 and the boundary line 57 are stored in the map information storage unit 26.

[0050] If the outer edge 58 of the field 50 has a complex shape and it is difficult to register the boundary reference point P0 on the computer display of the map information creation unit 20, it is possible to create the boundary line 57 using the following method. For example, the worker M carries either the first wireless transmitting device 14, the second wireless transmitting device 16, or the wireless receiving device 17 and moves around while tracing the outer edge 58 of the field 50. The current position information acquired by the first position information acquisition device 13 or the second position information acquisition device 15 is registered as the boundary reference point P0 in the field map information D4 at the discretion of the worker M. The map information creation unit 20 connects the boundary reference points P0 with lines to create the boundary line 57 and stores it in the map information storage unit 26.

[0051] Alternatively, the worker M can remotely operate the agricultural work vehicle 12 using the steering device 47 and the R receiving device 46, move the agricultural work vehicle 12 equipped with the wireless receiving device 17 while tracing the outer edge 58 of the field 50, and register the boundary reference point P0 from the third position information D3. By identifying the boundary line 57 in this way, the travel route creation unit 25 can create a travel route R so that the agricultural work vehicle 12 does not cross the boundary line 57. Next, transportation of harvested crops by the agricultural work vehicle 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0052] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12. A first wireless transmitter 14 is disposed at the collection point 10. At the harvest site 11, a wireless receiver 17 is carried by the worker M or disposed at any position at the harvest site 11. A travel path 53 is created in the field map information D4. As shown in FIG. 5, the travel route creation unit 25 creates the shortest travel route R based on the first position information D1 of the collection point 10, the second position information D2 of the harvest site 11, and information on the travel path 53. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels to the harvest site 11 according to this travel route R. The travel route R is created so that the agricultural work vehicle 12 changes its travel direction at a predetermined curvature radius when the travel path 53 turns.

[0053] The agricultural work cart 12 starts traveling from the collection point 10 when the worker M transmits a signal to start traveling on the way therefrom from the control device 47. Alternatively, the worker M or another worker can instruct the agricultural work cart 12 to start traveling at the collection point 10. When operated by the worker M, the agricultural work cart 12 receives second position information D2 from the second wireless transmitter 16 carried by the worker M and travels while following the movement of the worker M. The place where the agricultural work cart 12 first starts traveling is not necessarily the collection point 10, but it is possible for it to move to the harvest site 11 using the second position information D2 and the third position information D3.

[0054] At the harvest site 11, after loading a predetermined amount of harvested goods onto the agricultural work cart 12, the worker M issues a return travel instruction to the agricultural work cart 12 to return to the collection point 10. This causes the agricultural work cart 12 to head from the harvest site 11 to the collection point 10. The agricultural work cart 12 loaded with harvested goods automatically travels from the harvest site 11 to the collection point 10 according to the travel route R based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3, and stops at the collection point 10.

[0055] After unloading the harvested products at the collection point 10, the agricultural work cart 12 returns to the harvest site 11. For example, when a worker at the collection point 10 who unloaded the products at the collection point 10 inputs a command for the agricultural work cart 12 to travel on the outbound route, the agricultural work cart 12 starts traveling from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11 according to the travel route R based on the second position information D2 and the third position information D3. Note that the harvest site 11 may be moving while the agricultural work cart 12 is traveling to the collection point 10 or the harvest site 11. Therefore, as a second example, a case where the harvest site 11 is moving from harvest site 11A to harvest site 11B will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0056] The example shown in Figure 6 is an example in which the harvest site 11 is moving from harvest site 11A to harvest site 11B. The travel route creation unit 25 creates the shortest travel route R (shown by a dotted line in Figure 6) on the travel path 53 based on the first position information D1 of the collection point 10 and the second position information D2 of the harvest site 11B. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11B along the travel route R based on the second position information D2 and its own third position information D3, and stops there. After loading the harvested products, the agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels in reverse along the travel route R to the collection point 10 based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3, and stops there.

[0057] Next, a case where there is an obstacle H on the travel path 53 that obstructs the travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. There are obstacles H that can be recognized when the travel path 53 is created, and obstacles H that can be detected while the agricultural work vehicle 12 is traveling. In addition, there are obstacles H that can be avoided by the agricultural work vehicle 12 and obstacles that cannot be avoided.

