Pore observation system and pore observation method

Abstract

A pore observation system (100) comprises an imaging terminal (1) and a server (2). The imaging terminal (1) is portable and obtains image data by imaging a pore of a leaf of a plant at a plant growth site. The server (2) is configured to wirelessly communicate with the imaging terminal (1). The imaging terminal (1) obtains pore data indicating the state of a pore by image analysis on the image data, obtains environment data indicating an environmental factor at the growth site, and transmits, to the server (2), data which is obtained by mutually associating the image data, the pore data, and the environment data. In response to a request from a browsing terminal (3), the server (2) provides the browsing terminal (3) with the data obtained by the mutual association.

Description

Stomata observation system and stomata observation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stoma observation system and a stoma observation method.

[0002] It has been proposed to observe the stomata of plant leaves for the purposes of plant growth (including cultivation), plant research, plant breeding, pesticide testing on plants, etc. The system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is configured to observe stomata continuously and in real time using a camera attached to an optical microscope.

[0003] JP 2016-10374 A International Publication No. 2023 / 105721

[0004] Kazuhiko Namba et al., Measurement of environmental responses of plant stomata using a microscope, Journal of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery, 2004, Vol. 66 No. 5, pp. 63-73; Microscopic image measurement of the effect of CO2 concentration on plant stomatal opening, Journal of the Japanese Society of Plant Factory Science, 2004, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 41-49; Yusuke Aihara, et al., “Identification and improvement of isothiocyanate-based inhibitors on stomatal opening to act as drought tolerance-conferring agrochemicals,” [online], May 15, 2023, Nature, [Retrieved August 25, 2023], Internet <URL: https: / / www.nature.com / articles / s41467-023-38102-7>; Zhen Shang, et al., “Rapid non-destructive method to phenotype stomatal traits”, [online], March 31, 2023, Plant Methods, [Retrieved August 25, 2023], Internet <URL: https: / / plantmethods.biomedcentral.com / articles / 10.1186 / s13007-023-01016-y>

[0005] For example, observing stomata may be considered to determine whether the environment of a plant's growing site is suitable for plant growth. In such cases, there is a demand for easy observation of stomata, in other words, for improved convenience in stomatal observation.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a highly convenient stoma observation system and stoma observation method.

[0007] A stomatal observation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a photography terminal and a server. The photography terminal is portable and acquires image data by photographing stomata of plant leaves at a plant growing site. The server is configured to wirelessly communicate with the photography terminal. The photography terminal acquires stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata through image analysis of the image data, and acquires environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growing site, associates the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data with each other, and transmits the associated data to the server. In response to a request from the viewing terminal, the server provides the associated data to the viewing terminal.

[0008] A stomatal observation system according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a photography terminal and a server. The photography terminal is portable and acquires image data by photographing stomata of plant leaves at a plant growth site. The server is configured to wirelessly communicate with the photography terminal. The photography terminal acquires environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growth site and transmits the image data and the environmental data to the server. The server acquires stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata through image analysis of the image data, generates data in which the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data are associated with each other, and provides the associated data to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

[0009] A stomatal observation method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes first to fifth steps. The first step is a step of acquiring image data by photographing stomata of plant leaves at a plant growing site using a portable photographing terminal. The second step is a step of acquiring stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data. The third step is a step of acquiring environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growing site. The fourth step is a step of transmitting data in which the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data are associated with each other from the photographing terminal to a server. The fifth step is a step of providing the associated data from the server to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

[0010] A stomatal observation method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes first to fifth steps. The first step is a step of acquiring image data by photographing stomata of plant leaves at a plant growth site using a portable photographing terminal. The second step is a step of acquiring environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growth site using the photographing terminal. The third step is a step of transmitting the image data and the environmental data from the photographing terminal to a server. The fourth step is a step of acquiring stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data using the server, and generating data in which the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data are associated with each other. The fifth step is a step of providing the associated data from the server to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a highly convenient stoma observation system and stoma observation method can be provided.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a stoma observation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a photography terminal. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the appearance of a photography terminal. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram for explaining in detail an example of the function of the photography terminal. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram for explaining in detail an example of the function of a server. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of browsing data displayed on a browsing terminal. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of browsing data displayed on a browsing terminal. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a first example of analysis results for image data and stoma data. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a second example of analysis results for image data and stoma data. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure of a stoma observation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] [Embodiment] <Overall Configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a stomatal observation system according to this embodiment. The stomatal observation system 100 includes a photography terminal 1, a server 2, and a viewing terminal 3. Although not shown, the stomatal observation system 100 may include multiple photography terminals 1. Each photography terminal 1 and the server 2 are connected to each other via a network NW such as the Internet so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The viewing terminal 3 and the server 2 are also connected to each other via the network NW so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally.

