Grain harvesting device

Abstract

The present invention involves harvesting grains in a short time period regardless of the type of grain, even in locations where it is difficult to bring in agricultural equipment. A harvesting device 5 is attached to a drone 1, and comprises: a rotary cutting blade 52a in which the drone 1 moves to a position where grain ears and stalks are to be cut on the basis of an image of uncut ears of rice, and the cutting rotary blade 52a cuts the uncut grain ears and stalks in accordance with the movement of the drone 1; a rice ear layer 53a in which ears that have been cut are retained; and a blower 51a that moves the cut ears of rice to the rice ear layer 53a by blowing air.

Description

Grain ear harvesting device

[0001] The present invention relates to a grain ear harvesting device.

[0002] It is known to use aircraft such as drones in growing agricultural crops. For example, an aircraft control system for controlling an aircraft that sprays a pesticide on a field includes a quality information acquisition unit that acquires quality information related to the measured quality of crops harvested in a predetermined area of ​​the field from a quality measuring device that measures the quality of the crops, linking the measured quality information with the area, and a plan calculation unit that calculates a pesticide spray plan and a flight plan for the aircraft based on the quality information and the area. The aircraft sprays the pesticide on the field based on the spray plan and the flight plan. The air vehicle also includes a memory unit that stores a spray management table that records the spray plan for the harvested crops and quality information of the harvested crops, linking the spray plan with the area each time the crops are harvested. The plan calculation unit refers to the spray management table and calculates the flight plan by referring to the spray management table and the transition of the quality information of previously harvested crops and the spray plan for each area.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-058235

[0004] Due to recent global warming, some areas traditionally known as grain-producing regions are losing conditions suitable for growing grain. High summer temperatures, in particular, inhibit the development of grain ears, resulting in reduced yields. For this reason, growing grain in mountainous regions, where temperatures are relatively low, is being reconsidered. However, mountainous regions can be difficult to move machinery for sowing and harvesting ears due to factors such as rugged terrain and narrow roads. In one aspect, the present invention aims to harvest any type of grain in a short time, even in areas where it is difficult to transport agricultural machinery.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the disclosed grain ear harvesting device is a device attached to a drone-type air vehicle and includes a cutting unit that cuts uncut ears and stalks of grain as the air vehicle moves, a storage unit that stores the cut ears, a control unit that moves the air vehicle to a position below the ear where the cutting unit will cut the ears based on an image of the uncut ears, and an air blower that blows air to move the cut ears to the storage unit.

[0006] In one aspect, it is possible to harvest any type of grain in a short time even in places where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of the present invention by way of example.

[0007] 1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating hardware provided in a drone according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a direct seeding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating the drop point and number of dropped seeds by the drone control unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the D rice direct seeding device. FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating a reaping device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a reaping device according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating reaping according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a management server according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a paddy field information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a seed rice information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a seed rice direct seeding initial information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a seed rice direct seeding information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a reaping information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a reaping information storage unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to determine the vertex coordinates of an n-gonal paddy field. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating seed rice information setting processing. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating direct seeding operation according to an embodiment. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating seed rice dropping processing. It is a flowchart explaining the seed rice dropping process. It is a flowchart explaining the reaping operation of the embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the reaping process. It is a flowchart explaining the reaping process. It is a diagram explaining the drone collision avoidance process.

[0008] The system according to the embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] The position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the following drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings, etc. Elements expressed in the singular in the embodiments include the plural unless clearly indicated in the text. <Embodiment> Figure 1 is a diagram showing a system of an embodiment.

[0010] The system 100 of the embodiment is a system for, for example, planting rice seeds in paddy fields and harvesting grown rice ears. Rice described in the embodiment is an example of a grain, and the system 100 of the embodiment can be applied to grains other than rice. The system 100 has a drone (air vehicle) 1, a management server 2, a terminal device 3, a direct seeding device 4, and a harvesting device 5. The drone 1, the management server 2, and the terminal device 3 are connected via a network 50. Figure 2 is a diagram explaining the hardware provided in the drone of the embodiment. The drone 1 of the embodiment has a housing 1a and a rotor 1b used for flight. The housing 1a and the rotor 1b are fixed by a fixed shaft 1c.

[0011] A Raspberry Pi 5 (Raspberry Pi 5: 101) is mounted inside the housing 1a. This Raspberry Pi 5: 101 controls the entire drone 1. Various accessories are connected to the Raspberry Pi 5: 101 via an interface 107.

[0012] Examples of accessories include a GPS (Global Positioning System) module 102, a camera module 103, a communication module 104, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) warning light 105, and a distance measurement module 106. The GPS module 102 may be of a serial connection type or a USB connection type.

[0013] The drone 1 continuously acquires location information during flight using the GPS module 102. The drone 1 also orbits the camera module 103 at predetermined times to capture still and moving images. The drone 1 also transmits and receives data to and from the management server 2 via the communication module 104 at predetermined times. The communication method is not particularly limited, but examples include Wi-Fi communication and communication via satellite internet service. The timing of communication is also not particularly limited. It may be real-time communication or communication at predetermined times. The drone 1 can also flash an LED warning light 105 in response to instructions from the management server 2. The drone 1 can also measure the distance to other objects using a distance measurement module 106. The drone 1 also includes a battery 108 that supplies power to flight and various control units. An attachment 1d that can be attached to the harvesting device 5 is provided at the bottom of the housing 1a. Note that the drone may also be equipped with a camera if it is capable of visually assessing the ears of rice. Returning to FIG. 1 , the following description will be made.

[0014] The management server 2 stores information acquired from the drone 1. The management server 2 also executes various processes based on the information acquired from the drone 1 and issues instructions to the drone 1. The terminal device 3 can access the management server 2 to view various pieces of information.

[0015] The direct seeding device 4 is attached to the drone 1. Hereinafter, the direct seeding device 4 attached to the drone 1 will be referred to as the "D direct rice seeding device." As its name suggests, the D direct seeding device 4 can sow rice seeds directly into a paddy field (or field) without using a seedbed.

