Work vehicles

Abstract

To solve a problem with a conventional work vehicle that workability in selection work for crops passing through a crop conveying device is not necessarily satisfactory sufficiently.SOLUTION: A work vehicle is a digger picker work machine, and includes: a crop harvesting device 200 for harvesting crops, which is arranged in the space between right and left front wheels 110, and right and left rear wheels 120; a crop conveying device 300 for conveying the crops harvested by the crop harvesting device 200 backward through the space between the right and left rear wheels 120; and a crop storage body 400 for storing the crops conveyed by the crop conveying device 300. The crop conveying device 300 includes a crop scooping conveyer 310 for scooping crops upward. and is provided with a robot arm 510 for performing crop selection work for selecting the crops before the crops scooped by the crop scooping conveyer 310 are stored in the crop storage body 400.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle such as an onion picker.

Background Art

[0002] A harvesting device for harvesting crops is provided on one side of the left and right of a traveling vehicle body, a storage part for storing the harvested crops is provided on the other side of the left and right of the traveling vehicle body, and a sorting part for sorting the harvested crops is provided in the left - right direction of the machine body at the rear of the traveling vehicle body. An auxiliary seat for an auxiliary operator to sit is provided behind the sorting part, a placement part for placing the crops stored in the storage part is provided, and a conveying device for conveying the crops placed on the placement part forward of the machine body is provided. A lifting device is provided on the rear side of the placement part, and a support member that descends as the placed crops increase is provided in a cantilever - supported state on the lifting device, and is configured to descend to a position lower than the conveying action part of the conveying device, and the crops on the support member are configured to be able to be transferred to the conveying device. A work vehicle such as a vegetable harvester is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the inventor of the present invention considers various needs of work vehicle users and believes that the trend of continuously implementing convenient functions into work vehicles such as onion pickers is accelerating more and more.

[0005] However, the inventor has noticed that for conventional work vehicles, the usability when using convenient functions is not always good.

[0006] More specifically, the inventors noticed that, for example, the work efficiency in the sorting process of crops passing through a crop conveying device was not always sufficiently good.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a work vehicle that can improve usability, taking into consideration the conventional problems described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first aspect of the present invention is a crop harvesting device (200) positioned in the space between the left and right front wheels (110) and the left and right rear wheels (120) for harvesting crops, A crop transport device (300) transports the crops harvested by the crop harvesting device (200) to the rear through the space between the left and right rear wheels (120), A crop storage unit (400) for storing crops transported by a crop transport device (300), It is equipped with, The crop transport device (300) has a crop pumping conveyor (310) that pumps crops upward, This work vehicle is characterized by being equipped with a robotic arm (510) for performing crop sorting work, which sorts the crops before they are stored in a crop storage unit (400) after being scooped up by a crop scooping conveyor (310).

[0009] The second aspect of the present invention is an imaging device (600) for performing crop sorting work, Based on the imaging performed by the imaging device (600), a controller (800) controls the robot arm (510), It is equipped with, The crop pumping conveyor (310) is located behind the driver's seat (130). The imaging device (600) is positioned between the driver's seat (130) and the crop pumping conveyor (310). The first work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the robot arm (510) is positioned on at least one side, either the left or right, of the driver's seat (130).

[0010] The third aspect of the present invention is a work vehicle according to the second aspect of the present invention, characterized in that, based on imaging performed by an imaging device (600), if it is determined that the success rate of the crop sorting operation has not reached a predetermined level, the controller (800) controls the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor (310) to decrease.

[0011] The fourth aspect of the present invention is that the robot hand camera (521) is provided near the robot hand (520) which is attached to the robot arm (510), The controller (800) is a third type of work vehicle of the present invention, characterized in that it determines whether or not the success rate of the crop sorting operation has reached a predetermined level, based on imaging taken by a robot hand camera (521).

[0012] The fifth aspect of the present invention allows normal crops to be distinguished from rotten crops, deformed crops, and crop impurities by utilizing image analysis. The crop sorting operation is a foreign object removal operation in which a robotic hand (520) removes rotten crops, deformed crops, and at least some of the contaminants in the crops. A fourth work vehicle of the present invention, characterized in that, even if the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor (310) are reduced, if it is determined that the success rate of the crop sorting operation has not reached a predetermined level, the controller (800) performs control to remove foreign matter by removing only rotten crops.