[0015] The photographing terminal 1 is a mobile terminal (handheld terminal) that can be carried by a user to a plant growing site, and is configured to photograph the stomata of plant leaves at the growing site (so-called on-site photography). The photographing terminal 1 may also be called a "stomatascope" (stomata = stomata).

[0016] More specifically, the photographing terminal 1 photographs the stomata to obtain image data of the stomata. In addition, the photographing terminal 1 obtains stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data, and also obtains environmental data indicating environmental factors that affect the state of the stomata at the plant growing site. The state of the stomata may refer to the stomatal position, the number of stomata, the stomatal density (the number of stomata per unit area), the stomatal aperture, the stomatal aperture rate (normalized stomatal aperture), the stomatal aperture area, etc. The environmental factors include temperature, humidity, solar radiation (e.g., photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD)), CO ２ The photographing terminal 1 associates the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data with each other and transmits them to the server 2. The photographing terminal 1 (data processing device 5 described later) may have installed thereon an application program that photographs stomata, processes the images, acquires environmental factors, and automatically transmits the data obtained thereby to the server 2.

[0017] The photographing terminal 1 includes a processor 11 and a memory 12. The processor 11 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The memory 12 may include a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a flash memory. The memory 12 stores system programs including an OS (Operating System) and control programs including computer-readable code required for arithmetic processing. The processor 11 realizes various processes assigned to the photographing terminal 1 by reading the system programs and control programs and expanding them in the memory 12. The same applies to the processors and memories of the other components (the server 2 and the viewing terminal 3).

[0018] In this specification, the term "processor" is not limited to a processor in the narrow sense that executes processing using a stored program, but may also include hardwired circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Therefore, the term "processor" can also be interpreted as processing circuitry whose processing is predefined by computer-readable code and / or hardwired circuitry.

[0019] The server 2 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, and a database 23. The server 2 collects image data, stomatal data, and environmental data that are associated with each other from the photographing terminal 1. The server 2 may also collect other data, which will be described later. The server 2 organizes the various collected data according to predetermined rules and stores the collected data in the database 23. The server 2 may be configured to analyze the collected image data and make a judgment based on the analysis results. The server 2 may store the collected data (image data, storage data, environmental data, etc.) and data processing results (analysis results, judgment results, etc.) in the database 23 in association with each other. The database 23 may be cloud storage.

[0020] The viewing terminal 3 includes a processor 31 and a memory 32. The viewing terminal 3 may be a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC (Personal Computer)), or may be a fixed terminal (such as a desktop PC) installed in a remote location (away from the plant growing site). The viewing terminal 3 is configured to be able to access the server 2. A browser or app for viewing the various data and data processing results collected by the server 2 may be installed in the viewing terminal 3. The viewing terminal 3 acquires and displays the various data and data processing results stored in the server 2 in accordance with user operations. This allows the user to view the various data and data processing results at any location.

[0021] <Appearance of the photographing terminal> Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the photographing terminal 1. Fig. 3 is a side view showing an example of the appearance of the photographing terminal 1. With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, in this example, the photographing terminal 1 includes a photographing device 4, a data processing device 5, and a connection mechanism 6.

[0022] The photographing device 4 acquires image data by photographing the stomata of plant leaves. The photographing device 4 acquires environmental data at the plant's growing site. The data processing device 5 is communicatively connected to the photographing device 4 (wired connection in this example). The data processing device 5 may be a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The data processing device 5 acquires stomatal data by image processing of the image data acquired by the photographing device 4. The data processing device 5 may acquire environmental data instead of or in addition to the photographing device 4. The connection mechanism 6 mechanically connects and integrates the photographing device 4 and the data processing device 5 so that the user can easily handle them.

[0023] <Functions of the Photographing Terminal> <Photographing Device> Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram for explaining in detail an example of the functions of the photographing terminal 1 (photographing device 4 and data processing device 5). With reference to Figs. 2 to 4, the photographing device 4 includes a photographing unit 41, a clamping unit 42, a contact unit 43, a focusing unit 44, an illumination unit 45, an environmental sensor 46, a time data acquiring unit 47, a control unit 48, a communication unit 49, and a battery (not shown) that supplies power to each unit.