[0016] The reaping device 5 is attached to the drone 1. The reaping device 5 reaps and harvests grain ears. Hereinafter, the reaping device 5 attached to the drone 1 will be referred to as the "D ear reaping device 5." Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a direct seeding device according to an embodiment. In Figure 3, the drone control unit 11 is a function realized by the Raspberry Pi 5:101. The direct seeding device 4 is controlled by the drone control unit 11. The direct seeding device 4 has a seed rice storage unit 41, a housing 42, and a drop pipe 43. The seed rice storage unit 41 stores the seed rice. The housing 42 is provided with a rice drop rotation device 44, a rice drop lid 45, and a spray unit 46.

[0017] The rice threshing rotation device 44 has a rotating cylindrical body 441 having a groove 441a, a rotation sensor 442, and a drive motor 443. The rotating cylindrical body 441 is supported by a shaft 444.

[0018] When one rice seed enters the groove 441a (see enlarged view) of the rotating cylinder 441 of the rice seed dropping rotation device 44, the rotation sensor 442 drives the drive motor 443, and for example, three rice seeds fall onto the rice seed dropping lid 45 at the bottom of the housing 42. The rotation sensor 442 controls the rotation and stopping of the drive motor 443 so that three rice seeds fall. Note that three grains is just an example, and an error of ±1 grain is acceptable.

[0019] The conditions for the seed rice to easily enter the grooves of the rotating cylinder 441 from the top of the housing 42, such as the speed of rotation of the rotating cylinder 441 and when to stop rotation, are all adjusted by the drone control unit 11 as a rice-dropping mechanism.

[0020] The rice threshing lid 45 is disposed at the lower part of the housing 42, at the connection part with the drop pipe 43. The rice threshing lid 45 is biased by a coil 451 to a position (hereinafter referred to as position A) where the rice seed is prevented from falling.

[0021] The ejection unit 46 ejects compressed air in response to instructions from the drone control unit 11. The ejected compressed air passes through an air flow pipe 47, and a portion of the air is sent to the lower part of the housing 42.

[0022] The drop pipe 43 is arranged at the bottom of the housing 42. The tip 43a of the drop pipe 43 is sharp and has a shape that makes it easy to insert the tip 43a into the soil. The drop pipe 43 forms a passage that guides the rice seeds released from the housing 42 into the soil. A rice direct seeding sensor 43b is arranged on the side of the base end of the drop pipe 43. The rice direct seeding sensor 43b counts the number of rice seeds passing through the drop pipe 43. An example of the operation of the direct seeding device 4 will be explained below.

[0023] When the rotation sensor 442 recognizes an image of three rice seeds passing through the groove 441a of the rotating cylinder 441 and falling onto the rice chuck lid 45, the drone control unit 11 sends a signal to the injection unit 46 to inject air. The injected air that is injected by the injection unit 46 and passes through the air flow pipe 47 has sufficient air pressure. As a result, high-pressure air spreads throughout the entire lower part of the housing 42. The momentum of some of the injected air pushes the rice chuck lid 45 from position A down to position B, rotated 90 degrees clockwise, against the force of the coil 451.

[0024] The high pressure air flowing into the drop pipe 43 causes the rice seeds to slide down the pipe 43, with their sharp tips 43a sinking into the rice field soil. The air flowing into the drop pipe 43 reduces the pressure to 1 atmosphere, so the rice seed drop lid 45, pushed down to position B, rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise by the force of the coil 451 and jumps up to position A. This mechanism is based on the same principle as firing a bullet with an air gun.

[0025] Although the rice seeds are packed in the upper part of the housing 42, it is not sealed, so part of the injected air is supplied to the upper part of the rotating cylinder 441, which pushes up the rice seeds that are slightly clogged, eliminating the situation where they are difficult to drop. Therefore, it becomes easier for each grain of rice seeds to enter the grooves of the rotating cylinder 441.

[0026] There is a dry-field direct seeding method for rice planting in which water is not added to the rice field beforehand. In this case, too, if the D rice seed direct seeding device 4 increases its descent speed, the tip of the drop pipe 43 penetrates deeper into the dry rice field soil, allowing the rice seeds to be planted underground rather than on the surface. Therefore, dry-field direct seeding can be operated in the same way as in paddy fields. Next, we will explain the drop point of the rice seeds using the D rice seed direct seeding device 4. Figure 4 is a diagram explaining how the drone control unit calculates the drop point and number of dropped rice seeds.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4(a), if the position of the rice seeds to be dropped is point P, the number of rice seeds that can be dropped on all n rows of rows can be defined by the row L passing through point P and the rice drop area AR, which is a circle with a radius R centered at point P. Figure 4(b) is a diagram explaining the virtual row lines and the rice seed drop positions.

[0028] First, the D rice seeding device 4 is flown over the paddy field where direct seeding is planned (hereinafter referred to as the "paddy field"). The GPS module 102 and camera module 103 equipped on the drone 1 are used to photograph the paddy field's banks (north, south, east, west in this figure) and the shape of the paddy field (within the four dashed lines in this figure).

[0029] Considering the growth of rice, seedlings are planted facing the sun in a north-south direction. Therefore, if the boundary between the western levee and the water surface of the rice field in this diagram is taken as line 0 (reference line) L0 based on the shape of the ridge, the drone control unit 11 draws imaginary line 1 L1 parallel to line 0 L0 on the water surface of the rice field, spaced 1 / 2 N cm apart to the left of line 0 L0. N cm is, for example, 20 cm to 25 cm. If an arbitrary value is input in advance as the line spacing n of the drone control unit 11, the drone control unit 11 will calculate and draw M imaginary lines on the water surface of the rice field that are the maximum value, and store this data on the drone control unit 11's recording medium.

[0030] This diagram clearly illustrates the distance between adjacent rice seeds falling on the same row L as a single rice seed, and the distance between adjacent rice seeds falling on the row L adjacent to that row L. If the corners on the north and west sides of the paddy field's levee (i.e., the location where the D-type rice seed direct sowing device 4 begins direct sowing) are defined as the first rice seed drop base point P0, the distance between this base point P0 and the corners on the north and west sides of the levee is approximately a radius R = 1 / 2 N cm. Once this base point P0 is determined, the drone control unit 11 can calculate the exact position and maximum number of rice seeds falling on the M rows (L1, L2, L3, ... Ln) based on data on the shape of the paddy field photographed from above. The left side of Figure 4(b) is an enlarged view of the continuous rice seed drop area. Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the operation of the D-type rice seed direct sowing device.

