Plant management system

Abstract

This plant management system includes: an imaging device for acquiring imaging data about a cultivation panel installed on a cultivation shelf; an acquisition unit for acquiring information about an exposed area of the cultivation panel in which a plant is being grown on the basis of the imaging data; and an estimation unit for estimating information about the plant being grown on the basis of the information about the exposed area.

Description

Plant management system

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant management system.

[0002] In recent years, technologies for controlling the growth environment (light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nutrients, water, etc.) of plants in facilities such as plant factories and greenhouse cultivation and cultivating plants stably and efficiently have attracted attention. In particular, in order to enable the cultivation of high-quality crops throughout the year even in a closed space, high-precision growth monitoring and control using environmental measurement and image processing technologies have been actively studied.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 aims to provide a mechanism for performing both environmental management within a device and process management for the work process of cultivating plants in a plant cultivation device, and includes a plurality of sensors for monitoring the growth state of the plants to be cultivated, environmental management means for managing the environment, which is at least one of the states of light, air, water, and space within the plant cultivation device, and process management means for managing the work process of cultivating the plants, and a plant cultivation device is disclosed.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-166495

[0005] However, when plants are overgrown or appear large but actually have a light weight, it is difficult to accurately estimate the harvest amount based only on the apparent size as in the prior art. As a result, the formulation of the shipping plan and efficient cultivation management also become inaccurate.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plant management system, a plant management method, and a program that can more appropriately estimate the quality and harvest amount of plants.

[0007] A plant management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging device that acquires imaging data of a cultivation panel installed on a cultivation shelf, an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the exposed area of the cultivation panel during the growth of plants based on the imaging data, and an estimation unit that estimates information regarding the plants during growth based on the information regarding the exposed area.

[0008] A plant management method according to one aspect of the present invention involves a plant management system that performs the steps of: acquiring imaging data of a cultivation panel installed on a cultivation shelf; acquiring information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel on which plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and estimating information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a plant management system to perform the following steps: acquire imaging data of cultivation panels installed on a cultivation shelf; acquire information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels on which plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and estimate information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a plant management system, a plant management method, and a program that can more appropriately estimate information about plants.

[0011] This is a schematic perspective view of the cultivation shelf. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cultivation shelf. This is a functional block diagram of the plant management system of this embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the imaging data of this embodiment. These are specific examples of imaging data at two different points in time. This is an example of photographing the cultivation panel from an oblique angle using a spherical mirror. This is a schematic diagram showing the change in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel as seen in the imaging data. This is an example image of the seedling stage of the plant. This shows the time-series change in the exposed area of ​​the plant cultivation panel and an example image. This is a flowchart of one aspect of the processing of this embodiment.

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "these embodiments") will be described in detail below, with reference to the drawings as necessary. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from its essence. In the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right will be based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Moreover, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are not limited to those shown.

[0013] 1. Plant Factory The plant management system 1 of this embodiment may be used, for example, in a plant factory. Before describing the details of the plant management system 1 of this embodiment, a general overview of a plant factory will be given. Note that the use of the plant management system 1 of this embodiment is not limited to plant factories.

[0014] A plant factory is a type of protected horticulture where the growing environment (light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nutrients, water, etc.) of plants is controlled within the facility. Based on monitoring the environment and plant growth, it enables year-round, planned production of vegetables and other plants by controlling the environment and estimating growth. Plant factories can be broadly classified into two types: "fully artificial light type," which controls the environment in a closed environment without using sunlight to achieve year-round, planned production; and "sunlight-utilizing type," which uses sunlight as the basis for year-round, planned production in a semi-closed environment such as a greenhouse, with supplemental lighting during rainy or cloudy days and high-temperature suppression technology in summer.

[0015] Furthermore, the cultivation method implemented in the plant factory may be either hydroponics or soil cultivation. Here, hydroponics is a method of growing plants using water and liquid fertilizer (nutrient solution) without using soil, and is also called hydroculture. In hydroponics, the root portion of the plant is immersed in water (solution) containing fertilizer, and the necessary water, nutrients, and oxygen are absorbed through the roots. In contrast, soil cultivation refers to cultivation using soil. In the following, this embodiment will be explained using an example of implementing hydroponics in a plant factory, but this embodiment is not limited to hydroponics.

[0016] Figure 1A shows a schematic perspective view of a cultivation shelf 110 inside a plant factory. In the cultivation shelf 110 shown in Figure 1A, plants 200 are grown on cultivation panels 120 installed on the cultivation shelf 110. The cultivation shelf 110 is configured in a multi-tiered manner, which makes it possible to grow plants 200 in a large area while saving space.

[0017] Each shelf of the cultivation rack 110 is equipped with a cultivation tank 130, and cultivation panels 120 float in a culture solution pool flowing through the cultivation tank 130. For example, the cultivation tank 130 is preferably capable of storing water used for hydroponics, and the water flows in a predetermined direction without stagnating. To create water flow, each cultivation tank 130 may be provided with a water inlet and a drain outlet. Furthermore, the water flowing through the cultivation tank 130 may contain dissolved nutrients necessary for hydroponics.