[0024] The photographing unit 41 includes an imaging element (image sensor) and a lens, neither of which are shown. The photographing unit 41 is preferably configured to be capable of photographing at a plurality of resolutions (HD (High Definition), Full HD, 4K, etc.). The photographing unit 41 photographs the stomata at a resolution according to an instruction from the control unit 48 in response to a user operation. The photographing unit 41 may automatically select a resolution suitable for photographing the stomata. The photographing unit 41 may repeatedly photograph the stomata at set time intervals (for example, every few minutes) (so-called time-lapse photography). The photographing unit 41 outputs image data acquired by photographing the stomata to the control unit 48.

[0025] The clamp unit (opening / closing unit) 42 is configured to hold the leaf in a clamped state. In this example, the clamp unit 42 has an alligator-like shape and exhibits spring elasticity due to a built-in spring. The clamp unit 42 presses the leaf against the imaging unit 41 using the spring elasticity. If the spring elasticity is too strong, the surface of the leaf may be damaged. On the other hand, if the spring elasticity is too weak, stable focusing (described below) during imaging may not be possible. Therefore, the spring elasticity is adjusted within a range that allows stable focusing while minimizing damage to the leaf surface.

[0026] The contact portion (support portion) 43 is disposed inside the clamp portion 42 (between the photographing portion 41 and the clamp portion 42) so as to come into contact with the leaf when the leaf is clamped by the clamp portion 42. The contact portion 43 includes a shock absorbing material 431 such as a gel sheet, and comes into contact with the leaf via the shock absorbing material 431. This protects the surface of the leaf from physical damage, while fixing the leaf in a flat state suitable for photographing.

[0027] The focus unit 44 performs focusing according to the unevenness of the leaf surface by displacing the lens (not shown) of the photographing unit 41 in accordance with commands from the control unit 48. The focus adjustment function of the focus unit 44 is not limited to mechanical and may be realized electronically.

[0028] The range that can be photographed at one time by the photographing unit 41 is small (for example, about 1 mm x 1 mm). On the other hand, the wider the photographing range and the greater the number of pore samples, the higher the analytical accuracy of the pore data (details will be described later). Therefore, it is desirable for the photographing unit 41 and the focusing unit 44 to photograph as many pores as possible.

[0029] The photographing unit 41 may photograph stomata by mechanically moving the relative position between the photographing unit 41 (image sensor or lens) and the leaf using a fine-motion stage (not shown) that can move one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally within a plane parallel to the leaf surface (within the X-Y plane in the figure). The fine-motion stage may move the image sensor relative to a fixed leaf, or may move the leaf relative to a fixed image sensor. A wide-angle lens may be used as the lens for the photographing unit 41. The focusing unit 44 may photograph stomata by electronically scanning the focus range of the leaf within the imaging area of ​​the image sensor. Any two or three of these three techniques may be combined.

[0030] The illumination unit 45 illuminates the leaf surface. The illumination unit 45 includes a light-emitting element 451 such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and emits illumination light to provide an amount of light suitable for photographing stomata. The illumination light may be visible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light. However, it is preferable that the wavelength of the illumination light is one that does not induce stomatal reactions (changes in stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, or stomatal aperture area). The illumination unit 45 may be configured to adjust the amount of illumination light (luminous flux) according to commands from the control unit 48.

[0031] The illumination unit 45 further includes a transparent window 452 provided in the clamp unit 42. The transparent window 452 is transparent to natural light (typically sunlight) and transmits the natural light to the imaging unit 41. This allows the illumination unit 45 to irradiate the stoma with the natural light that has passed through the transparent window 452, instead of or in addition to the illumination light from the light-emitting element 451. The mechanism that can capture natural light is not limited to the transparent window 452. For example, a donut-shaped light-receiving hole (not shown) may be provided in the clamp unit 42.

[0032] The environmental sensor 46 measures the temperature, humidity, solar radiation, CO ２The environmental sensor 46 detects environmental factors such as concentration, precipitation, air pressure, saturation deficit (the difference between saturated water vapor pressure and actual water vapor pressure), and wind speed. In this example, the environmental sensor 46 is a sheet-shaped temperature sensor (sheet-type thermocouple) placed on the contact portion 43. The type, shape, and installation position of the environmental sensor 46 can be designed as appropriate. The environmental sensor 46 can be a humidity sensor, a PPFD meter, a CO ２ The environmental sensor 46 may be a concentration measuring instrument, a rainfall sensor, an air pressure sensor, a vapor pressure sensor, a wind speed sensor, etc. The environmental sensor 46 outputs environmental data indicating the detected environmental factors to the control unit 48.