[0013] The sixth aspect of the present invention is that the robot arm (510) is positioned on both the left and right sides of the driver's seat (130), The fifth work vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the controller (800) controls the robot arms (510) positioned on both sides of the driver's seat (130) to perform the task of removing foreign objects, based on predetermined rules.

[0014] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a waste container (700) into which deformed crops removed by a robot hand (520) are put is arranged near a crop lifting conveyor (310). A work vehicle according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a waste container temporary placement stand (710) on which a preliminary waste container (700) is placed is provided near a bonnet (150).

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve usability.

[0016] According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further improve usability.

[0017] According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve convenience.

[0018] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further improve convenience.

[0019] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to simplify the configuration.

[0020] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further simplify the configuration.

[0021] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a digger picker working machine according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Perspective view near a robot arm of a digger picker working machine according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 3]Perspective view (part 1) of a digger picker work machine, a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Perspective view (part two) of a digger picker work machine, a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Left side view of a digger picker work machine, a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Perspective view (part 1) of the vicinity of the crop pumping conveyor of a digger picker work machine, a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Perspective view (part two) of the vicinity of the crop pumping conveyor of the digger picker work machine, a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Perspective view of a digger picker work machine of a second modified embodiment of the present invention [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] The same applies below, however, some components may not be shown in the drawings, or they may be shown in perspective or in an abbreviated form.

[0025] While describing the operation of the digger picker work machine of this embodiment, a work vehicle operation control method related to the present invention, which is realized by the controller 800 and the like, will also be described.

[0026] The digger picker work machine of this embodiment is a specific example of a work vehicle in the present invention.

[0027] In the typical case where the crop is onions, the digger picker is a small, maneuverable machine also called an onion picker, and is not necessarily the large digger picker machine often used overseas. In other words, there are various forms of general digger picker machines; for example, if the crop is potatoes, such a digger picker machine may be called a potato picker.

[0028] (1) First, the configuration and operation of the digger picker work machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail, mainly with reference to Figure 1.

[0029] Here, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a digger picker work machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The crop harvesting device 200 is a harvesting device positioned in the space between the left and right front wheels 110 and the left and right rear wheels 120 for harvesting crops.

[0031] The crop transport device 300 is a transport device that transports the crops harvested by the crop harvesting device 200 to the rear through the space between the left and right rear wheels 120.

[0032] The crop storage unit 400 is a storage unit for storing crops that have been transported by the crop transport device 300.

[0033] The crop transport device 300 has a crop lifting conveyor 310 that lifts crops upward.

[0034] A robotic arm 510 is provided to perform crop sorting, which sorts the crops before they are stored in the crop storage unit 400 after being scooped up by the crop scooping conveyor 310.

[0035] The robotic arm 510 is positioned on the crop sorting side of the crop pumping conveyor 310, and performs minimal crop sorting to remove rotten crops and other unwanted materials.

[0036] The left and right robot arms 510 are positioned on the left and right sides of the driver's seat 130 of the driving unit, respectively.

[0037] The robotic arm 510 may be positioned on only one side, either the left or the right, and a crop sorting worker may assist the robotic arm 510 on the other side, enabling a collaborative crop sorting operation between robot and human.

[0038] By positioning the robot arm 510 such that its pivot point at the base is away from the driver's seat 130, the robot arm 510 is designed so that even when rotated, it does not enter the zone of the driver's seat 130.

[0039] The entire width of the crop pumping conveyor 310 is covered by the left and right robotic arms 510.

[0040] The areas of responsibility of the left and right robot arms 510 overlap, and if a task arises that cannot be handled by one robot arm 510 alone, the other robot arm 510 assists the other robot arm 510.

[0041] The extension direction of the robot arm 510 coincides with the transport direction of the crop scooping conveyor 310, so even if the crop sorting operation fails, the robot arm 510 that tracked the crop rarely needs to retract significantly.

[0042] In a vegetable harvesting vehicle utilizing the body configuration of a small four-wheeled tractor, the crop harvesting device 200 is positioned between the front wheels 110 and the rear wheels 120, and the crop storage unit 400 is positioned behind the driver's seat 130 at the rear of the vehicle. The crop harvesting device 200 is positioned in the center of the vehicle, and its height from the ground is less than the height of the underside of the vehicle, ensuring sufficient vehicle height including the working distance of the crop harvesting device 200 in the vertical direction. The crop transport device 300 extends through the space between the rear wheels 120, ensuring the necessary dimensions for loading and transporting the crops so that the crops fall into the crop storage unit 400 behind the driver's seat 130. The robotic arm 510 is positioned to the side of the driver's seat 130, allowing for necessary actions to be taken according to the success rate of robotic sorting while checking the sorting results.