[0018] The cultivation panel 120 may be a floating board that can float in a culture solution pool with plants 200 on it. The cultivation panel 120 may have through holes for installing the plants 200 to be grown. In this case, the plants 200 are fixed to the cultivation panel 120 with their leaves exposed to the air and their roots submerged in the culture solution pool.

[0019] In soil cultivation, plants are susceptible to disease due to various bacteria in the soil, requiring pesticides, and therefore, it is desirable to monitor the plants and check for any abnormalities. In contrast, hydroponic cultivation in plant factories is generally said to be less prone to insect infestations and diseases. However, plants do not always grow smoothly, and even in a completely closed environment, defective plants can occur when growing conditions deviate from the controlled range, such as during seasonal changes. Examples of defective plants include leafy vegetables with poor head size or number of leaves, or various symptoms such as tip burn.

[0020] In open-field cultivation, defective plants are easily identified by visual inspection. However, as shown in Figure 1A, the cultivation shelves 110 have low shelf heights, making it difficult for a person to visually inspect every corner of each shelf for defective plants. In other words, it is easy for the detection of defective plants to be delayed. As a result, it is easy to miss the opportunity to treat plants that could otherwise be improved. Furthermore, allowing defective plants to grow to their final stage can easily lead to a decrease in the factory's yield.

[0021] To manage plant factories more efficiently, it is desirable to detect defects early and strive to improve yields. Therefore, it is conceivable to use cameras to observe the condition of the plants 200 on the cultivation shelves 110. However, from the perspective of improving yields, the height of each shelf on the cultivation shelves 110 is low, which also applies to cameras, resulting in a narrow field of view.

[0022] 2. Plant Management System As shown in Figure 1A, the plant management system 1 of this embodiment includes an imaging device 140 that acquires imaging data of cultivation panels 120 installed on cultivation shelves 110, an acquisition unit 312 that acquires information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels 120 during plant growth based on the imaging data, and an estimation unit 313 that estimates information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area. In this embodiment, the information processing device 300 that performs processing related to the imaging data may have the acquisition unit 312 and the estimation unit 313 as functional units.

[0023] Traditionally, the growth status of plants has been assessed by image processing of the plant itself. However, through diligent research by the inventors, it has become clear that directly evaluating the plant from images is not always appropriate.

[0024] One reason for this is that light reflection and overexposure make evaluation difficult. In environments where light is irradiated at a predetermined intensity for photosynthesis, such as plant factories, light can be reflected from the surface of plant bodies, such as leaves. In particular, when white light is strong, the outlines and colors of leaves become unclear, making general image analysis difficult. In addition, in plant factories and similar facilities, various light sources such as red and blue light are used in addition to white light, and these lights may be irradiated alternately depending on the time of day. As a result, even for the same plant, the image can change significantly depending on the lighting conditions, leading to a problem of inconsistent image analysis.

[0025] Furthermore, variations in plant coloration also make evaluation difficult. For example, when the color differs significantly depending on the type or variety of crop, such as between green and purple cabbage, it becomes difficult to accurately evaluate size and growth stage with a single image processing algorithm.

[0026] In addition, when plants grow large and their leaves overlap with those of neighboring plants, it becomes difficult to distinguish the outlines and sizes of individual leaves even when photographed, which creates a problem in estimating the size of plants.

[0027] In contrast, the acquisition unit 312 and estimation unit 313 of this embodiment indirectly estimate the size and growth stage of plants by measuring the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 on which the plants are placed. This is because, compared to identifying and evaluating plants using image processing, identifying the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 is less affected by light sources, is not related to variations in plant color, and does not require consideration of overlapping leaves, thus enabling consistent image analysis and achieving more accurate estimation.

[0028] In fact, the cultivation panel 120 is less affected by changes in lighting conditions and differences in color due to the type of plant. Compared to plants, the cultivation panel 120 has no variations in color intensity and can be considered almost monochromatic in terms of image processing. Therefore, it has the advantage of being easy to perform general image analysis by adjusting the white balance, etc.

[0029] Furthermore, as the plants grow, the number of leaves covering the top of the cultivation panel 120 increases, thereby reducing the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 visible in the image. This reduction in exposed area serves as an indicator of the plant's size, and experimental data suggests that this indicator can be used to more accurately estimate the plant's quality and yield (weight).

[0030] Furthermore, in stages before the plants become overcrowded, such as the seedling stage when leaves do not overlap too much, the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 can be reliably detected. By performing evaluations at this stage, it becomes possible to estimate information about the plants, such as quality and yield, at an early stage of harvesting. This means that, unlike conventional methods where only images of the plant after it has grown large are available, which may delay countermeasures against etiolation, this embodiment allows for the acquisition of an indicator such as the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 from the early stages of growth, thus enabling early detection of abnormalities and optimization of cultivation management.