[0031] First, the D direct rice seeding device 4 inserts the drop pipe 43 into the rice field soil below the water at the first seed rice drop base point and drops the rice seeds (rice drop position #1), and then the D direct rice seeding device 4 immediately rises and moves to the right (flight position #1). The D direct rice seeding device 4 again inserts the drop pipe 43 into the rice field soil below the water and drops the rice seeds (rice drop position #2). After that, the D direct rice seeding device 4 simply repeats the flight movement and rice drop operations along a single line until it reaches flight position #n or rice drop position #n. Next, the reaping device 5 of this embodiment will be described.

[0032] Fig. 6 is a front view illustrating a harvesting device according to an embodiment. Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating a harvesting device according to an embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating harvesting according to an embodiment. The harvesting device 5 is detachably attached to the drone 1 by an attachment 1d. The harvesting device 5 has an upper harvesting part 51, an ear guide part 52, and a lower harvesting part 53. A blower 51a, an ear intake port 51b, and an internal sensor 51c are arranged in the upper harvesting part 51. The internal sensor 51c detects when the ears of grass taken into the harvesting device 5 reach a predetermined amount or more.

[0033] The ear tip guide section 52 is equipped with a rotary cutting blade 52a, a drive motor 52b, guide plates 52c, 52c, and guide plate support sections 52d, 52d. The rotary cutting blade 52a rotates when driven by the drive motor 52b, allowing the ear tips to be cut. Note that the ear tips are schematically indicated by arrows in Figures 7 and 8. The guide plates 52c, 52c and the guide plate support sections 52d, 52d are partially located outside the lower reaping section 53. The guide plates 52c, 52c are V-shaped and guide the ear tips toward the rotary cutting blade 52a. The guide plate support section 52d supports the guide plate 52c. A rice ear storage layer 53a for storing rice ears is located inside the lower reaping section 53. The lower reaping section 53 is an example of a storage section.

[0034] In addition, the joint 53d between the side surfaces 53b of the lower reaping section 53 is convex. The joint 53d is shaped like the bow of a ship, and the side surfaces 53b and 53b are shaped like the sides of a ship, so the reaped rice stalks are separated into left and right halves at the convex part of the joint 53d and are pushed backward while sliding along the sides of the side surfaces 53b and 53b.

[0035] A discharge section 53c is disposed at the bottom of the lower reaping section 53. The discharge section 53c opens and closes in response to instructions from the drone control section 11. When the discharge section 53c opens, the rice ears stored in the ear accumulation layer 53a pass through the discharge section 53c and are discharged to the outside of the reaping device 5. The side view of the reaping device 5 shown in Figure 7 shows the reaping device 5 reaping ears of grain. An example of the operation of the reaping device 5 will be described below.

[0036] In this embodiment, the grain is rice and the explanation will be given in terms of rice ears. It is assumed that rice is planted in multiple rows (rows) in a paddy field, and how the reaping device harvests one row of rice ears will be explained.

[0037] When the D ear harvesting device 5 moves in the direction of travel (to the right in Figure 7), the camera module 103 captures images of the height, inclination, and ear droop of the uncut rice ear and stalk before the rice ear enters the V-shaped opening 52c1 (see Figure 8) of the guide plate 52c.

[0038] The drone control unit 11 processes the captured image using a program and, according to the data, moves the drone 1 to a position where the cutting rotary blade 52a can reliably cut under the ears of rice.

[0039] When the uncut rice ear a4 and stalk s4 (which have already been cut in Figure 7) enter the V-shaped opening 52c1, the drone 1 moves further to the right in the direction of travel, causing the unseparated rice ear a4 and stalk s4 to come into contact with the cutting rotary blade 52a, and the stalk s4 and ear a4 are instantly cut.

[0040] The contact resistance with the rotary blade surface (same as in a rotary blade mower) and the wind force from the blower 51b above the rice ear intake ensure that the rice ears fall to the bottom of the rice ear accumulation layer 53a, where they pile up as accumulated rice ears. The images of rice ears a1, a2, and a3 are discontinuous images of rice ears that were cut by the cutting rotary blade 52a before rice ear a4 and fell into the rice ear accumulation layer. The images of rice ears a5 (stalk s5), a6 (stalk s6), and a7 (stalk s7) are uncut rice ears of the same row that are guided by the guide plate 52c to the cutting rotary blade 52a after rice ear a4 (stalk s4).

[0041] The stalk s4 from which the ear a4 has been cut strikes the joint (convex portion) 53d between the sides 53b and 53b and is cut in the same way as waves are divided by the bow and the following left and right sides when a ship moves on the sea surface. Next, as the drone 1 moves to the right on the page, the cut stalk s4 moves with little resistance along the surfaces (curved surfaces: corresponding to the ship's sides) of the sides 53b of the lower reaping part 53, is pushed downward to the left and right, and the cut surface expands as it is pulled apart and moves rearward.

[0042] When the internal sensor 51c detects that the ear accumulation layer 53a is full of harvested ears, the drone control unit 11 moves the D ear harvesting device 5 to a discharge location in another location not shown.

[0043] The internal sensor 51c can determine, for example, when the limit of the amount of cut rice ears piled up in the ear-pooling layer 53a has reached the height of the cutting rotary blade 52a, preventing the ears that have accumulated in the ear-pooling layer 53a from coming into contact with the cutting rotary blade 52a and breaking the rice grains.

[0044] When the D ear harvesting device 5 arrives at the discharge location, the drone control unit 11 opens the discharge unit 53c, and the rice ears stored in the ear accumulation layer 53a are discharged. The discharged rice ears are transferred to a thresher. The rice ears transferred to the thresher are hulled.

[0045] Unlike a combine harvester, it does not require the functions of reaping, threshing, and sorting, but above all it is easy to handle, and since it is equipped with a drone control unit 11, it can automate the harvesting of grain ears no matter where the farmland is located, and it is easy to see that it is far more economical.