[0033] The environmental sensor 46 may be omitted. In that case, the photographing terminal 1 may acquire environmental data by communicating with an external device (such as an external sensor or external measuring device) not shown. The environmental data may be output directly to the communication unit 49 from a sensor network, a cloud server (neither of which are shown), or the like, instead of the environmental sensor 46 on the photographing terminal 1. The photographing terminal 1 may acquire environmental data through a user operation on the data processing device 5 (such as manual recording of temperature).

[0034] The time data acquisition unit 47 acquires time data indicating the time when the image data was acquired, and also acquires time data indicating the time when the environmental data was acquired. The time data acquisition unit 47 may acquire the time data from a counter (timer) built into the imaging device 4. The time data related to the image data may be embedded in the image data in a format such as EXIF ​​(Exchangeable Image File Format). The time data related to the environmental data may be acquired by a user operation on the data processing device 5 (manual recording of time). The time data acquisition unit 47 outputs the time data to the control unit 48.

[0035] The control unit 48 controls the components (the photographing unit 41, the focusing unit 44, and the lighting unit 45) of the photographing terminal 1. The control unit 48 also outputs image data, environmental data, and time data to the communication unit 49.

[0036] The communication unit 49 is configured to communicate bidirectionally with a communication unit 55 (described later) of the data processing device 5. The communication unit 49 transmits image data, environmental data, and time data to the data processing device 5.

[0037] <Data Processing Device> The data processing device 5 includes an arithmetic processing unit 51, an operation unit 52, a display unit 53, a storage unit 54, and a communication unit 55. The arithmetic processing unit 51 includes an image processing unit 511, an environmental data management unit 512, a time data management unit 513, a position data acquisition unit 514, and an association unit 515.

[0038] The image processing unit 511 uses a known image recognition technology (for example, a pattern recognition technology based on machine learning such as deep learning) to extract one or more stomata from the image data acquired by the photographing terminal 1. The image processing unit 511 then generates stomatal data by analyzing the image of the one or more extracted stomata. As described above, the stomatal data includes at least one of stomatal position, stomatal number, stomatal density, stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, and stomatal aperture area. The stomatal data may include the position or number of open stomata. The stomatal data may include the position or number of closed stomata. Note that if the stomatal aperture exceeds a preset threshold, the stomata are determined to be open. If the stomatal aperture is less than the threshold, the stomata are determined to be closed. The image processing unit 511 outputs the image data after image processing and the stomatal data to the associating unit 515.

[0039] The environmental data management unit 512 acquires environmental data from the photographing terminal 1. The environmental data management unit 512 outputs environmental factors to the association unit 515. It is known that the state of stomata depends on environmental factors from the past (usually several tens of seconds to one hour ago). Therefore, the environmental data management unit 512 may output to the association unit 515 environmental data acquired a predetermined time (several tens of seconds to one hour) before the acquisition time of the image data.

[0040] The time data management unit 513 acquires time data from the photographing terminal 1. Instead of the time data acquisition unit 47 of the photographing terminal 1, the time data management unit 513 may acquire time data from a counter (timer) built into the data processing device 5. The time data management unit 513 outputs the time data to the association unit 515.

[0041] The position data acquisition unit 514 acquires position data indicating the location where the stomata were photographed (the location where the plant grows). The position data may be acquired by a Global Positioning System (GPS), a beacon, or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). The position data may also be acquired by a user operation on the data processing device 5 (manual recording of the photographing location). The position data acquisition unit 514 outputs the position data to the association unit 515.

[0042] Although not shown, the data processing device 5 may be configured to manually or automatically acquire meteorological data indicating the weather (weather, hours of sunlight, precipitation, etc.) on the day of photography. The data processing device 5 may be configured to identify the variety of the plant being photographed by image processing of the image data and acquire variety data indicating the identified variety. The data processing device 5 may also acquire variety data based on a user operation (manual recording of the variety). The data processing device 5 may be configured to allow the user to record comments on the conditions at the time of photography (such as notable conditions at the growing site) and matters noticed during photography (such as differences from normal conditions and considerations).

[0043] The associating unit 515 associates the image data, stomatal data, environmental data, and other data (such as time data, location data, weather data, and variety data). The associating unit 515 may associate the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data with plant observation data. The observation data is data indicating plant observation results (such as plant quality, plant growth rate, symptoms of the plant (especially leaves) (e.g., the presence or absence of disease and pests), and plant yield). Observation data such as the presence or absence of disease and pests can be acquired by image recognition (image diagnosis) of the image data by the image processing unit 511. Observation data such as the presence or absence of disease and pests, quality, and growth rate may be acquired by user operation of the data processing device 5. Observation data such as plant yield may be acquired from an external cloud server (not shown) via the communication unit 55. The associating unit 515 may associate the image data and stomatal data with environmental data from before the time the stomas were photographed. The associating unit 515 outputs the image data and various data associated with the image data to the display unit 53 , the storage unit 54 and the communication unit 55 .