[0031] In this embodiment, the "seedling stage" refers to the initial stage when seeds germinate and grow into seedlings. For example, this includes the stage when the cotyledons (the first two leaves) or early true leaves have unfolded after germination, or when the roots begin to develop. In contrast, the "transplanting stage" refers to the stage when the seedlings are transplanted into a full-fledged cultivation environment. From this stage onward, the plants are grown in an environment intended for final growth and harvesting. The growing environment for the plants 200 may differ between the seedling stage and the transplanting stage, and from this perspective, the cultivation shelves for the seedling stage and the cultivation shelves for the transplanting stage may be managed separately.

[0032] Thus, by achieving a technology that focuses on the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 rather than the plant itself for evaluation, it is believed that the problems associated with conventional plant image evaluation methods are solved. In particular, when estimating information about plants such as plant quality and yield (including weight), it is possible to achieve versatile and stable image analysis without being troubled by elements that are difficult to analyze, such as leaf color, reflectivity, and density.

[0033] The plant management system 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below. The plant management system 1 may include a lighting device 150 that directly or indirectly irradiates light onto cultivation panels, a transport means 160 that transports cultivation panels 120, and the like. The information processing device 300 may be connected to various equipment such as an imaging device 140, a lighting device 150, and a transport means 160, as well as a user terminal 400 used by the user, via a wired or wireless network.

[0034] 2.1. Imaging device The imaging device 140 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to acquire imaging data of the cultivation panels 120 installed on the cultivation shelf 110. The imaging device 140 may be an RGB camera or an infrared camera, and may have a depth sensor. The imaging device 140 may be fixed in one place, or it may be configured to be movable on rails (not shown) installed on the cultivation shelf 110.

[0035] Figure 1B shows an XZ cross-sectional view of the cultivation shelf 110 shown in Figure 1A. As shown in the upper cultivation shelf 110 of Figure 1B, the imaging device 140 may be located outside the cultivation shelf 110 and directly image the cultivation panel 120 from outside the cultivation shelf 110. The plants 200, cultivation panel 120, cultivation tank 130, and the area around and above the plants 200 are high-humidity spaces. Therefore, by installing the imaging device 140 outside the cultivation shelf 110, transpiration from the plants 200 can be avoided, and malfunctions due to humidity and imaging failures due to lens fogging can be avoided.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in the middle cultivation shelf 110 of Figure 1B, the imaging device 140 may be located inside the cultivation shelf 110, and the cultivation panel 120 may be imaged from inside the cultivation shelf 110. In this case, the imaging device 140 may be able to move its upper surface in any direction by a moving mechanism such as rails. In this case, the imaging device 140 may image the plants when it is being transported by a camera transport mechanism (not shown) with its lens pointed downwards.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in the lower cultivation shelf 110 of Figure 1B, the plant management system 1 may have a mirror that reflects the image of the cultivation panel, and the reflected image reflected by the mirror may be captured. More specifically, the imaging device 140 may be located outside the cultivation shelf 110, and may indirectly capture the cultivation panel 120 reflected in the mirror 141 from outside the cultivation shelf 110. This makes it possible to photograph a wider area of ​​the cultivation shelf 110, and since it is possible to capture images from outside the cultivation shelf 110, it is also possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign objects onto the plants 200 by moving the imaging device 140 by a moving mechanism such as rails. In addition, transpiration from the plants 200 can be avoided, and malfunctions due to moisture can be avoided. The mirror 141 may be a wide-angle curved mirror. This makes it possible to reflect an image over a wider range.

[0038] The imaging device 140 may be configured to be transportable to any position on the cultivation shelf 110 by a camera transport mechanism. This eliminates the need to install multiple imaging devices on the cultivation shelf 110 to observe the entire structure, thus reducing the number of imaging devices 140 required.

[0039] 2.2. Lighting Device The plant management system 1 of this embodiment may further include a lighting device 150 that directly or indirectly irradiates light onto the cultivation panel. This lighting device 150 is capable of irradiating light in a specific wavelength range for the purpose of promoting photosynthesis and growth of plants 200. For example, by using a light source that includes red light (approximately 660 nm) or blue light (approximately 450 nm), the photosynthetic efficiency of plants 200 can be increased. From this viewpoint, the lighting device 150 may irradiate light of any wavelength in addition to white light, and may also be turned on and off in a predetermined cycle to reproduce day and night.

[0040] Furthermore, the illumination device 150 may expose the image under predetermined illumination conditions only during imaging. For example, when imaging is performed by the imaging device 140, the illumination device 150 may use white light or monochromatic light of a specific wavelength to improve the accuracy of measuring the exposed area. In addition, the generation of shadows and light reflection may be minimized by controlling the illumination angle and illuminance of the light source. In this way, it becomes possible to perform imaging under preset illumination conditions using the illumination device 150, reducing variations in light intensity and direction, and keeping the imaging conditions of the image data constant. As a result, the accuracy of analysis of the exposed area by image processing of the obtained image data can be further improved.