[0058] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing obstacle avoidance travel of the agricultural work vehicle 12. First, a case where an obstacle H can be recognized when creating a travel path 53 will be described. When the presence of an obstacle H in the field 50 is recognized on the computer display of the map information creation unit 20, a reference point P1 that enables the obstacle H to be avoided is registered in the map information creation unit 20. The map information creation unit 20 creates a travel path 53 by connecting the reference point P1 with the original travel path 53 with a line. The travel route creation unit 25 creates a travel route R1 that passes through the reference point P1 based on the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the information on the travel path 53. Note that the number of reference points P1 is not limited to one. The agricultural work cart 12 automatically travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11 according to the travel route R1 based on the second position information D2 and its own third position information D3, and automatically travels in the opposite direction along the travel route R1 from the harvest site 11 to the collection point 10 based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3.

[0059] If it is recognized on the computer display of the map information creation unit 20 that it is impossible to avoid the obstacle H, the presence of the unavoidable obstacle H on the travel path 53 is registered in the field map information D4. The travel route creation unit 25 creates a travel route R2 (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7) based on the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the information on the travel path 53 in which the unavoidable obstacle H is registered. The agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels between the collection point 10 and the harvest site 11 according to the travel route R2.

[0060] Next, a case where the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects an obstacle H while the agricultural work vehicle 12 is traveling will be described with reference to Figure 7. The obstacle detection sensor 28 determines whether it is possible to travel while avoiding the obstacle H. If the obstacle detection sensor 28 determines that it is possible to avoid the obstacle H, the travel route creation unit 25 creates a travel route R1 that can avoid the obstacle H based on information about the travel path 53. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels according to the travel route R1, and when the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects that it has passed the obstacle H, it continues to travel according to the travel route R that was created in advance.

[0061] If the obstacle detection sensor 28 determines that it is impossible to avoid the obstacle H, the agricultural work vehicle 12 is stopped temporarily, and the stop position Q is registered in the travel route creation unit 25. The agricultural work vehicle 12 remains stopped until the obstacle H is removed. The travel route creation unit 25 creates a new travel route R3 that can avoid the obstacle H based on the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the information on the travel path 53 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). The agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels along this obstacle-avoiding travel route R3. Note that, when the agricultural work vehicle 12 is to travel again after the travel route R3 has been registered, the travel route creation unit 25 can create a travel route R2 based on the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the information on the travel path 53, and cause the agricultural work vehicle 12 to travel along the travel route R2.

[0062] If the agricultural work vehicle 12 detects an unavoidable obstacle H and stops, and then cannot restart, the agricultural work vehicle 12 can sound an alarm to notify the worker M that it has stopped traveling after a predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, it is possible to add a system to the automatic driving system 1 that transmits a message from the wireless receiving device 17 to the first wireless transmitting device 14 or the second wireless transmitting device 16 that traveling is no longer possible, based on detection information from the obstacle detection sensor 28 and traveling stop information from the traveling control unit 27.

[0063] Although not shown, it is possible to superimpose a map image taken from the air by an unmanned aerial vehicle (commonly known as a drone) on the field map information D4. The map image taken from the air by the unmanned aerial vehicle represents the actual state of the field 50, and the map information creation unit 20 adds the aerial map image to the field map information D4 using mapping software. This allows the map information creation unit 20 to create a travel path 53 based on the map image, making it possible to create a more appropriate travel path 53 that corresponds to the topography of the field 50 than in the case of only the field map information D4 without adding image information. Furthermore, the aerial map image can be used to infer the presence of an obstacle H on the travel path 53, allowing the map information creation unit 20 to create a travel path 53 that can avoid the obstacle H in advance.

[0064] In the "automatic driving system 1 for agricultural work carts" according to the first embodiment described above, the agricultural work cart 12 moves from the collection point 10 to the harvesting site 11 based on second position information D2, which is position information for the harvesting site 11, and third position information D3 of the agricultural work cart 12 itself. After loading the harvested products, the agricultural work cart 12 moves from the harvesting site 11 to the collection point 10 based on first position information D1 and third position information D3, which are position information for the collection point 10, and unloads the harvested products at the collection point 10. After unloading, the agricultural work cart 12 moves from the collection point 10 to the harvesting site 11 based on the second position information D2 and third position information D3.