[0046] In this embodiment, the harvesting of one row of grain has been described, but rather than changing the structure of the ear guide unit 52 to accommodate two-row or three-row harvesting like a combine harvester, it is more efficient and economical to increase the number of D ear harvesting devices 5 in operation. To achieve this, it is preferable to install a collision prevention program in each drone 1 so that multiple D ear harvesting devices 5 can operate simultaneously. The collision prevention program will be described later.

[0047] The vertical width of the V-shaped guide plates 52c, 52c on the side (base end) fixed to the D-ear harvesting device 5 is shorter than the vertical width of the protruding end (tip end), and the lower sides of the guide plates 52c, 52c are inclined toward the base end. This is to allow the stalk s4 from which the ear a4 has been cut to bend smoothly downward without getting caught on the guide plates 52c, 52c when pressed against the joint (convex portion) 53d between the side surfaces 53b.

[0048] In this embodiment, the extent to which the cutting rotary blade 52a extends is adjusted so that the uncut rice ears a4 and stalks s4 are cut just before the innermost part of the V-shaped guide plates 52c, 52c, as shown in Figure 7.

[0049] 7, the harvesting device 5 and the direct seeding device 4 may be integrated. In this case, grain ears stored in a harvested ear storage layer by the harvesting device 5 may be used as seeds and directly sown by the direct seeding device 4. Next, the management server 2 will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management server according to the embodiment.

[0050] The management server 2 is entirely controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 202 and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to the CPU 201 via a bus 208.

[0051] The RAM 202 is used as the main storage device of the management server 2. The RAM 202 temporarily stores at least a portion of the OS (Operating System) programs and application programs executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 202 also stores various data used in processing by the CPU 201.

[0052] A hard disk drive (HDD) 203 , a graphics processing unit 204 , an input interface 205 , a drive unit 206 , and a communication interface 207 are connected to the bus 208 .

[0053] The hard disk drive 203 magnetically writes and reads data to and from an internal disk. The hard disk drive 203 is used as a secondary storage device for the management server 2. The hard disk drive 203 stores the OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory can also be used as the secondary storage device.

[0054] A monitor 204a is connected to the graphics processing unit 204. The graphics processing unit 204 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 204a in accordance with commands from the CPU 201. Examples of the monitor 204a include a display device using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and a liquid crystal display device.

[0055] A keyboard 205a and a mouse 205b are connected to the input interface 205. The input interface 205 transmits signals sent from the keyboard 205a and the mouse 205b to the CPU 201. The mouse 205b is an example of a pointing device, and other pointing devices can also be used. Examples of other pointing devices include a touch panel, a tablet, a touch pad, and a trackball.

[0056] The drive device 206 reads data recorded on a portable recording medium such as an optical disc on which data is recorded so that it can be read by light reflection, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. For example, if the drive device 206 is an optical drive device, it uses laser light or the like to read data recorded on the optical disc 200. Examples of the optical disc 200 include Blu-ray (registered trademark), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DVD-RAM, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and CD-R (Recordable) / RW (Rewritable).

[0057] The communication interface 207 is connected to the network 50. The communication interface 207 transmits and receives data to and from other computers or communication devices via the network 50. The processing functions of this embodiment can be realized with the hardware configuration described above. Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the management server of this embodiment.

[0058] The management server 2 has a processing unit 21, a paddy field information storage unit 22, a seed rice information storage unit 23, a seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit 24, a seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 25, and a harvesting information storage unit 26. The processing unit 21 exchanges information with the drone 1. In addition, the processing unit 21 displays various information stored in the management server 2 on the monitor of the terminal device 3 in response to a request from the terminal device 3. Figure 11 is a diagram explaining the information stored in the paddy field information storage unit in the embodiment. In Figure 11, the information is shown in the form of a table.

[0059] The paddy field information table T1 has columns for record ID, paddy field ID, name, paddy field coordinates, image, corner coordinates, R, start point, row spacing, registration date, planting flag (TF), planting date and time, harvesting flag (HF), harvesting date and time, and error flag (EF). The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The record ID column contains a number that identifies the record. The sequence number (paddy field) column contains a character string that identifies the paddy field. The paddy field name column contains a character string that identifies the paddy field. The photographing date and time may be set as the initial value. The paddy field coordinates column contains the GPS coordinates of the drone 1 when the photograph of the paddy field was taken. The paddy field image column contains the name of the file captured by the drone 1. The corner coordinates column contains the corner coordinates of the paddy field. The R column contains the radius (unit: cm) of a circle centered on the seed rice drop base point P0. The start point field contains the starting point of the virtual line (the starting position of the line from the north of the ridge, in cm). The line spacing field contains the spacing between adjacent virtual lines (in cm). The registration date field contains the date and time when the paddy field information was registered.

[0060] The rice planting flag field contains a numerical value that identifies the state of rice planting. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed, "1" indicates rice planting is possible, "2" indicates rice planting is in progress, and "3" indicates rice planting is complete. The initial value is "0." The rice planting date and time field contains the date and time when rice planting was performed.

[0061] The reaping flag field contains a numerical value that identifies the reaping status. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed, "1" indicates reaping in progress, and "2" indicates reaping complete. The initial value is "0". The reaping date and time field contains the date and time when reaping was performed.

[0062] The error flag column is set with a numerical value that identifies the type of error. In this embodiment, "0" indicates normal, "1" indicates a comparison mismatch (at planting), "2" indicates an error in the rotation sensor 442, "3" indicates an error in the rice direct sowing sensor 43b, and "4" indicates a comparison mismatch (at harvesting). Figure 12 is a diagram explaining the information stored in the seed rice information storage unit of this embodiment. Figure 12 shows the information in a table.

[0063] The seed rice information table T2 has columns for record ID, paddy field ID, row number, seed rice sequence ID, paddy drop position (GPS coordinates), planting completion flag (TCF), planting date and time, harvesting completion flag (HCF), harvesting date and time, and error flag. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. Of this information, the paddy field ID, planting date and time, harvesting date and time, and error flag are the same as those in the paddy field information described above, so their explanation will be omitted. The record ID column contains a numerical value that identifies the record. The row number column contains a row number calculated based on the ridges and row spacing. The seed rice sequence ID column contains a character string that identifies the seed rice number. The paddy drop position (GPS coordinates) column contains a character string that identifies the paddy drop position calculated based on the ridges, row spacing, and R. The planting completion flag (TCF) column contains a numerical value that identifies the state of rice planting. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed and "1" indicates complete rice planting. A numerical value that identifies the state of reaping is set in the Harvesting Completion Flag (HCF) field. In this embodiment, "0" indicates unprocessed and "1" indicates complete reaping. Fig. 13 is a diagram explaining the information stored in the seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit of this embodiment. Fig. 13 shows the information in a table.