[0041] 2.3. Conveying means The cultivation panel 120 may be fixed to a predetermined location on the cultivation tank 130, or the cultivation tank 130 may be moved horizontally by the conveying means 160. The conveying means 160 is not particularly limited, but examples include a chain conveyor, belt conveyor, roller conveyor, rail, pulley drive using wire, or floating conveying using the water flow of the culture solution, all connected to a part of the cultivation panel 120. The movement of the cultivation panel 120 by the conveying means 160 may be continuous or intermittent. If it is intermittent, for example, it may be set to move a predetermined distance every few hours.

[0042] The transport means 160 may be configured such that the cultivation panels 120 move from one end to the other of the cultivation rack 110, which is long in the longitudinal direction Y, over a period of several hours to several days. Specifically, when the cultivation panels 120 with plant seedlings 200 fixed to them are introduced from one end of the cultivation rack 110, the plants 200 that have grown from the seedlings are discharged from the other end of the cultivation rack 110 after several days. This allows the plants 200 to grow as they pass through the cultivation rack 110.

[0043] 2.4. Information Processing Device The information processing device 300 may, in addition to estimating information about plants being grown based on imaging data acquired by the imaging device 140, also control the irradiation of the lighting device 150 and control the transport means 160.

[0044] The information processing device 300 may be a terminal, an edge server, or a cloud server installed in a plant factory. Further, the information processing device 300 may be a general-purpose computer such as a desktop, a laptop, or a tablet. Further, each functional unit in the information processing device 300 may be realized jointly by a terminal and a server, or may be realized jointly by a plurality of servers.

[0045] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2A, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the information processing device 300 will be described, and then each control will be described in detail in association with the functional configuration of the information processing device 300.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2A, the information processing device 300 includes, for example, a processor 310, a communication interface 320, an input / output interface 330, a memory 340, a storage 350, and one or more communication buses 360 for interconnecting these components.

[0047] The processor 310 executes processing, functions, or methods realized by code or instructions included in a program stored in the storage 350. The processor 310 includes, by way of non-limiting example, one or more central processing units (CPUs), MPUs, GPUs, etc., and may realize each processing, function, or method disclosed in each embodiment by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit or the like or a dedicated circuit.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2A, the processor 310 of the present embodiment may be configured to function as a transmission / reception unit 311, an acquisition unit 312, an estimation unit 313, and an output unit 314.

[0049] The communication interface 320 transmits and receives various data to and from other devices via the network N. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as mutual communication can be performed. For example, the communication interface 320 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination thereof.

[0050] The input / output interface 330 includes an input device for inputting various operations to the information processing device 300, and an output device for outputting processing results processed by the information processing device 300. For example, the input / output interface 330 includes information input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel, and information output devices such as a display. The information processing device 300 may accept predetermined inputs or perform predetermined outputs by connecting an external input / output interface 330.

[0051] The memory 340 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage 350 and provides a workspace for the processor 310. The memory 340 also temporarily stores various data generated while the processor 310 is executing the program. The memory 340 may be a high-speed random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state memory, or a combination of these.

[0052] The storage 350 stores programs, various functional units, and various data. The storage 350 may be, for example, one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile memory such as non-volatile solid-state storage devices, and these may be in combination. Another example of the storage 350 is one or more storage devices installed remotely from the processor 310.

[0053] 2.4.1. Transmitting / Receiving Unit The transmitting / receiving unit 311 may function, for example, as a transmitting unit that transmits various information to other devices such as the imaging device 140, the lighting device 150, the transport means 160, and the user terminal 400 via the communication interface 320 and the network N, or as a receiving unit that receives various information from other devices such as the imaging device 140, the lighting device 150, the transport means 160, and the user terminal 400.

[0054] 2.4.2. Acquisition Unit The acquisition unit 312 acquires information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 on which plants 200 are being grown, based on the imaging data acquired by the imaging device 140. Here, the exposed area is the area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 that is not covered by the plants 200. The calculation of the exposed area is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be done by identifying the range of the cultivation panel 120 in the imaging data and calculating the area of ​​the identified range of the cultivation panel 120. The identification of the range of the cultivation panel 120 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be done by identifying the boundary shape of the part corresponding to the cultivation panel 120 based on differences such as the contrast between the cultivation panel 120 and the plants 200.

[0055] If the cultivation panel 120 is partially visible in the imaging data, the exposed area may be calculated based on that portion. The exposed area may be an absolute value or a relative value to the area of ​​the cultivation panel 120. Alternatively, the exposed area may be a moving average based on a predetermined time or number of days.