[0065] By configuring it in this way, the agricultural work cart 12 can automatically travel between the collection point 10 and the harvest site 11, making it possible to reduce the labor required for transporting harvested products. The agricultural work cart 12 acquires in real time not only its own third position information D3 but also the first position information D1 of the collection point 10 and the second position information D2 of the harvest site 11. This makes it possible for the agricultural work cart 12 to automatically travel between the collection point 10 and the harvest site 11 even if the location of the collection point 10 or the location of the harvest site 11 moves while the agricultural work cart 12 is traveling.

[0066] Furthermore, the map information creation unit 20 creates field map information D4 in advance and registers the travel path 53 in the field map information D4. The travel route creation unit 25 creates the shortest travel route R based on the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the information on the travel path 53. The field map information D4 and the travel route R are stored in the map information storage unit 26. The agricultural work vehicle 12 can travel back and forth between the collection point 10 and the harvest site 11 according to the shortest travel route R stored in the map information storage unit 26.

[0067] The boundary line 57 of the field 50 is registered in the field map information D4. As a result, the travel route R is created within a range in which the agricultural work vehicle 12 does not cross the boundary line 57. By adding the boundary line 57 to the field map information D4, the agricultural work vehicle 12 can travel within a range in which it does not cross the boundary line 57.

[0068] The agricultural work vehicle 12 has an obstacle detection sensor 28 that detects an obstacle H on the travel route R. If the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects an obstacle H while the agricultural work vehicle 12 is traveling on the travel route R, the agricultural work vehicle 12 stops traveling until the obstacle H is no longer detected. Alternatively, the travel route creation unit 25 changes the travel route R and creates one of the travel routes R1, R2, and R3, which allows the agricultural work vehicle 12 to avoid the obstacle H and continue traveling.

[0069] Furthermore, if the agricultural work vehicle 12 detects an obstacle H while traveling, it creates a travel route R1 that allows it to pass the obstacle H and continues traveling. Then, once it has passed the obstacle H, it travels according to the pre-set travel route R, allowing the agricultural work vehicle 12 to travel while avoiding the obstacle H.

[0070] Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose a map image photographed from the air by an unmanned aerial vehicle on the field map information D4. The map information creation unit 20 adds the map image photographed from the air to the field map information D4. This makes it possible to create an appropriate travel route R that corresponds to the topography of the field 50. Furthermore, the map image photographed from the air allows the worker M to recognize that there is an obstacle H on the travel path 53, and it becomes possible to create a travel path 53 that can avoid the obstacle H in advance.

[0071] (Second embodiment) Next, an automatic driving system 2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. While the first embodiment described above is an example in which there is one harvesting site 11, the second embodiment is an example in which there are multiple harvesting sites 11 where harvesting work is being carried out in parallel. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a case in which there are three harvesting sites 11 where harvesting work is being carried out in parallel. The configurations of the first wireless transmitting device 14 and the agricultural work cart 12 arranged at the collection point 10 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed description will be omitted, but the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 are used for common parts.

[0072] 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automatic driving system 2 according to the second embodiment. The automatic driving system 2 is a control system for automatically driving one agricultural work vehicle 12 between the collection point 10 and the harvesting sites 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0073] The automatic driving system 2 is composed of a first wireless transmitting device 14, a wireless receiving device 17, a second wireless transmitting device 16A having a second position information acquisition device 15A that acquires information about the location of the harvesting site 11A, a second wireless transmitting device 16B having a second position information acquisition device 15B that acquires information about the location of the harvesting site 11B, and a second wireless transmitting device 16C having a second position information acquisition device 15C that acquires information about the location of the harvesting site 11C. The first wireless transmitting device 14 is disposed at the collection point 10. The wireless receiving device 17 is disposed in the agricultural work vehicle 12. The first wireless transmitting device 14 and the wireless receiving device 17 are both configured in the same way as in the first embodiment described above. The agricultural work vehicle 12 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] The first wireless transmitting device 14 acquires first location information D1 of the collection point 10 and transmits it to the wireless receiving device 17. The second wireless transmitting device 16A acquires second location information D2a of the harvesting site 11A and transmits it to the wireless receiving device 17. The second wireless transmitting device 16B acquires second location information D2b of the harvesting site 11B and transmits it to the wireless receiving device 17. In addition, the second wireless transmitting device 16C acquires second location information D2c of the harvesting site 11C and transmits it to the wireless receiving device 17.