[0044] The operation unit 52 is, for example, a touch panel, and receives user operations on the data processing device 5. The user operations are output to the arithmetic processing unit 51.

[0045] The display unit 53 is, for example, a small liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and displays image data and various data associated with the image data.

[0046] The storage unit 54 stores image data and various data associated with the image data in a non-volatile manner. The storage unit 54 may store this data in external storage (such as an external drive or memory card).

[0047] The communication unit 55 is configured to perform bidirectional communication (wired communication in this example) with the communication unit 49 of the image capturing device 4. In addition, the communication unit 55 is configured to perform wireless communication with the communication unit 71 (see FIG. 5 ) of the server 2. The communication unit 55 transmits image data and various data associated with the image data to the server 2.

[0048] <Connection Mechanism> The connection mechanism 6 includes, for example, a grip 61, an arm 62, a holder 63, and a cable 64. The grip 61 has a shape (in this example, a thick rod shape) that is easy for the user to hold when photographing stomata. One end of the arm 62 is attached to the grip 61. The other end of the arm 62 is attached to the holder 63. The holder 63 holds the data processing device 5. The cable 64 connects the photographing device 4 and the data processing device 5 so that they can communicate with each other. Note that the connection mechanism 6 is not an essential component and can be omitted. The photographing device 4 and the data processing device 5 may be formed integrally without the connection mechanism 6.

[0049] 5 is a functional block diagram for explaining in detail an example of the functions of the server 2. The server 2 includes a communication unit 71, a user management unit 72, a database management unit 73, and a browsing data generation unit 74.

[0050] The communication unit 71 is configured to perform two-way wireless communication with each of the photographing terminal 1 and the viewing terminal 3. The communication unit 71 receives image data and various data associated with the image data from the photographing terminal 1.

[0051] The user management unit 72 manages users who use the photographing terminal 1 and the viewing terminal 3 to observe stomata. More specifically, the user management unit 72 performs user registration using the user's personal information and issues a login ID and password to the registered user. The user management unit 72 authenticates whether a user attempting to access the server 2 from the photographing terminal 1 or the viewing terminal 3 is a registered user.

[0052] The database management unit 73 performs data operations (addition, update, deletion, etc. of data) on the database 23 (see FIG. 1 ) in which image data and various data are stored. In addition, the database management unit 73 includes an analysis unit 731, a determination unit 732, and a storage unit 733.

[0053] The analysis unit 731 analyzes the image data and stomatal data collected from the photographing terminal 1. The analysis unit 731 outputs the analysis results to the determination unit 732 and the storage unit 733. The determination unit 732 determines whether the state of the stomatal pores satisfies specified conditions (for example, conditions indicating the suitability of environmental factors in the plant growth site) based on the analysis results by the analysis unit 731. The determination unit 732 outputs the determination results to the storage unit 733. The storage unit 733 stores the analysis results and the determination results.

[0054] The browsing data generation unit 74 generates browsing data to be displayed on the viewing terminal 3 from various data (image data, stomatal data, environmental data, time data, location data, weather data, variety data, observation data, etc.) managed by the database management unit 73. The browsing data may include analysis results or determination results (described later) by the database management unit 73. The browsing data generation unit 74 outputs the generated browsing data to the communication unit 71.

[0055] The communication unit 71 transmits the viewing data to the viewing terminal 3. The viewing terminal 3 includes an operation unit 81 that accepts user operations, and a display unit 82 that displays the viewing data.

[0056] <Viewing Data> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of viewing data displayed on the viewing terminal 3. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the positions of stomata extracted from the image data are shown surrounded by square frames. In addition, numerical values ​​indicating the calculation results of the stomatal aperture are superimposed on the image data. In this way, a combination of an image and numerical values ​​may be displayed as viewing data. Alternatively, only one of the image and the numerical values ​​may be displayed.

[0057] 7 is a diagram showing a second example of viewing data displayed on the viewing terminal 3. In the example shown in Fig. 7, image data photographed by the photographing terminal 1 is arranged in the order in which it was photographed together with various data associated with it (gallery display). Below each image data, the date and time of photographing (time data), variety (variety data), average stomatal aperture (stoma data), number of stomata (stoma data), photographing location (position data), temperature (environmental data), humidity (environmental data), weather (meteorological data), a free entry field (photography comments), etc. are displayed.