[0043] (2) Next, the configuration and operation of the digger picker work machine of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 2 to 7.

[0044] Here, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the robot arm 510 of the digger picker workpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views (I and II) of the digger picker workpiece according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a left side view of the digger picker workpiece according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views (I and II) of the vicinity of the crop pumping conveyor 310 of the digger picker workpiece according to the first modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] The imaging device 600 takes images for the purpose of sorting crops.

[0046] The controller 800 controls the robot arm 510 based on the images taken by the imaging device 600.

[0047] After recognition by the imaging device 600, which is a camera for overall confirmation, it is determined which crops should be removed and which of the left and right robotic arms 510 should catch the crops, and the necessary control actions are performed.

[0048] The crop pumping conveyor 310 is located behind the driver's seat 130.

[0049] The imaging device 600 is positioned between the driver's seat 130 and the crop pumping conveyor 310.

[0050] By having the imaging device 600 supported by a separate frame or by the seat mounting base of the driver's seat 130, rather than being directly attached to the back of the driver's seat 130, adverse effects on driver entry / exit and seat back angle adjustment can be suppressed.

[0051] The robotic arm 510 is positioned on at least one side of the driver's seat 130, either the left or the right side.

[0052] If the controller 800 determines, based on the imaging performed by the imaging device 600, that the success rate of the crop sorting operation has not reached a predetermined level, the controller 800 controls the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor 310 to decrease.

[0053] Since the robotic arm 510, to which the imaging device 600 is attached, is positioned to face the crop harvesting device 200 on either or both sides of the driver's seat 130 in the left-right direction, excellent automated crop sorting is achieved by performing accurate robotic work at high speed. If it is determined that a large number of sorting errors, such as crops being missed, are due to a large volume of crop sorting, which are likely to occur in robotic sorting based on analysis by the imaging device 600, the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor 310 are reduced.

[0054] The robot hand camera 521 is located near the robot hand 520, which is attached to the robot arm 510.

[0055] The robot arm 510 can be precisely positioned while directly viewing the harvested crops using the robot hand camera 521 located at its tip.

[0056] The grip direction of the robot hand 520 that grasps the crops is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the crop pumping conveyor 310, making contact with the conveying lags of the crop conveying device 300 unlikely.

[0057] The controller 800 also determines whether the success rate of the crop sorting operation has reached a predetermined level, based on the images taken by the robot hand camera 521.

[0058] If the number of crops to be removed exceeds a predetermined value based on the sorting capacity of the robotic arm 510, the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor 310 are reduced.

[0059] The CPU of the controller 800 determines, based on images from the imaging device 600 and the robot hand camera 521, whether the sorting error rate, such as the rate of crop failure, exceeds an acceptable value that can be set at the control panel near the driver's seat 130.

[0060] Normal crops can be distinguished from rotten, deformed, and contaminants by using image analysis.

[0061] The priority for sorting waste by the imaging device 600 is set to decrease in the order of rotten crops, deformed crops, and crop contaminants such as stems and leaves, so that rotten crops, which tend to affect quality during crop storage, are removed with considerable certainty.

[0062] The timing for replacing the waste container 700 will be communicated to the driver or remote operator via a buzzer sound or alert message.

[0063] The crop sorting operation is a foreign object removal operation in which the robotic hand 520 removes rotten crops, deformed crops, and at least some of the contaminants in the crops.

[0064] The camera of the imaging device 600 is installed near the back of the driver's seat 130, and rotten crops, deformed crops, and crop impurities are sorted based on their appearance.

[0065] In addition to the imaging device 600, a robotic hand camera 521 for individually recognizing crops is attached to the robotic arm 510, enabling accurate crop detection.

[0066] If the success rate of the crop sorting operation is determined not to have reached a predetermined level even when the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor 310 are reduced, the controller 800 controls the operation to remove foreign matter by removing only rotten crops.

[0067] Crop removal is completed by a series of actions consisting of a lock-on operation by overall confirmation with the imaging device 600, a movement operation of the robot arm 510 while performing image recognition with the robot hand camera 521, a catching operation by the robot hand 520, and a release operation of the robot hand 520 above the waste container 700.