[0075] The second position information D2a, D2b, and D2c include identification numbers (IDs) assigned to distinguish each of them. The harvest sites 11A, 11B, and 11C are not fixed but move, but their locations can be determined by the identification numbers. The agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels from the collection point 10 to each harvest site along a predetermined travel route R based on the third position information D3 and the second position information D2a, D2b, and D2c, and stops there. The agricultural work vehicle 12 loaded with collected goods automatically travels from each harvest site to the collection point 10 along a predetermined travel route R based on the third position information D3 and the first position information D1, and stops there.

[0076] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a driving method in the automatic driving system 2. The driving path 53 and boundary line 57 shown in FIG. 4 are registered in the field map information D4. In the example shown in FIG. 9, there is a harvesting site 11A between ridges 52A and 52B, a harvesting site 11B between ridges 52B and 52C, and a harvesting site 11C between ridges 52C and 52D, and harvesting work is being carried out in parallel at these sites. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels toward one of the harvesting sites 11A, 11B, and 11C according to a predetermined procedure. For example, a sequence can be set up so that the vehicle travels to the harvesting site 11A, the harvesting site 11B, and the harvesting site 11C in that order.

[0077] In the example shown in Figure 9, the agricultural work vehicle 12 travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11A according to the travel route Rs1 based on the second position information D2a and the third position information D3. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11B according to the travel route Rs2 based on the second position information D2b and the third position information D3. The agricultural work vehicle 12 also travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11C according to the travel route Rs3 based on the second position information D2c and the third position information D3. After loading the harvested products, the agricultural work vehicle 12 travels in reverse along the respective travel routes Rs1, Rs2, and Rs3 from each harvest site to the collection point 10 based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3.

[0078] The agricultural work vehicle 12 heads directly from harvesting site 11A to harvesting site 11B according to the progress of the harvesting work, and moves to collection point 10 when a predetermined amount of harvested products has been loaded. Alternatively, the travel order can be set in advance so that the agricultural work vehicle 12 moves to harvesting site 11A, harvesting site 11B, and harvesting site 11C in that order, and after loading the harvested products, moves to collection point 10. The order in which the agricultural work vehicle 12 heads to each harvesting site can be set arbitrarily based on the harvest amount, collection work speed, distance from collection point 10 to each harvesting site, etc.

[0079] Furthermore, if the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects that there is an obstacle H on the travel path 53, as explained in Figure 7, a travel route R1 that can avoid the obstacle H is created for each travel route, or a new travel route that can avoid the obstacle H is created, thereby making it possible for the agricultural work cart 12 to travel while avoiding the obstacle H even if there are multiple harvesting sites 11.

[0080] As described above, in the automated driving system 2, when the farm field 50 contains harvesting sites 11A, 11B, and 11C operating in parallel, each harvesting site 11A, 11B, and 11C has one of the second wireless transmitters 16A, 16B, and 16C, and acquires second location information D2a, D2b, and D2c, respectively. The second location information D2a, D2b, and D2c is assigned an identification number that identifies the location of each harvesting site. The travel route creation unit 25 creates appropriate travel routes Rs1, Rs2, and Rs3 for each harvesting site based on the first location information D1, the second location information D2a, D2b, and D2c, and the previously created travel path 53. The agricultural work vehicle 12 travels along one of the previously created travel routes Rs1, Rs2, and Rs3 according to the identification number, enabling it to automatically travel between the harvesting sites 11A, 11B, and 11C and the collection point 10.

[0081] (Third embodiment) Next, an automatic driving system 3 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. While the first and second embodiments described above are examples in which each agricultural work vehicle 12 travels within a field 50, the third embodiment is characterized in that it allows multiple agricultural work vehicles 12 to travel in parallel within the field 50. Figures 10 and 11 illustrate an example in which three agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C travel in parallel. The configurations of the first wireless transmitter 14 located at the collection point 10 and the second wireless transmitter 16 located at the harvesting site 11 are the same as those of the automatic driving system 1 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the configuration of each of the agricultural work vehicles 12A to 12C is the same as that of the agricultural work vehicle 12, and in Figure 10, the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, 12C are shown only in areas that are different from the agricultural work vehicle 12 (see Figure 1).