[0056] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire the exposed area based on the image reflected in a mirror such as the spherical mirror 141 in the imaging data. This allows for a more accurate determination of the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120, even when the exposed area cannot be accurately determined by oblique photography, as shown in Figure 3A, based on the image reflected in the mirror. In this case, distortions caused by the image reflected in the mirror such as the spherical mirror 141 may or may not be corrected.

[0057] The acquisition unit 312 may record the image data and the exposed area in association in the image data 351. Figure 2B shows an example of the data structure of the image data 351. The image data 351 may record the image ID for uniquely identifying the captured image, the obtained image data, the date and time of acquisition, the acquisition location, and the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 in association. Furthermore, if the image data includes multiple cultivation panels 120, the acquisition unit 312 may assign an image ID for uniquely identifying the cultivation panel 120 that appears in the image data and record it in association with the image data.

[0058] Figure 3B shows specific examples of imaging data I1 and I2 at two different time points, captured within the field of view of the imaging device 140a installed in the upper part of Figure 1B. As shown in Figure 3B, when the cultivation panels 120 are gradually transported in the Y direction, the acquisition unit 312 may manage them by assigning IDs 001 and 002 to the cultivation panels 120. In Figure 3B, the flow of the cultivation panels 120 is shown without showing the plants in order to clearly show the individual cultivation panels 120. Also, in Figure 3B, a state in which there are gaps between the cultivation panels 120 is shown in order to clearly show the individual cultivation panels 120, but these gaps do not have to be present.

[0059] When the cultivation panel 120 is transported by the transport means 160, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire changes in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 within the imaging field of view of the imaging device 140. In this case, the acquisition unit 312 may detect the switching of the cultivation panel 120 within the imaging field of view due to an increase in the exposed area. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire the exposed area immediately after the switching of the cultivation panel 120 as the initial value, and acquire the exposed area immediately before the switching of the cultivation panel 120 as the final value.

[0060] Figure 3C shows a schematic diagram of the case where the change in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 as seen in the imaging data is acquired. For example, at time points t1 to t3, the cultivation panel 120 with ID 001 is seen in the imaging data. As time points t1 to t3 progress, the plants 200 on the cultivation panel 120 with ID 001 grow, and the exposed area decreases accordingly. Then, from time point t3 to t4, the cultivation panel 120 with ID 001 moves out of the imaging field of view, and the cultivation panel 120 with ID 002 is newly seen in the imaging data. Then, as time points t4 to t6 progress, the plants 200 on the cultivation panel 120 with ID 002 grow, and the exposed area decreases accordingly.

[0061] Furthermore, if multiple cultivation panels 120 are visible in the imaging field, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire the exposed area for each cultivation panel 120. In this case, as shown in the imaging data 351, the acquisition unit 312 may assign an ID to each cultivation panel 120 and record the exposed area in association with the cultivation panel ID.

[0062] As described above, the cultivation panel 120 may float on the culture medium, and in this case, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire information regarding the amount of sinking of the cultivation panel 120. Specifically, information regarding the amount of sinking may be acquired by image processing of the image data of the cultivation panel, or information regarding the amount of sinking may be acquired by measuring the distance between the water level and the top surface of the cultivation panel 120 using a water level sensor installed on the cultivation shelf 110. The acquisition unit 312 may acquire information regarding the amount of sinking for each cultivation panel 120 and record it in the image data 351.

[0063] In addition, the acquisition unit 312 can perform a series of processes related to acquiring information about the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120. For example, when the imaging device 140 acquires imaging data, the lighting device 150 may be controlled to predetermined lighting conditions, or the transport means 160 may be stopped to prevent image blurring.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the acquisition unit 312 acquires the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 within the field of view of the imaging device 140, it may perform processing to correct for the effects of changes in the camera's installation angle and shooting position. This correction may be, for example, a method of correcting the image data according to changes in the installation angle and shooting distance of the imaging device 140 by comparing it with a previously acquired reference image. Alternatively, the imaging device 140 may synthesize image data acquired from multiple angles and perform processing to calculate the exposed area for an image that covers a wider area of ​​the cultivation panel 120. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine reflected images using a mirror such as a spherical mirror 141 to complement the portion outside the field of view.

[0065] 2.4.3. Estimation Unit The estimation unit 313 estimates information about the plant being grown based on information about the exposed area.

[0066] In this embodiment, the information relating to plants is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, information relating to plant quality and yield; information relating to the transport speed and switching of cultivation panels, or the traceability of plants related thereto; information relating to growth stages such as seedling stage, transplanting stage, and harvesting stage; and information relating to growth or growth rate such as the number of leaves, size, leaf unfolding angle, stem thickness, degree of root development, and photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, information relating to the entire plant population, such as the average growth rate and yield rate per cultivation shelf, may also be treated as information relating to plants.