[0068] The state of the catch and release operations for selected crops and other items is determined based on images from the robot hand camera 521 at the tip of the arm and the open / closed position of the robot hand 520.

[0069] Of the harvested crops, only deformed crops are collected in waste container 700, while rotten crops or crop contaminants are discharged into the field.

[0070] The detection results for crop contaminants, which are not a high priority for waste sorting, do not need to be used for the purpose of deciding whether to reduce vehicle speed.

[0071] The robotic arms 510 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the driver's seat 130.

[0072] With the pivot points at the base of the left and right robot arms 510 as a reference, the crop scooping conveyor 310 is positioned on the inside of the vehicle in the left-right direction, and the left and right waste containers 700 are positioned on the outside of the vehicle in the left-right direction. As a result, most of the transport of the sorted crops by the robot arms is achieved solely by the rotational movement of the robot arms 510, without requiring large extension and retraction movements of the robot arms 510.

[0073] The height of the waste container 700 is approximately the same as the height of the side wall of the crop pumping conveyor 310, thereby suppressing the increase in the amount of movement of the robot arm 510 due to arm detours and other movements.

[0074] The controller 800 controls the robot arms 510, which are positioned on both sides of the driver's seat 130, to perform the task of removing foreign objects, based on predetermined rules.

[0075] By changing the sorting criteria using the left and right robotic arms 510, the sorting work can be divided based on the size of the crops or the shape of the deformed crops, enabling effective sorting according to the degree of abnormality of the crops.

[0076] (3) Next, the configuration and operation of the digger picker work machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figure 8.

[0077] Herein, Figure 8 is a perspective view of a digger picker work machine representing a second modified example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] A waste container 700 into which deformed crops removed by the robotic hand 520 are placed is positioned near the crop scooping conveyor 310.

[0079] The left and right waste containers 700 can be pulled out from both sides of the vehicle body in the left-right direction and can be easily replaced with empty waste containers 700.

[0080] Since the only operation of the robot arm 510 is to release the robot hand 520 and drop the crops above the opening of the waste container 700, the robot arm operation time required for a single foreign object removal operation is short.

[0081] If the vehicle speed is low, even when the frequency of foreign object removal work is high, by adopting a container arrangement in which the longitudinal direction of the waste container 700 coincides with the left-right direction, it is often possible to ensure a sufficient number of reciprocating movements of the robot arm when loading crops into the waste container 700.

[0082] If the vehicle speed is high, the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor 310 is also high. By adopting a container arrangement where the longitudinal direction of the waste container 700 coincides with the front-to-back direction, the number of robot arm reciprocating movements can often be reduced by decreasing the robot arm's retraction movement.

[0083] If the imaging device 600 monitors the crop pumping conveyor 310 and determines that it is not possible to remove foreign objects, the crops will be allowed to pass through without the robotic arm 510 performing meaningless crop tracking movements.

[0084] A temporary waste container stand 710, on which a spare waste container 700 is placed, is provided near the bonnet 150.

[0085] When waste container 700 becomes full, the vehicle stops moving, and a container exchange is initiated to replace the full waste container 700 with a spare waste container 700.

[0086] Since the waste container 700 is placed to the side of the crop scooping conveyor 310, the crop sorting work by the robotic arm 510 does not interfere with manual operation by the driver in the driver's seat 130.

[0087] The left waste container 700 is positioned in the space between the crop storage unit 400 and the left robot arm 510, and the right waste container 700 is positioned in the space between the crop storage unit 400 and the right robot arm 510. The longitudinal direction of the containers coincides with the left-right direction for both waste containers 700, resulting in good vehicle balance in the left-right direction.

[0088] The full waste container 700 does not need to be lowered into the field during the work, but is placed on the side of the bonnet 150 of the vehicle's drive unit.

[0089] The waste container 700 used for waste disposal by the robotic arm is positioned so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the left-right direction, and the spare waste container 700 on the side of the bonnet 150 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the front-to-back direction, allowing for easy container movement by changing its orientation by 90 degrees.

[0090] The temporary waste container stand 710 on which the spare waste container 700 is placed is positioned almost directly above the front wheels 110, so the vehicle's balance is not affected by the placement of the spare waste container 700.