[0064] The seed direct sowing initial information table T3 has columns for record ID, descent distance, number of rice grains, and error number. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The record ID column contains a numerical value that identifies the record. The descent distance column contains the descent distance (unit: cm) when the seed rice is dropped from the D rice direct sowing device 4. The number of rice grains column contains the number of rice grains dropped in one rice drop. The error number column contains the allowable error number for the number of rice grains dropped. The seed direct sowing initial information can be set at any time by the user operating the terminal device 3. Figure 14 is a diagram explaining the information stored in the seed direct sowing information storage unit of the embodiment. The seed direct sowing information is information stored for each paddy field. Figure 14 shows the information in a table.

[0065] The rice seed direct sowing information table T4 has columns for record ID, paddy field ID, lowering distance, number of rice grains, and error number. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. The rice seed direct sowing information table T4 is the same as the rice seed direct sowing initial information table T3, except that the paddy field ID is set.

[0066] When the seed direct sowing initial information is set, the descending distance, number of rice grains, and error number of the seed direct sowing initial information are automatically set for each paddy field ID. The user can modify the descending distance, number of rice grains, and error number in the seed direct sowing information table T4 at any time. Figure 15 is a diagram explaining the information stored in the harvesting information storage unit of the embodiment. Figure 15 shows the information in a table. The harvesting information table T5 has columns for record ID, ear harvest comparison image, and discharge location. The information arranged horizontally is associated with each other. A number that identifies the record is set in the record ID column.

[0067] The file name of an image for determining whether to harvest the rice ears is set in the field for comparison of ear harvesting. This image can be an image captured by the camera module 103 of the drone 1.

[0068] The discharge location field contains the coordinates of the location where the rice ears stored in the rice ear storage layer 53a are discharged. These coordinates can be obtained by the GPS module 102 of the drone 1. When direct seeding is performed in the system 100 of this embodiment, the drone 1 is used to obtain information about the paddy field.

[0069] 16 is a flowchart illustrating the paddy field registration process according to the embodiment. Note that the processing procedure shown in the flowchart of the present embodiment is an example, and some of the processing may be replaced with other processing, the order of some of the processing may be changed, or other processing may be added. During the paddy field registration process, the drone 1 continues to acquire its own location information using the GPS module 102.

[0070] [Step S1] After arriving at a rice paddy, the drone control unit 11 activates the camera module 103 to capture an image of the entire rice paddy. At that time, the drone 1 also calculates the coordinates of the banks.

[0071] [Step S2] The drone control unit 11 transmits the coordinates of the levee and an image of the rice paddy to the management server 2 via the communication module 104. The management server 2 references the rice paddy information table T1 and automatically sets a unique record ID and rice paddy ID, respectively. It also sets the date and time the received image of the rice paddy in the name field. It also sets the coordinates of the levee in the rice paddy coordinate field. It also sets the file name of the received image in the image field. It also sets the coordinates of the levee and the date and time the image of the rice paddy was received in the registration date field.

[0072] [Step S3] The drone control unit 11 uses the GPS module 102 to measure the vertex coordinates of the paddy field's corners and transmits the vertex coordinates to the management server 2 via the communication module. The management server 2 references the paddy field information table T1 and enters the vertex coordinates of the paddy field's corners in the corner coordinate column. Paddy fields come in a variety of shapes. For rectangular paddies as shown in Figure 1, the coordinates of four vertices are transmitted to the management server 2, and for hexagonal paddies, the coordinates of six vertices are transmitted to the management server 2. Figure 17 shows an example of how to determine the vertex coordinates of an n-gonal paddy field. Based on the north-south baseline and east-west baseline, multiple vertical and horizontal lines are drawn at right angles at a fixed distance, like graph paper, to define the vertex coordinates. The user operates the terminal device 3 to access the management server 2 and registers the radius, starting point, and row spacing in the paddy field information table T1. Next, the control unit 21 sets the rice seed information. Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating the rice seed information setting process. [Step S11] The control unit 21 sets the paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 set in step S2 in the paddy field ID column of the seed rice information table T2. [Step S12] The control unit 21 connects the angular coordinates with lines to construct a virtual paddy field. [Step S13] The control unit 21 sets the longest distance between the north-south ridges and the east-west ridges of the virtual paddy field constructed in step S12 as the baseline. [Step S14] The control unit 21 refers to the row spacing column in the paddy field information table T1 and draws parallel rows spaced the row spacing along the baseline.

[0073] [Step S15] The control unit 21 numbers the parallel lines drawn in step S14 in order from the east side of the levee, and sets them in the line number column of the seed rice information table T2. The points where the east-west and north-south lines intersect become the rice drop positions. The control unit 21 sets the rice drop positions in the rice drop position column of the seed rice information table T2. The control unit 21 also sets a unique seed rice sequence ID for each record. At this time, it is preferable to assign numbers that are partially common to the seed rice sequence IDs for records that have the same line number.

[0074] Next, the direct seeding operation of the system 100 will be explained using a flowchart. In the following explanation, the operation when sowing rice ears in a paddy field will be explained, but the type of grain ear is not limited to rice ears. Also, the growing area for grain is not limited to paddy fields. Figure 19 is a flowchart explaining the direct seeding operation of the embodiment.

[0075] [Preprocessing] The user operates the terminal device 3 to identify the paddy field in which direct seeding is desired. The management server 2 refers to the identified paddy field information table T1 and sets the rice planting flag (TF) of the record having the paddy field ID of the identified paddy field to "1". [Step S21] The drone control unit 11 refers to the paddy field information table T1 and identifies the record whose rice planting flag (TF) is "1". [Step S22] The drone 1 refers to the paddy field coordinates of the record identified in step S21 (hereinafter referred to as the record in question) and acquires the position information of the paddy field. [Step S23] The D rice seed direct seeding device 4 flies to the paddy field based on the paddy field coordinates acquired in step S22.