[0067] Figure 3A shows an example image of the plant 200 during the planting period. In Figure 3A, as shown in the lower part of Figure 1B, the inside of the cultivation shelf 110 is photographed from the side by the imaging device 140, and the image reflected by the spherical mirror 141 is shown. As shown in Figure 3A, when the plants 200 grow larger and the leaves of adjacent plants 200 begin to overlap, it becomes difficult to identify the boundaries of the plants 200 thereafter, and it becomes impossible to evaluate individual plants 200. In contrast, the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 can be detected as an area with completely different contrast even after the leaves of the plants 200 overlap, and the evaluation of the plants 200 becomes possible as the exposed area decreases.

[0068] For example, if the exposed area is too large relative to the number of growing days, poor growth and a decrease in yield can be expected. Conversely, if the exposed area is too small relative to the number of growing days, etiolation is suspected, and information about the plant, such as a decrease in quality and yield, can be expected. In other words, the wider the leaf spread of a plant (200), the smaller the exposed area tends to be, but if etiolation is progressing, the plant may appear large but actually be lighter in weight.

[0069] Based on this evaluation, the estimation unit 313 can estimate information about the plant, including quality and / or yield, as well as information about the plant's elongation. The estimation unit 313 can also estimate the yield based on the apparent yield and quality. This allows the estimation unit 313 to make estimations such as, "It looks like it will weigh 100g, but because it is elongated, the actual yield will be around 50g," or "It looks like it will weigh 100g, but because it is not elongated, the actual yield will be around 90g," enabling the user to utilize this information for cultivation management and shipping planning.

[0070] Figure 3D shows an example image of a plant during its seedling stage. As shown in Figure 3D, when the plants 200 are still small and the leaves of adjacent plants 200 have not yet begun to overlap, it is easy to identify the boundaries of the plants 200. However, the growth of individual plants 200 can also be evaluated by their exposed area.

[0071] Furthermore, through diligent research by the inventors, it has been found that the growth rate during the seedling stage correlates with information about the plants, such as the quality and / or yield of the harvested plants. Specifically, it has been found that poor growth during the seedling stage leads to poor growth, while excessive growth during the seedling stage can lead to elongation later on. As a result, by acquiring image data of the initial growth stage, it becomes possible to detect variations in growth early and carry out appropriate cultivation management.

[0072] From this perspective, the imaging device 140 acquires imaging data of the cultivation panel during the seedling stage and / or transplanting stage, the acquisition unit 312 acquires the exposed area of ​​this imaging data, and the estimation unit 313 may estimate, based on the exposed area of ​​this imaging data, information on the quality and / or yield of the plants being grown, as well as information on growth stages such as the seedling stage, transplanting stage, and harvesting stage; growth or growth rate such as the number of leaves, size, leaf unfolding angle, stem thickness, degree of root development, and photosynthetic activity.

[0073] Figure 3E shows the time-series change in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 for plants 200, along with an example image. The upper part (a) of Figure 3E shows an example where the initial exposed area is large, and the lower part (b) shows an example where the initial exposed area is small. In such cases, even if the exposed area is about the same in the later stages, the cultivation panel 120 in the upper part (a), which has a large initial exposed area, does not elongate, while the cultivation panel 120 in the lower part (b), which has a small initial exposed area and has already grown too large in the early stages, does elongate. When elongation occurs, the actual yield decreases. As shown in Figure 3E, information about plants during cultivation can be evaluated more accurately by considering the change in the size of the exposed area between the early and late stages, in other words, the seedling stage and / or transplanting stage.

[0074] As an example, when the acquisition unit 312 acquires changes in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel 120 being transported by the transport means 160, the estimation unit 313 may estimate the quality and / or yield of the plants being grown based on the changes, or it may estimate information regarding the transport speed and switching of the cultivation panels, or related information regarding the traceability of the plants. The change in exposed area may be a change in the exposed area due to the growth of the plants 200. In this case, based on two or more imaging data from different time points, the acquisition unit 312 can acquire information regarding the change in exposed area due to the growth of the plants 200 over a predetermined number of days. The estimation unit 313 may also estimate information regarding the plants 200 being grown based on the change in exposed area due to the growth of the plants 200.

[0075] Furthermore, the change in exposed area may also be due to the gradual switching of the cultivation panels 120 within the field of view of the imaging device 140 as the cultivation panels 120 are transported. For example, as shown in Figure 3B, it is conceivable that the cultivation panel 120 initially visible in the imaging field of view gradually moves out of frame as it is transported by the transport means 160, while a new cultivation panel 120 moves into frame. It is assumed that the plants 200 in the cultivation panel 120 that moves out of frame will have a smaller exposed area (hereinafter referred to as the "final value") due to the longer growing period, and the plants 200 in the cultivation panel 120 that moves into frame will have a larger exposed area (hereinafter referred to as the "initial value") due to the shorter growing period. The estimation unit 313 may estimate information regarding the quality and / or yield and traceability of the plants being grown based on such changes between the initial and final values. Here, the change between the initial and final values ​​may be the difference in exposed area, or it may be the rate of change, etc.