[0058] It is preferable that the user can arbitrarily switch the display mode of the browsed data. In the example shown in Fig. 7, when the user selects "Detailed stomatal aperture," detailed analysis results regarding stomatal aperture are displayed, as described below.

[0059] <Analysis Results> Figure 8 shows a first example of the analysis results for the image data and stomatal data. Figure 8 shows a histogram of the frequency distribution of 115 stomatal apertures obtained by analyzing four sets of image data. The horizontal axis represents stomatal aperture, and the vertical axis represents the frequency (number of stomata).

[0060] Figure 9 shows a second example of the analysis results for the image data and stomatal data. Figure 9 shows a histogram of the frequency distribution of 115 stomatal aperture areas obtained by analyzing four sets of image data. The horizontal axis represents the stomatal aperture area, and the vertical axis represents the frequency.

[0061] The frequency distribution shown in Figure 8 has a roughly symmetrical shape, and the mean, mode, and median are approximately the same. That is, this frequency distribution is close to a normal distribution (in other words, it has normality). This means that the frequency distribution is consistent with the environmental factors (temperature, humidity, amount of solar radiation, CO ２ This indicates that the environmental factors (e.g., concentration) may be suitable for plant growth. On the other hand, if the frequency distribution is not symmetrical or the mean, mode, and median do not match, the frequency distribution deviates from the normal distribution and does not have normality. This indicates that there may be room for improvement in the environmental factors. The same is true for the frequency distribution shown in Figure 9.

[0062] In this way, server 2 can determine whether the environmental factors at the plant's growing site are appropriate based on the frequency distribution of stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, or stomatal aperture area. Server 2 transmits the determination results of the suitability of the environmental factors based on the frequency distribution to viewing terminal 3. Furthermore, by acquiring frequency distributions under various environments, server 2 can also identify environmental factors that are appropriate for plant growth based on the frequency distribution of stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, or stomatal aperture area. Server 2 may transmit the determination results of the environmental factors based on the frequency distribution to viewing terminal 3.

[0063] 4 has been described regarding the processing executed by the photographing terminal 1, and FIG. 5 has been described regarding the processing executed by the server 2. However, part of the processing described as being executed by the server 2 may be executed by the photographing terminal 1. More specifically, the analysis processing on the image data and stomatal data may be executed by the photographing terminal 1, and the determination processing based on the analysis results may be executed by the photographing terminal 1. Conversely, part of the processing described as being executed by the photographing terminal 1 may be executed by the server 2. More specifically, the image processing unit 511 may be provided in the server 2, and image processing for acquiring stomatal data from the image data may be executed by the server 2. Furthermore, the associating unit 515 may be provided in the server 2, and processing for generating data in which the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data are associated with one another may be executed by the server 2.

[0064] <Processing Procedure> Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure of the stoma observation method according to this embodiment. In the figure, from left to right, a series of processes executed by the photographing terminal 1, the server 2, and the viewing terminal 3 are shown. Each process is typically realized by software processing. However, some or all of the processes may be realized by hardware (electrical circuits).

[0065] In SQ1, the viewing terminal 3 transmits user registration information (such as name, address, telephone number, and email address) required for user registration to the server 2. The server 2 executes user registration processing based on the received user registration information and issues a login ID and password (SQ2). The server 2 transmits the login ID and password to the viewing terminal 3 (SQ3). User registration may be performed using the photography terminal 1 instead of the viewing terminal 3.

[0066] In SQ4, the photographing terminal 1 transmits a login ID and password to the server 2 in accordance with an operation by a user who wishes to use the photographing terminal 1. The server 2 performs user authentication based on the login ID and password from the photographing terminal 1 (SQ5). If the user authentication confirms that the user who wishes to use the photographing terminal 1 is the same as the user who was registered in advance, the server 2 transmits permission to use to the photographing terminal 1 (S6). This allows the user to use the photographing terminal 1.

[0067] In SQ7, the photographing terminal 1 photographs stomata according to user operation and acquires image data, stomata data, environmental data, and other data (time data, position data, observation data, etc.) in association with one another. The photographing terminal 1 may also acquire comments (hereinafter referred to as "photography comments") to record any matters the user noticed when photographing. The photographing terminal 1 transmits the image data, stomata data, environmental data, other data, and photographic comments to the server 2 (SQ8).

[0068] In SQ 9 , the server 2 updates the database 23 with the image data and various data received from the photographing terminal 1 .