[0076] [Step S24] When the D rice seeding device 4 arrives at the paddy field, it takes a picture with the camera module 103 and sends the taken image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the received image with the image of the paddy field in the file name of the paddy field image of the record. AI-based judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0077] If the management server 2 determines that the image of the rice paddy in the file name of the rice paddy image matches the received image (Yes in step S24), it sets the rice planting flag column of the record to "2" and proceeds to step S25. If the management server 2 determines that the image of the rice paddy in the file name of the rice paddy image does not match the received image (No in step S24), it returns an error and proceeds to step S26.

[0078] [Step S25] The D rice direct sowing device 4 executes the rice seed dropping process, which will be described next. When the rice seed dropping process is completed, the direct sowing operation of FIG. 19 is completed.

[0079] [Step S26] The management server 2 sets "1" in the error flag column of the record and displays a warning on the terminal device 3. It also sends an instruction to the D rice direct sowing device 4 to flash the warning light. Figures 20 and 21 are flowcharts explaining the rice seed dropping process.

[0080] [Step S25a] The management server 2 transmits to the D direct rice seeding device 4 the record in the seed rice information table T2 and the record in the seed rice direct seeding information table T4 that have a paddy field ID that matches the paddy field ID of the relevant record.

[0081] [Step S25b] When the D rice direct sowing device 4 receives the records of the seed rice information table T2 transmitted in step S25a, it selects the record to be processed. For example, the record to be processed first is the record with the smallest seed rice sequence ID. Then, it proceeds to step S25c.

[0082] [Step S25c] The D rice direct sowing device 4 moves to the rice seed dropping position on the imaginary line described above based on the rice seed dropping position included in the record selected in step S25b.

[0083] [Step S25d] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets the rice seeds to be dropped based on the number of rice seeds in the record of the received rice seed direct seeding information table T4. Then, the process proceeds to step S25e. [Step S25e] The D rice direct seeding device 4 monitors the image with the rotation sensor 442. Then, the process proceeds to step S25f.

[0084] [Step S25f] The D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether the number of seeds set in step S25d matches the number set in the column for the number of rice grains in the rice direct sowing information table T4 based on the monitoring results of the rotation sensor 442. If the number of seeds set in step S25d matches the number set in the column for the number of rice grains in the rice direct sowing information table T4, or if the number of seeds set in step S25d does not match the number set in the column for the number of rice grains in the rice direct sowing information table T4 but the discrepancy is within the range of the number set in the column for the number of rice grains (Yes in step S25f), the process proceeds to step S25g. If the number of seeds set in step S25d does not match the number set in the column for the number of rice grains in the rice direct sowing information table T4 and the discrepancy is outside the range of the number set in the column for the number of rice grains (No in step S25f), the process proceeds to step S25n.

[0085] [Step S25g] The D rice direct seeding device 4 is lowered by the value set in the lowering distance field of the seed rice direct seeding information table T4, and then the process proceeds to step S25h.

[0086] [Step S25h] After descending, the spray unit 45 sprays compressed air in response to an instruction from the drone control unit 11. This pushes down the rice-dropping lid 44, causing the rice seeds to pass through the drop pipe 43 and be dropped onto the soil.

[0087] [Step S25i] The direct seeding sensor 43b counts the number of seeds passing through the drop pipe 43. If the counted number of seeds matches the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4, or if the counted number of seeds does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4 but is within the range of the number set in the field for error number (Yes in step S25i), the process proceeds to step S25j. If the counted number of seeds does not match the number set in the field for number of rice grains in the direct seeding information table T4 and is outside the range of the number set in the field for error number (No in step S25i), the process proceeds to step S25p.

[0088] [Step S25j] The D rice direct sowing device 4 sets the rice planting completion flag (TCF) of the record in question in the seed rice information table T2 to "1." Then, the process proceeds to step S25k.

[0089] [Step S25k] The D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether or not there are any records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S25b that have not been processed. Specifically, the D rice direct sowing device 4 determines whether or not the rice planting completion flag of the record immediately below the record in the seed rice information table T2 selected in step S25b is "0". If the rice planting completion flag is "0" (Yes in step S25k), the record immediately below is selected. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25d, and the processes from step S25d onwards are carried out. If all records have been processed, that is, if the rice planting completion flag fields of the records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S25b are all "1" (No in step S25k), the process proceeds to step S25m.

[0090] [Step S25m] The D rice direct sowing device 4 transmits the seed rice information table T2 to the management server 2 and returns. The management server 2 updates the contents of the received seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, if all of the rice planting completion flags in the received seed rice information table T2 are "1", the management server 2 sets "3" in the rice planting flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, the management server 2 sets the rice planting date and time in the paddy field information table T1 and the seed rice information table T2.

[0091] [Step S25n] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets "2" in the error flag column of the record in question. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also flashes the LED warning light 105. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also notifies the management server 2 that "2" has been set in the error flag column of the record in question. The management server 2 sets "2" in the error flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. The management server 2 also displays a warning on the screen of the terminal device 3. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25d (retry).

[0092] [Step S25p] The D rice direct seeding device 4 sets "3" in the error flag column of the record. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also flashes the LED warning light 105. The D rice direct seeding device 4 also notifies the management server 2 that "3" has been set in the error flag column of the record. The management server 2 sets "3" in the error flag column of the record that has the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. The management server 2 also displays a warning on the screen of the terminal device 3. After that, the process proceeds to step S25c (retry).

[0093] In the processing of Figures 20 and 21, an error flag is set immediately when an error occurs, but this is not limited to this. If the number of errors is less than a certain number, the error flag may not be set and the processing may transition to step S25d to try again, and the error flag may be set when the number of errors exceeds the certain number.

[0094] Next, the reaping operation of the system 100 will be explained using a flowchart. In the following explanation, the operation when reaping rice ears from a paddy field will be explained, but the type of grain ear is not limited to rice ears. Also, the growing area of ​​the grain is not limited to paddy fields. Figure 22 is a flowchart explaining the reaping operation of the embodiment.

