JP2024105010A - Work Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem in a conventional variable fertilizing rice-transplanter capable of changing a fertilizing amount which cannot well switch a fertilizing amount.SOLUTION: A work machine works and travels in a work site in accordance with a work instruction value and performs fertilization in accordance with: a satellite antenna receiving a satellite signal from a satellite; a satellite positioning module outputting positioning data corresponding to a self-vehicle position on the basis of the satellite signal; a storage part which stores a work plan map to which the work instruction value is inputted every zone divided into a mesh-state in association with the work site; and the work instruction value inputted to the zone corresponding to the self-vehicle position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a working machine, for example, a variable fertilizer rice transplanter that can change the amount of fertilizer applied.

A fertilization map creation system is known that creates a fertilization map that accurately identifies areas with good growth and shows the amount of basal fertilizer to be applied (Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-184640 A

However, such conventional techniques were unable to effectively adjust and switch the amount of fertilizer applied.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a work machine that can improve the accuracy of adjusting and switching the amount of fertilizer by using a fertilizer map.

The first aspect of the present invention is
A work machine that travels through a work site in accordance with a work instruction value,
a satellite antenna for receiving a satellite signal from a satellite;
a satellite positioning module that outputs positioning data corresponding to the vehicle's position based on the satellite signal;
a storage unit that stores a work plan map in which the work instruction values are input for each section that is divided into a mesh shape in association with the work site;
This is a work machine that performs fertilization work in accordance with the work instruction values inputted for the section corresponding to the vehicle position.

The second aspect of the present invention is
The slip is calculated based on the difference between the vehicle speed obtained from the satellite and the vehicle speed of the unit.
The amount of fertilizer applied is adjusted to the optimum amount based on the calculated degree of slippage.
2. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of fertilizer delivered from a section located just before the current section is changed in consideration of the vehicle speed and direction.

The third aspect of the present invention is
In addition to the fertilization work according to the work plan map,
3. The working machine according to claim 1 or 2, which detects the depth of cultivated soil in a farm field and the fertility of the soil in the farm field in real time, and performs fertilization work according to the detected values.

According to the present invention, the field can be mapped into a mesh and the amount of fertilizer applied can be adjusted for each mesh.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variable fertilization rice transplanter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (loading fertilization map) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (fertilization map confirmation) Management screen of the mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization setting) Management screen of the mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization setting) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work) Management screen of a mobile device in the above embodiment (creation of work record) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work performance) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work performance) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work performance) Management screen of a mobile terminal in the above embodiment (variable fertilization work performance) A flowchart showing how to read software in the embodiment. Screen of the remote control used for the robot rice transplanter in the above embodiment (part 1) Screen of the remote control used for the robot rice transplanter in the above embodiment (part 2) Screen of the remote control used for the robot rice transplanter in the above embodiment (part 3) Screen of the remote control used for the robot rice transplanter in the above embodiment (part 4)

The following describes in detail the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the variable fertilization rice transplanter according to the embodiment of the present invention and a mobile terminal 2 such as a tablet used therewith can communicate with each other, and the mobile terminal 2 has pre-installed software for using the fertilization map.

When the button 3 to start the software is tapped, the management screen 4 of the software is displayed on the display screen of the mobile device 2. Figure 19 shows the flow of loading the software. Files with the extensions ".shp", ".xml", and ".zip" are preferable for loading. This helps prevent operation errors. The same operation method can be used for any data extension.

Figure 2 shows the management screen 4. This management screen 4 displays a list 4a of information about each field, including at least the name of each field, the area of each field, and the distance from the current location of the machine to each field. For example, as shown in the figure, the name of field D, its area of 94.6a, and the distance from the current location of the machine 1 of 8.3m are displayed. Other fields displayed include C, B, L, P, etc.

The current location of the device 1 is detected by a GNSS device or the like provided on the device 1, and the current location data is constantly transmitted from the device 1 to the mobile terminal 2.

In addition, if the mobile terminal 2 is placed close to the device 1, the current location of the device 1 can be detected using the GNSS device that the mobile terminal 2 itself has.