[0069] In SQ10, the server 2 performs an analysis process on the image data and stomatal data received from the photographing terminal 1. Based on the analysis results, the server 2 may perform a determination process to determine whether the state of the stomatal pores satisfies specified conditions (SQ11). The analysis process and the determination process have been described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, so the description will not be repeated. The server 2 notifies one or both of the photographing terminal 1 and the viewing terminal 3 that the analysis results and / or the determination results have been obtained (SQ12, SQ13).

[0070] In SQ14, the viewing terminal 3 transmits a viewing request to the server 2. In response to the viewing request, the server 2 transmits (provides) viewing data to the viewing terminal 3, the viewing data including at least one of image data, pore data, environmental data, other data, analysis results, judgment results, and photographic comments (SQ15). The viewing terminal 3 displays the viewing data, allowing the user operating the viewing terminal 3 to view the viewing data (SQ16).

[0071] In SQ17, the viewing terminal 3 transmits comments on the viewing data (hereinafter referred to as "viewing comments") and / or additional environmental data to be associated with the viewing data to the server 2 in accordance with the user's operation. The server 2 executes an editing process to associate the viewing comments, additional environmental data, etc. with the viewing data, and updates the database 23 with the edited viewing data (SQ18). The server 2 stores the edited viewing data so that it can be downloaded.

[0072] In SQ19, the viewing terminal 3 transmits a download request for the edited viewing data specified by user operation to the server 2. In response to the download request, the server 2 transmits the edited viewing data to the viewing terminal 3 in a downloadable format (SQ20). The viewing terminal 3 saves the edited viewing data in memory 32 (SQ21). This allows the user to view the edited viewing data under the desired circumstances.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, the photographing terminal 1 can be brought into the plant growing site, and stomata can be photographed on-site. Furthermore, stomatal data is also acquired on-site from the image data acquired by the photographing terminal 1, and environmental data is also acquired. The image data, stomatal data, and environmental data are then transmitted from the photographing terminal 1 to the server 2 in association with each other.

[0074] By linking the three types of data, the complexity of data management is eliminated and human error in data management can be prevented. This makes it possible to photograph many stomata and handle large amounts of data (improving data throughput). It also makes it easier for users to analyze which environmental factors affect stomata and how they should be improved.

[0075] The three types of data that are associated with each other are managed by the server 2 and provided to the viewing terminal 3 as viewing data in response to a request from the viewing terminal 3. This allows the user to view the viewing data at any location and at any time desired. As such, according to this embodiment, image data, stomatal data, and environmental data can be managed in an integrated and seamless manner. Therefore, a highly convenient stomatal observation system 100 can be provided.

[0076] The photographing terminal 1 may further associate location data with the image data, stoma data, and environmental data, which makes it easier for the user to analyze how the location data (geographical conditions of the photographing location) affects the stomata.

[0077] The photographing terminal 1 may further associate observation data with the image data, stomatal data, and environmental data, which makes it easier for the user to analyze how the observation data (the results of plant observation) affects the stomata.

[0078] The server 2 may determine whether the environmental factors at the plant's growing site are suitable for plant growth based on whether the frequency distribution (histogram) of the stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, or stomatal aperture area exhibits normality. This allows the user to identify the environmental factors necessary to form stomata with the desired stomatal aperture, stomatal aperture rate, or stomatal aperture area. By growing a plant under the identified environmental factors, the user can grow a plant with the desired stomata. This improves the reproducibility of research, breeding, pesticide testing, and the like using the plant. Furthermore, if the user receives a determination that the environmental factors at the plant's growing site are not suitable for plant growth, the user can consider changing (improving) any of the environmental factors.

[0079] The photographing unit 41 of the photographing terminal 1 may be configured to photograph stomata while mechanically moving the relative position between the photographing unit 41 and the leaf using a one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally movable micromotion stage. The focusing unit 44 of the photographing terminal 1 may be configured to photograph stomata while electronically scanning the focus range of the leaf within the imaging area of ​​the imaging element. This allows the user to photograph many stomata and increase the number of stomata samples without having to manually photograph the leaf multiple times. As a result, the analysis accuracy of stomatal data can be improved.

[0080] The lighting unit 45 of the photographing terminal 1 may include a transparent window 452 that is transparent to natural light and transmits the natural light to the photographing unit 41. By using natural light, it is possible to obtain an amount of light suitable for photographing stomata while reliably avoiding the effect of light different from that used during plant growth on the state of the stomata.

[0081] The present disclosure can be used to verify whether desired effects are being achieved in plant growth, pesticide testing on plants, and the like.