[0095] [Preprocessing] The user operates the terminal device 3 to identify the paddy field they wish to harvest. The management server 2 references the identified paddy field information table T1 and sets the harvesting flag (HF) of the record having the paddy field ID of the identified paddy field to "1". [Step S31] The drone 1 references the paddy field information table T1 and identifies the record with the harvesting flag set to "1". [Step S32] The drone 1 references the paddy field coordinates of the record identified in step S31 and acquires the position information of the paddy field. [Step S33] The D ear harvesting device 5 flies to the paddy field based on the position information of the paddy field acquired in step S32.

[0096] [Step S34] When the D ear harvesting device 5 arrives at the relevant paddy field, it takes a picture with the camera module 103 of the imaging device and sends the taken image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the received image with the image of the paddy field in the file name of the paddy field image of the record identified in step S31. AI-based judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0097] If the management server 2 determines that the image of the paddy field in the paddy field image file name matches the received image (Yes in step S34), it sets the reaping flag column of the record to "2" and proceeds to step S35. If the management server 2 determines that the image of the paddy field in the paddy field image file name does not match the received image (No in step S34), it returns an error and proceeds to step S36. [Step S35] The D ear reaping device 5 executes reaping processing. The reaping processing is described next. When the reaping processing is completed, the reaping operation in FIG. 22 is completed.

[0098] [Step S36] The management server 2 sets "1" in the error flag field of the record identified in step S31 and displays a warning on the terminal device 3. It also sends an instruction to the D ear harvesting device 5 to flash the warning light. Figures 23 and 24 are flowcharts explaining the harvesting process.

[0099] [Step S35a] The management server 2 transmits to the D ear harvesting device 5 the records in the seed rice information table T2 and the records in the seed rice direct sowing information table T4 that have paddy field IDs that match the paddy field ID of the record identified in step S31.

[0100] [Step S35b] When the D ear harvesting device 5 receives the record in the seed rice information table T2 transmitted in step S35a, it selects the record to process. For example, the record to be processed first is the record with the smallest seed rice sequence ID. Then, it proceeds to step S35c. [Step S35c] The D ear harvesting device 5 moves to the rice ear position on the virtual row line based on the rice drop position included in the record selected in step S35b.

[0101] [Step S35d] The D ear harvesting device 5 takes an image with the camera module 103 at the position of the rice ear on the virtual row line to which it has moved, and sends the captured image to the management server 2. The management server 2 compares the received image with the ear harvesting comparison image in the harvesting information table T5, and determines whether harvesting can be carried out. AI-based judgment can be used for the comparison.

[0102] If the management server 2 determines that harvesting can be carried out (Yes in step S35d), it transitions to step S35e. If the management server 2 determines that harvesting cannot be carried out, for example, because the rice ears have not grown sufficiently (No in step S35d), it transitions to step S35h. [Step S35e] The management server 2 sends a harvesting instruction to the D ear harvesting device 5. [Step S35f] The D ear harvesting device 5 harvests using the method described above. When harvesting is complete, the harvesting completion flag in the seed rice information table T2 is set to "1".

[0103] [Step S35g] After reaping is completed, the D ear harvesting device 5 uses the internal sensor 51d to determine whether the number of rice ears in the ear accumulation layer 53a has not reached a certain level. If there is room in the ear accumulation layer 53a and the number of rice ears has not reached a certain level (Yes in step S35g), the process proceeds to step S35h. If the number of rice ears in the ear accumulation layer 53a has reached a certain level (No in step S35g), the process proceeds to step S35j.

[0104] [Step S35h] The D ear harvesting device 5 determines whether or not there are any records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S35b that have not been processed. Specifically, the D ear harvesting device 5 determines whether or not the harvesting completion flag of the record immediately below the record in the seed rice information table T2 selected in step S35b is "0". If the harvesting completion flag is "0" (Yes in step S35h), the record immediately below is selected. Then, the process proceeds to step S35c, and the processes from step S35c onwards are carried out. If all records have been processed, that is, if the harvesting completion flag fields of all records in the seed rice information table T2 received in step S35b are "1" (No in step S35h), the process proceeds to step S35i.

[0105] [Step S35i] The D ear harvesting device 5 transmits the seed rice information table T2 to the management server 2 and returns. The management server 2 updates the contents of the received seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, if all of the values ​​in the harvest completion flag column of the received seed rice information table T2 are "1", the management server 2 sets "3" in the harvest flag column of the record having the same paddy field ID in the paddy field information table T1 as the paddy field ID in the seed rice information table T2. Furthermore, the management server 2 sets the harvesting date and time in the harvesting date and time columns of the paddy field information table T1 and the seed rice information table T2.

[0106] [Step S35j] The D ear harvesting device 5 moves to the discharge location in the harvesting information table T5 and discharges the rice ears. It then flies to the rice paddy based on the paddy field location information acquired in step S32, and proceeds to step S35h. <Regarding drone collision prevention>

[0107] Up to now, we have explained the operation of one drone 1, but consider the case where direct sowing or harvesting is performed using multiple drones 1. In this case, each drone control unit 11 performs collision avoidance between the drones 1. Figure 25 is a diagram explaining the drone collision avoidance process.

[0108] [Step S41] The management server 2 determines that no other drones are present at the flight destination based on the location information sent from the GPS module 102 of each drone 1. If no other drones are present at the flight destination (Yes in step S41), the process proceeds to step S42. If other drones are present at the flight destination (No in step S41), the flight is canceled. [Step S42] The management server 2 gives permission for the drone 1 to fly. The drone 1 that has been given permission to fly begins flying and heads toward the destination.

[0109] [Step S43] The drone 1 activates the distance measurement module 106 during flight and confirms that no other flying objects exist within the predetermined distance range. If no other flying objects exist within the predetermined distance range (Yes in step S43), the process proceeds to step S44. If another flying object exists within the predetermined distance range (No in step S43), the process proceeds to step S45. [Step S44] The drone 1 continues flying. When the drone 1 reaches the destination, the process of FIG. 25 ends.