[0082] 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 3 according to the third embodiment. The automatic driving system 3 is a control system for automatically driving three agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C between a collection point 10 and a harvesting site 11.

[0083] The automatic driving system 3 includes a first wireless transmitter 14, a second wireless transmitter 16, and wireless receivers 17A, 17B, and 17C installed on each of the three agricultural work vehicles 12. First location information D1 for the collection point 10 and second location information D2 for the harvest site 11 are transmitted to a travel route creation unit 25. The wireless receivers 17A, 17B, and 17C have the same configuration as the wireless receiver 17, but each has an identification number (ID) assigned to distinguish between the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C. Third location information D3a acquired by the third location information acquisition device 18 for the agricultural work vehicle 12A, third location information D3b acquired by the third location information acquisition device 18 for the agricultural work vehicle 12B, and third location information D3c acquired by the third location information acquisition device 18 for the agricultural work vehicle 12C are input to the travel route creation unit 25. In addition, if an obstacle H is registered in the field map information D4, and if the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects the obstacle H while driving, it is possible to avoid the obstacle H and drive by following the procedure described in Figure 7.

[0084] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a driving method in the automatic driving system 3. As shown in FIG. 11, each agricultural work vehicle drives according to a procedure created in advance. Agricultural work vehicle 12A drives the shortest driving route Rp1, agricultural work vehicle 12B drives the driving route Rp2, and agricultural work vehicle 12C drives the driving route Rp3. Agricultural work vehicle 12A automatically drives from collection point 10 to harvest site 11 according to driving route Rp1 based on second position information D2 and third position information D3a, and after loading the harvested products, automatically drives from harvest site 11 to collection point 10 by reversing driving route Rp1 based on first position information D1 and third position information D3a.

[0085] The agricultural work cart 12B automatically travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11 according to the travel route Rp2 based on the second position information D2 and the third position information D3b, and after loading the harvested products, automatically travels in the opposite direction along the travel route Rp2 based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3b from the harvest site 11 to the collection point 10. Similarly, the agricultural work cart 12C automatically travels from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11 according to the travel route Rp3 based on the second position information D2 and the third position information D3c, and after loading the harvested products, automatically travels in the opposite direction along the travel route Rp3 based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3c from the harvest site 11 to the collection point 10.

[0086] Since RTK-GNSS can acquire position information and time information, the travel route creation unit 25 acquires third position information D3a, D3b, and D3c of each of the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C, as well as current time information. Furthermore, identification numbers are registered in the travel route creation unit 25. Therefore, it is possible to recognize the current position of each of the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C on the travel route. The travel route creation unit 25 can control the travel of each of the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C by changing its travel speed or temporarily stopping it via the controller 29 based on the current time and the third position information D3 of the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C to prevent them from passing each other.

[0087] The agricultural work carriages 12A, 12B, and 12C each have an obstacle detection sensor 28. When the agricultural work carriages 12A, 12B, and 12C may pass each other, the obstacle detection sensor 28 detects the other agricultural work carriage 12 as an obstacle H, and creates a travel route R1 that can avoid the obstacle H as described in Fig. 7, allowing the agricultural work carriages 12A and 12B to travel while avoiding the obstacle H. Although not shown, when the agricultural work carriages 12A and 12B may pass each other, the travel route creation unit 25 detects an oncoming vehicle using the obstacle detection sensor 28 that each carriage has, and can create a travel route R1 that allows the agricultural work carriages 12A, 12B, and 12C to avoid each other to the left of the traveling direction, for example.

[0088] In the automatic driving system 3 described above, agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C can travel simultaneously within a field 50. The agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C are controlled to travel from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11 according to a predetermined procedure, and to travel from the collection point 10 to the harvest site 11. Identification numbers are assigned to the third position information D3a, D3b, and D3c acquired by the wireless receiving devices 17A, 17B, and 17C, respectively, to identify the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C, and time information is input to the travel route creation unit 25 along with the third position information D3a, D3b, and D3c. This allows the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C to travel while avoiding passing each other and avoiding obstacles H.

[0089] 11 are just examples, and the travel route creation unit 25 can create various travel routes according to a predetermined procedure. For example, the agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, 12C may be permuted according to the travel route Rp1. In such a case, the travel route creation unit 25 can create a new travel route that is different from the outbound route and use it as the return route.