[0091] When the spare waste container 700 is placed on the temporary waste container stand 710 so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the left-right direction, the spare waste container 700 does not fly forward, making it less likely to get caught on units such as side sensors located on the front of the running section.

[0092] While the imaging device 600 sorts the crops passing through the crop transport device 300, the robot arm 510 sorts the crops, and any abnormal crops are taken into a waste container 700, which is a waste collection box placed on the side of the robot arm 510, with the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of travel being the long side of the box. A temporary waste container stand 710 for storing spare waste containers 700 is provided on the side of the bonnet 150, and because the difference between the orientation of the spare waste container 700 and the orientation of the waste container 700 placed on the side of the robot arm 510 is 90 degrees, a user-friendly layout is achieved in which the spare waste container 700, with its vertical direction being the long side of the box, does not obstruct the movement, and the replacement operation of the waste container 700 is also easy.

[0093] Furthermore, the program of the invention related to the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0094] Furthermore, the recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the steps (or processes, operations, and actions, etc.) of the work vehicle operation control method of the invention related to the present invention described above, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with the computer.

[0095] Furthermore, the "some steps (or processes, actions, and functions, etc.)" mentioned above refers to one or more of those steps.

[0096] Furthermore, the "actions of the steps (or processes, movements, and actions, etc.)" mentioned above refer to all or part of the actions of the steps mentioned above.

[0097] Furthermore, one form of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be that it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

[0098] Furthermore, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory), among others.

[0099] Furthermore, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

[0100] As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be implemented in software or in hardware. [Industrial applicability]

[0101] The work vehicle in this invention can be made more user-friendly and is useful for use as a work vehicle such as an onion picker. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 110 Front Wheel 120 rear wheel 130 Driver's seat 150 Bonnet 200 Crop Harvesting Devices 300 Crop conveying device 310 Crop lifting conveyor 400 Crop Storage Units 510 Robot Arm 520 Robot Hand 521 Robot Hand Camera 600 Imaging device 700 waste container 710 Temporary stand for waste containers 800 Controllers

Claims

1. A crop harvesting device (200) is positioned in the space between the left and right front wheels (110) and the left and right rear wheels (120) for harvesting crops, A crop transport device (300) transports the crops harvested by the crop harvesting device (200) to the rear through the space between the left and right rear wheels (120), A crop storage unit (400) for storing crops transported by a crop transport device (300), It is equipped with, The crop transport device (300) has a crop pumping conveyor (310) that pumps crops upward, A work vehicle characterized by being equipped with a robotic arm (510) for performing crop sorting work, which sorts crops before they are stored in a crop storage unit (400) after being scooped up by a crop scooping conveyor (310).

2. An imaging device (600) for taking images for crop sorting work, A controller (800) controls the robot arm (510) based on imaging performed by the imaging device (600), It is equipped with, The crop pumping conveyor (310) is located behind the driver's seat (130). The imaging device (600) is positioned between the driver's seat (130) and the crop pumping conveyor (310). The work vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot arm (510) is positioned on at least one side of the driver's seat (130), either the left or the right.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, based on imaging performed by the imaging device (600), if it is determined that the success rate of the crop sorting operation has not reached a predetermined level, the controller (800) controls the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor (310) to decrease.

4. The robot hand camera (521) is located near the robot hand (520) which is attached to the robot arm (510). The work vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the controller (800) determines whether or not the success rate of the crop sorting work has reached a predetermined level, based on imaging taken by the robot hand camera (521).

5. Normal crops can be distinguished from rotten crops, deformed crops, and crop contaminants by using image analysis. The crop sorting operation is a foreign matter removal operation in which a robotic hand (520) removes rotten crops, deformed crops, and at least some of the contaminants in the crops. The work vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that, if the success rate of the crop sorting operation is determined not to have reached a predetermined level even when the vehicle speed and the transport speed of the crop pumping conveyor (310) are reduced, the controller (800) performs control to remove foreign matter by removing only rotten crops.

6. The robotic arms (510) are positioned on both the left and right sides of the driver's seat (130). The work vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller (800) controls the robot arms (510) positioned on both sides of the driver's seat (130) to perform the task of removing foreign objects, based on predetermined rules.

7. A waste container (700) into which deformed crops removed by a robotic hand (520) are placed is positioned near a crop scooping conveyor (310). The work vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that a temporary waste container stand (710) on which a spare waste container (700) is placed is provided near the bonnet (150).

Images