[0076] By considering these changes, the estimation unit 313 can make estimations that take into account the growth rate of the plants 200, allowing for a more appropriate evaluation of whether there is excessive growth causing etiolation or delayed growth, or whether the plants are growing at a normal rate. Furthermore, by quantifying how much the leaves spread while the panel moves a certain distance due to the above changes, the growth rate of the plants can be estimated and used for appropriate adjustments to the cultivation environment and for determining the harvest time. In this embodiment, if the rate of change in the exposed area deviates from a certain threshold compared to the population in a normal cultivation panel, it may be determined that there is a possibility that the quality or yield of the plants being grown in the cultivation panel shown in the imaging data will be poor.

[0077] As another example, if the cultivation panel 120 is floating on the culture solution as described above, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire information regarding the amount of sinking of the cultivation panel 120, and the estimation unit 313 may further consider the information regarding the amount of sinking to estimate information about the plant being grown. As the plant 200 grows and its weight increases, the amount of sinking of the cultivation panel 120 tends to increase. For example, if the exposed area is small while the amount of sinking is small, it may be judged that the weight is less than it appears and that there is a high possibility of etiolation. In this way, by considering both the exposed area related to the size of the plant 200 and the amount of sinking related to its weight, the accuracy of estimating information about the plant tends to improve.

[0078] Furthermore, the estimation unit 313 may estimate information about the plants being grown by considering not only the imaging data but also information about the environment such as the temperature and humidity of the cultivation shelf 110, as well as information about the operating conditions of the plant cultivation equipment 200. This information can be acquired by the acquisition unit 312.

[0079] The estimation unit 313 may use a model trained on a training dataset that associates information about exposed area with information about plants in the estimation described above. The method for creating the model is not particularly limited, but for example, a regression model between time-series data of exposed area and final yield may be created, or a model may be constructed that takes time-series data of exposed area, changes in subsidence, and historical data of the cultivation environment (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity, etc.) as input data and learns the relationship between these and information about plants such as harvest weight and quality evaluation values. This model is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be implemented using methods such as regression analysis models, support vector machines, and neural networks. Furthermore, when constructing the model, training data including data on normal and abnormal growth can be used to enable early detection of abnormal plants.

[0080] 2.4.4. Output Unit The output unit 314 has a function to inform the user of the growth status of the plant 200 by outputting an alert to, for example, the user terminal 400. This allows the user to take action if it is estimated that the quality and / or yield of the plant will fall below expectations. Specifically, the output unit 314 may also output an alert if the quality and / or yield estimated by the estimation unit 313 based on the exposed area meets predetermined conditions.

[0081] Furthermore, the output unit 314 may also output an alert when the exposed area exceeds a preset upper or lower limit. As described above, if the exposed area is too small or too large according to the number of growing days, it may lead to a decrease in quality or yield. For example, if it significantly exceeds the upper limit, problems such as excessive growth or overcrowding may be a concern, and conversely, if it falls below the lower limit, poor growth may be suspected. Therefore, by outputting an alert based on the exposed area, it becomes possible to identify plants that deviate from the predetermined set values ​​at an early stage and carry out appropriate management.

[0082] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire the transport speed of the cultivation panels 120 by the transport means 160 from imaging data at multiple different time points. At this time, the output unit 314 may output an alert in accordance with information regarding the passage speed of the cultivation panels 120 within the imaging field of view of the imaging device 140. This indicates an abnormality such as the panels being stuck or passing too fast, and has the effect of preventing mechanical trouble or missed images.

[0083] In each of the above cases, the output unit 314 may output an alert when, for example, a threshold or condition such as an upper limit or lower limit is exceeded once, or it may output an alert when the threshold or condition is exceeded multiple times.

[0084] 2.5. Operation Next, the operation of the plant management system will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the system of this embodiment.

[0085] In step S1, the illumination device 150 may be set to a preset illumination condition, and then in step S2, the imaging device 140 may acquire imaging data under that illumination condition. This makes it possible to acquire imaging data with constant illumination conditions. Note that the control of the illumination conditions of the illumination device 150 in step S1 may be performed by the acquisition unit 312 of the information processing device 300.

[0086] In step S3, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire information regarding the amount of settlement in the cultivation panel 120. The information regarding the amount of settlement may be the extent to which the cultivation panel 120 has moved downward due to plant growth or deformation of the growing medium.

[0087] In step S4, the acquisition unit 312 may identify the cultivation panels 120 based on the imaging data. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the acquisition unit 312 may identify the cultivation panels 120 in the imaging field of view based on the transport information acquired from the transport means 160. An ID may then be assigned to identify the cultivation panels 120 in this manner, and information regarding the exposed area and information regarding the amount of subsidence may be recorded in association with the cultivation panel ID. Alternatively, the cultivation panels 120 may have an identification mark, and the acquisition unit 312 may identify the cultivation panels 120 from the identification mark that appears in the imaging data.