[0090] (Fourth embodiment) Next, an automatic driving system 4 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The first, second, and third embodiments described above have a first wireless transmission device 14 arranged at a collection point 10 and a second wireless transmission device 16 arranged at a harvesting site 11. In contrast, the fourth embodiment is characterized in that the location information acquisition function performed by the first wireless transmission device 14 and the second wireless transmission device 16 is replaced by a wireless reception device 17.

[0091] Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The automatic driving system 4 is a system for automatically driving one agricultural work vehicle 12 between a collection point 10 and a harvesting site 11. In Fig. 12, the same components as those in the agricultural work vehicle 12 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1.

[0092] The agricultural work vehicle 12 has a third position information acquisition device 18 that can acquire first position information D1 related to the location of the collection point 10, second position information D2 related to the location of the harvesting site 11, and third position information D3 related to its own location. The agricultural work vehicle 12 moves to the collection point 10 and acquires the first position information D1 using the third position information acquisition device 18, which it then inputs to the travel route creation unit 25. Furthermore, the agricultural work vehicle 12 moves to the harvesting site 11 and acquires second position information D2 using the third position information acquisition device 18, which it then inputs to the travel route creation unit 25. The first position information D1 and the second position information D2 can be acquired by the worker M operating a position acquisition operation unit (not shown) provided on the agricultural work vehicle 12. A travel path 53 is registered in the field map information D4 (see FIG. 4).

[0093] The agricultural work vehicle 12 can travel automatically in the same way as in the first embodiment described above. The travel route creation unit 25 creates a travel route R based on first position information D1 indicating the location of the collection point 10, second position information D2 indicating the location of the harvesting site 11, and information on the travel path 53 (see FIG. 5). The agricultural work vehicle 12 automatically travels from the collection point 10 to the harvesting site 11 according to the travel route R based on the second position information D2 and the third position information D3, and after loading the collected harvested products, automatically travels from the harvesting site 11 to the collection point 10 according to the travel route R based on the first position information D1 and the third position information D3.

[0094] In the automatic driving system 4, the agricultural work vehicle 12 acquires first position information D1 regarding the position of the collection site 10 at the collection site 10 using the third position information acquisition device 18, and acquires second position information D2 regarding the position of the harvest site 11 at the harvest site 11, and inputs these to the travel route creation unit 25. In addition, the agricultural work vehicle 12 acquires third position information D3 regarding its own position while traveling using the third position information acquisition device 18, and inputs this to the travel route creation unit 25. The automatic driving system 4 is a system configuration that does not include the first wireless transmission device 14 and the second wireless transmission device 16. In other words, because the third position information acquisition device 18 can acquire the first position information D1, the second position information D2, and the third position information D3, the agricultural work vehicle 12 can automatically travel between the collection site 10 and the harvest site 11.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, the second embodiment described above is a configuration example in which there are multiple harvesting sites 11A, 11B, and 11C where harvesting work is performed in parallel, and the third embodiment is a configuration in which multiple agricultural work vehicles 12A, 12B, and 12C can travel within a field 50. Using a similar concept to each of these embodiments, it is possible to configure an automatic driving system that has multiple harvesting sites within a field 50 and that travels multiple agricultural work vehicles 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1, 2, 3, 4...Automatic driving system for agricultural work cart, 10...Collection point, 11, 11A, 11B, 11C...Harvesting site, 12, 12A, 12B, 12C...Agricultural work cart, 13...First position information acquisition device, 14...First wireless transmission device, 15, 15A, 15B, 15C...Second position information acquisition device, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C...Second wireless transmission device, 17, 17A, 17B, 17C...Wireless receiving device, 18...Third position information acquisition device, 20...Map information creation unit, 25...Driving route creation unit, 26...Map information storage unit, 27...Driving control unit, 28...Obstacle Pest detection sensor, 29...controller, 46...R receiver (control receiver), 47...operation device, 50...field, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D...ridge, 53...travel path, 57...boundary line, 58...outer edge of field, D1...first position information, D2, D2a, D2b, D2c...second position information, D3, D3a, D3b, D3c...third position information, D4...field map information, D5...obstacle position information, H...obstacle, M...operator, P...reference point, P0...boundary reference point, R, R1, R2, R3, Rp1, Rp2, Rp3...travel route, Q...stop position