[0110] As described above, according to the embodiment of the system 100, the reaping device 5 is attached to the drone 1, and the drone 1 moves to a position where the ears and stalks of the grain are cut based on an image of the uncut ears of rice, and the reaping device 5 has a rotary cutting blade 52a that cuts the uncut ears and stalks of the grain as the drone 1 moves, a rice ear pile layer 53a that stores the cut ears, and a blower 51a that moves the cut ears of rice to the rice ear pile layer 53a by blowing air. Therefore, even in places where it is difficult to bring in agricultural machinery, any type of grain can be reap in a short time.

[0111] Furthermore, the drone control unit 11 moves the cutting rotary blade 52a to a position where the ears and stalks are cut based on images of the height, inclination, and ear drooping of the uncut rice ears. This ensures that the ears and stalks are cut reliably.

[0112] There are three types of grain sowing: broadcast sowing, row sowing, and spot sowing. However, by using the D direct rice seeding device 4 of the embodiment, seeds can be sown in a short time regardless of the type of grain.

[0113] Currently, most farmers use agricultural machinery such as combine harvesters when harvesting grains such as rice, wheat, and buckwheat, but moving heavy combine harvesters on terraced farmland in mountainous areas is not an easy task.

[0114] The D ear harvesting device 5 can also reduce the labor required by farmers and shorten work time when harvesting grains in farmland with varying elevations, such as rice paddies in mountainous areas. Furthermore, the D rice direct sowing device 4 and the D ear harvesting device 5 can be used for both purposes by replacing some parts, which means there is no need to have a variety of agricultural equipment depending on the farming task, making it economical.

[0115] In recent years, it has been reported that a large-scale eruption of Mount Fuji could result in volcanic ash falling in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The volcanic ash may not necessarily fall in the city center depending on the wind direction, and conversely, if the eruption continues for a long time, the damage caused by ash fall in the Tokyo metropolitan area may be unavoidable.

[0116] If the eruption were to occur just before the rice harvest, and the impact were to reach the most severe stage 4 (30 cm or more), it would be impossible to bring combine harvesters into the ash-covered rice paddies to harvest the rice, and it is likely that all work would have to be done by hand.

[0117] In the case of the D ear harvesting device 5 of the embodiment, the ash covering the ears is blown away by the downward wind from the drone 1 (wind force can be adjusted by the rotor blades), and if the rice is not completely covered in ash, the ears that are above the ash can be harvested. Operating a combine harvester to harvest rice during ashfall is difficult because you cannot see ahead. Of course, receiving GPS signals is even more difficult, just like with radio interference during snowfall. The processing performed by the management server 2 may be distributed among multiple devices. Furthermore, some of the functions of the drone control unit 11 may be performed by the direct seeding device 4 or the harvesting device 5.

[0118] While the grain harvesting device of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration of each part may be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, any other components or processes may be added to the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments. The above merely illustrates the principles of the present invention. Furthermore, numerous modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art, and the present invention is not limited to the exact configurations and applications shown and described above. All corresponding modifications and equivalents are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0119] The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In this case, a program is provided that describes the processing details of the functions possessed by the management server 2. By executing the program on a computer, the above processing functions are realized on the computer. The program that describes the processing details can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and semiconductor memories. Examples of magnetic storage devices include hard disk drives, flexible disks (FDs), and magnetic tapes. Examples of optical disks include DVDs, DVD-RAMs, and CD-ROM / RWs. Examples of magneto-optical recording media include MOs (Magneto-Optical disks).

[0120] When distributing a program, for example, the program is recorded on a portable recording medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM and sold. Alternatively, the program can be stored in a storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0121] A computer that executes a program stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server computer in its own storage device. The computer then reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing in accordance with the program. Note that the computer can also read the program directly from a portable recording medium and execute processing in accordance with that program. The computer can also execute processing in accordance with the program received each time a program is transferred from a server computer connected via a network.

[0122] At least a part of the above processing functions can also be realized by electronic circuits such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device).

[0123] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drone (flying object) 1a Housing 1b Rotor 1c Fixed shaft 1d Attachment 11 Drone control unit 2 Management server 21 Processing unit 22 Paddy field information storage unit 23 Seed rice information storage unit 24 Seed rice direct sowing initial information storage unit 25 Seed rice direct sowing information storage unit 26 Harvesting information storage unit 3 Terminal device 4 Direct sowing device 41 Seed rice storage unit 42 Housing 43 Drop pipe 43a Tip 43b Rice direct sowing sensor 44 Rice drop rotation device 441 Rotating circle contact body 441a Groove 442 Rotation sensor 443 Drive motor 444 Shaft 45 Rice drop lid 451 Coil 46 Injection unit 47 Air flow pipe 5 Harvesting device 51 Harvesting upper part 51a Blower 51b Ear intake port 51c Internal sensor 52 Ear tip guide section 52a Cutting rotary blade 52b Drive motor 52c Guide plate 52c1 V-shaped opening 52d Guide plate support section 53 Lower reaping section 53a Ear accumulation layer 53b Side surface 53c Discharge section 100 System 101 Raspberry Pi 5 102 GPS module 103 Camera module 104 Communication module 105 LED warning light 106 Distance measurement module T1 Paddy field information table T2 Seed rice information table T3 Seed rice direct sowing initial information table T4 Seed rice direct sowing information table T5 Harvesting information table

Claims

1. A grain ear harvesting device that is attached to a drone-type flying object, the flying object moving to a position where it will cut the grain ears and stalks based on an image of the uncut grain ears, the grain ear harvesting device having: a cutting unit that cuts the uncut grain ears and stalks as the flying object moves; a storage unit that stores the cut grain ears; and an air blowing unit that moves the cut grain ears to the storage unit by blowing air.

2. A grain ear harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit is moved to a position where the ears and stalks are cut based on images of the height, inclination and ear droop of the uncut grain ears.

3. A grain ear harvesting device as described in claim 1, wherein the storage section has a convex joint that divides the stalk from which the ear has been cut into left and right halves, the side of the storage section has a ship-like shape, and the divided stalk is pushed rearward while sliding along the side of the storage section.

4. A grain ear harvesting device as described in claim 1, which has a V-shaped guide plate with its tip side positioned externally to guide the tip of the grain ear to the cutting section, and the lower side of the guide plate is inclined toward the base end side.

Images