[0082] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0083] 100 Stomata observation system, 1 Photography terminal, 2 Server, 3 Viewing terminal, 11, 21, 31 Processor, 12, 22, 32 Memory, 23 Database, 4 Photography device, 5 Data processing device, 6 Connection mechanism, 41 Photography unit, 42 Clamp unit, 43 Contact unit, 431 Shock absorbing material, 44 Focus unit, 45 Illumination unit, 451 Light-emitting element, 452 Transparent window, 46 Environmental sensor, 47 Time data acquisition unit, 48 Control unit, 49 Communication unit, 51 Arithmetic processing unit, 511 Image processing unit, 512 Environmental data management unit, 513 Time data management unit, 514 Position data acquisition unit, 515 Association unit, 52 Operation unit, 53 Display unit, 54 Memory unit, 55 Communication unit, 61 Grip, 62 Arm, 63 Holder, 64 Cable, 71 Communication unit, 72 User management unit, 73 Database management unit, 731 analysis unit, 732 determination unit, 733 storage unit, 74 browsing data generation unit.

Claims

1. A stomatal observation system comprising: a portable photographing terminal that acquires image data by photographing the stomata of leaves of a plant at the plant's growing site; and a server configured to wirelessly communicate with the photographing terminal, wherein the photographing terminal acquires stomatal data indicating the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data, and acquires environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growing site, transmits data in which the image data, the stomatal data, and the environmental data are associated with each other to the server, and the server provides the associated data to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

2. A stomatal observation system comprising: a portable photographing terminal that acquires image data by photographing stomata in the leaves of a plant at the site where the plant is growing; and a server configured to wirelessly communicate with the photographing terminal, wherein the photographing terminal acquires environmental data indicative of environmental factors at the site where the plant is growing, and transmits the image data and the environmental data to the server, and the server acquires stomatal data indicative of the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data, generates data in which the image data, the stomatal data, and the environmental data are associated with each other, and provides the associated data to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

3. The stoma observation system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the photographing terminal includes: an imaging unit including an image sensor and a lens, and photographs the surface of the leaf; a clamping unit configured to hold the leaf in a clamped state; a contact unit arranged between the imaging unit and the clamping unit, and configured to contact the leaf via a shock absorbing material; and a focusing unit that focuses on the stomata on the surface of the leaf, and the imaging unit is configured to photograph the stomata while mechanically moving the relative position between the imaging unit and the leaf using a stage that is movable one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally within a plane parallel to the surface of the leaf.

4. The stoma observation system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the photographing terminal includes: an imaging unit including an imaging element and a lens, and photographing the surface of the leaf; a clamping unit configured to hold the leaf in a clamped state; a contact unit arranged between the imaging unit and the clamping unit, and configured to contact the leaf via a shock absorbing material; and a focusing unit that performs focusing on the stomata on the surface of the leaf, wherein the focusing unit is configured to photograph the stomata while electronically scanning the focus range of the leaf within the imaging area of ​​the imaging element.

5. A stoma observation system as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the photographing terminal further includes an illumination unit that illuminates the surface of the leaf, and the illumination unit includes a transparent window that is transparent to natural light and transmits the natural light to the photographing unit.

6. A stoma observation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the photographing terminal further associates location data indicating the location where the stomata were photographed with the image data, the stoma data and the environmental data.

7. A stomatal observation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the photographing terminal further associates observation data indicating the observation results of the plant with the image data, the stomatal data and the environmental data.

8. A stomatal observation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the server calculates a frequency distribution of the stomatal opening, opening rate or opening area based on the image data, and determines whether the environmental factors at the growth site are suitable for the growth of the plant based on the normality of the frequency distribution.

9. A stoma observation method comprising the steps of: acquiring image data by photographing stomata of leaves of a plant at a site where the plant is growing using a portable photographing terminal; acquiring stoma data indicating the state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data using the photographing terminal; acquiring environmental data indicating environmental factors at the growing site using the photographing terminal; transmitting data in which the image data, the stoma data, and the environmental data are associated with each other from the photographing terminal to a server; and providing the associated data from the server to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

10. A stoma observation method comprising the steps of: acquiring image data by photographing stomata of leaves of a plant at a site where the plant is growing using a portable photographing terminal; acquiring environmental data indicating environmental factors at the site where the plant is growing using the photographing terminal; transmitting the image data and the environmental data from the photographing terminal to a server; acquiring stoma data indicating a state of the stomata by image analysis of the image data using the server, and generating data in which the image data, the stoma data, and the environmental data are associated with each other; and providing the associated data from the server to the viewing terminal in response to a request from the viewing terminal.

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