Claims

1. a first wireless transmitting device having a first location information acquisition device and capable of transmitting first location information relating to the location of a harvest collection point; a second wireless transmitting device having a second location information acquisition device and capable of transmitting second location information relating to the location of the harvesting site; an agricultural work vehicle that has a third position information acquisition device and is capable of acquiring third position information relating to its own position, has a wireless receiving device that receives the first position information from the first wireless transmitting device and the second position information from the second wireless transmitting device, and is capable of automatically traveling between the harvesting site and the collection point based on the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information; The agricultural work cart is configured to be able to move from the harvesting site to the collection point based on the first position information and the third position information when transporting the harvested products loaded at the harvesting site to the collection point, and to be able to move from the collection point to the harvesting site based on the second position information and the third position information when unloading the harvested products at the collection point and then moving to the harvesting site. An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

2. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 1, a map information creation unit that creates farm field map information in advance and registers a travel path in the farm field map information; The agricultural work cart is a travel route creation unit that can create an arbitrary travel route based on the first position information, the second position information, and the travel route; and a map information storage unit that stores the field map information and the travel route; It has An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

3. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 2, The field map information includes registered field boundaries, The travel route is created within a range in which the agricultural work vehicle does not cross the boundary line. An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

4. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 1, The agricultural work vehicle further includes an obstacle detection sensor that detects obstacles on a travel route, When the obstacle detection sensor detects the obstacle while traveling along the travel route, travel control is performed to "stop traveling until the obstacle is no longer detected" or "change the travel route to avoid the obstacle and continue traveling." An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

5. 5. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 4, When the obstacle detection sensor detects the obstacle on the travel route, the agricultural work vehicle creates a travel route that allows it to pass the obstacle, continues traveling, and is controlled so that, once it has passed the obstacle, it travels according to the previously set travel route. An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

6. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 2, A map image taken from the air by an unmanned aerial vehicle can be superimposed on the farm field map information. An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

7. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 1, If there are multiple harvesting sites working in parallel within a field, a second wireless transmitting device for each of the plurality of harvesting sites; The agricultural work vehicle can move from the collection point to any one of the plurality of harvesting sites according to a predetermined travel route, An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

8. The automatic driving system for an agricultural work vehicle according to claim 1, A plurality of the agricultural work vehicles can travel simultaneously within the field, The plurality of agricultural work vehicles are controlled so that they can move from the collection point to the harvesting site and from the harvesting site to the collection point according to a predetermined procedure, An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

9. The agricultural work vehicle has a third position information acquisition device that can acquire first position information related to the position of a harvest collection point, second position information related to the position of a harvest site, and third position information related to its own position, The agricultural work cart is configured to be able to move from the collection point to the harvesting site based on the second position information and the third position information when moving from the collection point to the harvesting site, to move from the collection point to the harvesting site based on the first position information and the third position information when transporting the harvested products loaded at the harvesting site to the collection point, and to move from the collection point to the harvesting site based on the second position information and the third position information when unloading the harvested products at the collection point and then moving to the harvesting site, If there are multiple harvesting sites working in parallel within a field, a second wireless transmitting device having a second position information acquisition device and capable of transmitting second position information relating to the position of the harvesting site, for each of the plurality of harvesting sites; The agricultural work vehicle can move from the collection point to any one of the plurality of harvesting sites according to a predetermined travel route, An automatic driving system for agricultural work carts.

10. An agricultural work vehicle having a third position information acquisition device capable of acquiring first position information relating to the position of a harvest collection point, second position information relating to the position of a harvest site, and third position information relating to its own position, The agricultural work cart is configured to be able to move from the harvesting site to the collection point based on the first position information and the third position information when transporting the harvested products loaded at the harvesting site to the collection point, and to be able to move from the collection point to the harvesting site based on the second position information and the third position information when unloading the harvested products at the collection point and then moving to the harvesting site, If there are multiple harvesting sites working in parallel within a field, a second wireless transmitting device having a second position information acquisition device and capable of transmitting second position information relating to the position of the harvesting site, for each of the plurality of harvesting sites; The agricultural work vehicle can move from the collection point to any one of the plurality of harvesting sites according to a predetermined travel route, A farm work cart characterized by:

Images