[0088] In step S5, the acquisition unit 312 may acquire information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel and information regarding the passage speed of the cultivation panel based on the imaging data.

[0089] Then, in steps S6 and S7, the output unit 314 may output an alert if the information regarding the exposed area deviates from the predetermined conditions, such as "the plants have grown too much and there is no space left" or "conversely, the exposed area is large due to poor growth," indicating that excessive growth or growth inhibition, such as etiolation, has occurred. The alert may be output to the user terminal 400 or by a warning light (not shown) installed on the cultivation shelf 110. This allows for early detection of cultivation abnormalities and enables appropriate countermeasures.

[0090] Then, in step S8, the estimation unit 313 estimates information about the plants being grown based on the information about the exposed area. This allows confirmation that plant growth is progressing normally, and this estimated information can be used to optimize the harvest plan and improve the cultivation environment. The estimation unit 313 may also estimate information about the plants being grown for each cultivation panel ID.

[0091] As described above, the plant management system according to this embodiment makes it possible to more accurately estimate information about plants by obtaining the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel from imaging data. Furthermore, it is possible to detect excessive growth or poor growth in the process and output an alert to notify the cultivation manager early. As a result, even in narrow, multi-tiered spaces such as plant factories and greenhouses, plant growth can be monitored with high accuracy and at low cost, enabling stable production.

[0092] 3. Plant Management Method The plant management method of this embodiment includes the steps of: the plant management system acquiring imaging data of cultivation panels installed on cultivation shelves; acquiring information on the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels on which plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and estimating information on the plants being grown based on the information on the exposed area.

[0093] The specific details of the method in this embodiment are described in the control processing section above, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0094] 4. Program In the program of this embodiment, the plant management system is instructed to perform the following steps: acquire imaging data of cultivation panels installed on cultivation shelves; acquire information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels during plant growth based on the imaging data; and estimate information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area.

[0095] The program may be recorded on a readable recording medium. The specific details of the processing performed by the program in this embodiment are described in the control processing section above, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0096] This invention has industrial applicability as an elemental technology usable in smart agricultural systems.

[0097] 1...Plant management system, 110...Cultivation shelf, 120...Cultivation panel, 130...Cultivation tank, 140...Imaging device, 141...Mirror, 150...Lighting device, 160...Transportation means, 200...Plants, 300...Information processing device, 310...Processor, 311...Transmitting / receiving unit, 312...Acquisition unit, 313...Estimation unit, 314...Output unit, 320...Communication interface, 330...Input / output interface, 340...Memory, 350...Storage, 351...Imaging data, 360...Communication bus, 400...User terminal

Claims

1. A plant management system comprising: an imaging device that acquires imaging data of cultivation panels installed on a cultivation shelf; an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels while plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and an estimation unit that estimates information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area.

2. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the plant includes the quality and / or yield of the plant during cultivation.

3. The plant management system according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting device that directly or indirectly irradiates light onto a cultivation panel, wherein the imaging device acquires the imaging data under preset lighting conditions.

4. The plant management system according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs an alert when the exposed area exceeds a preset upper or lower limit.

5. The plant management system according to claim 1, comprising a mirror that reflects the image of the cultivation panel, wherein the imaging device captures the reflected image reflected by the mirror.

6. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device acquires the imaging data of the cultivation panel during the seedling stage and / or the transplanting stage.

7. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit estimates information regarding the elongation of the plant.

8. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit estimates the yield based on the apparent yield and the quality.

9. The plant management system according to claim 1, further comprising a transport means for transporting the cultivation panels, and an output unit that outputs an alert in accordance with information regarding the passage speed of the cultivation panels within the imaging field of view of the imaging device.

10. The plant management system according to claim 1, comprising a transport means for transporting the cultivation panel, wherein the acquisition unit acquires changes in the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panel within the imaging field of the imaging device, and the estimation unit estimates information about the plant being grown based on the changes.

11. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit detects the switching of the cultivation panel within the imaging field of view due to an increase in the exposed area, acquires the exposed area immediately after the switching of the cultivation panel as an initial value, acquires the exposed area immediately before the switching of the cultivation panel as a final value, and the estimation unit estimates information about the plant being grown based on the change between the initial value and the final value.

12. The plant management system according to claim 1, wherein the cultivation panel is suspended on a culture medium, the acquisition unit acquires information regarding the amount of sinking of the cultivation panel, and the estimation unit estimates information regarding the plant being grown by further considering the information regarding the amount of sinking.

13. A plant management method comprising the steps of: acquiring imaging data of cultivation panels installed on a cultivation shelf; acquiring information on the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels on which plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and estimating information on the plants being grown based on the information on the exposed area.

14. A program that causes a plant management system to perform the following steps: acquire imaging data of cultivation panels installed on cultivation shelves; acquire information regarding the exposed area of ​​the cultivation panels on which plants are being grown based on the imaging data; and estimate information regarding the plants being grown based on the information regarding the exposed area.

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