On the other hand, the position of each field is stored in advance in the mobile terminal 2. If possible, it is desirable to store the distance to the center of the field. Since the fields are often adjacent to each other, it may be difficult to distinguish them if they are located at corner positions, but by using the center position as a reference, it is possible to reliably distinguish between the fields.

Furthermore, the way in which fields are displayed in the list 4a on the management screen 4 can be arbitrary, but for example, they can be automatically displayed from the top in order of proximity to the current location. Alternatively, by tapping the nearest field search icon 4b (nearest field button) provided on the management screen 4, it is possible to display the nearest field at the top.

The nearest field may be displayed in any manner that makes it distinct from the display parts of other fields, such as by making the display part of that field a different color from the display parts of other fields, or by blinking the field.

In the example in Figure 2, field D is the closest, so it is at the top and has a blue background to distinguish it from the display of the other fields.

In addition, before tapping the search icon 4b for the nearest field, you can move the machine 1 in front of the field you want to work in and tap it to make it easier to select the field.

In addition, by setting the top field in the list of each field as already specified by default, it is possible to prevent erroneous operations caused by forgetting to specify a field.

Next, for example, tap field D to select it, and then tap the confirm icon 4c on the management screen 4 in FIG. 2, which transitions to the screen shown in FIG. 3.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the field name, the planned fertilization map 4d of the field, the set fertilization amount value 4g, and the area of the field are displayed. In addition, the icon 4e (triangular arrow icon) of the current location of the device 1 is superimposed.

In addition, a current position correction means 4f that can correct the display of the current position of the device 1 is also displayed on the right side of the screen.

This current position correction means 4f has four arrow icons 4f1 indicating up, down, left, and right arranged in a cross shape, and the icon 4e of the machine 1 can be moved by tapping any of these arrows 4f1. For example, even if the machine 1 with the operator riding on it is currently located in the lower right corner of the field D, the icon 4e of the machine 1 may be displayed in a different position due to the accuracy of the GNSS device, etc.

In such cases, you can match them by tapping the arrow 4f1 in the direction you want to move in. Note that in this software, the data display on the map is moved to match them. The accuracy of the movement can be selected in units of 0.1m or 1m. You can also adjust the north axis by plus or minus 20m, and the east axis by plus or minus 20m. There is also a reset button that allows you to reset the correction.

The data in this fertilization map 4d is color-coded according to the amount of fertilizer set value 4g. In the figure, it is color-coded into five levels, with color 1 being 65, color 2 being 57, color 3 being 45, color 4 being 35, and color 5 being 32. The unit of amount here is kg/10a.

Furthermore, a color display section 4f2 is provided in the middle of the four cross-shaped arrows 4f1 of the current position correction means 4f described above. In FIG. 3, the color display section 4f2 is displayed in the color of stage 1, and the icon 4e of the device 1 is also displayed in its center.

In the case of Figure 3, the location of the icon 4e of the machine 1 on the fertilization map 4d on the left side is in a color-coded area with a single color step, so the color display area 4f2 on the right side is also colored in a single color step accordingly.

The effect is that although the fertilization map 4d is color-coded into five levels, the icon 4e of the main unit 1 may be located at the boundary, and it may be difficult to visually tell which level of area the icon 4e of the main unit 1 on the fertilization map 4d is in. However, by looking at the color of the color display section 4f2 on the right side, it becomes immediately clear which level of area it is in.

The color display area 4f2 is not limited to being located within the current position correction means 4f, but may be located in the vicinity of it. This is because when using the current position correction means 4f, it is easy to see where the current position of the device 1 is. Incidentally, in FIG. 3, the current position of the device 1 is located in the color area of stage 1.

Figure 4 shows that the current position of the machine 1 is in the color area of stage 2, Figure 5 shows that the current position of the machine 1 is in the color area of stage 3, Figure 6 shows that the current position of the machine 1 is in the color area of stage 4, Figure 7 shows that the current position of the machine 1 is in the color area of stage 5, and Figure 8 shows that the current position of the machine 1 is outside the area of the fertilization map 4d. For example, the color display area 4f2 is displayed in white.

Figure 9 is the variable fertilization setting screen. On this screen, it is possible to change the basic fertilizer application amount, specific gravity, trial feed amount, and fertilizer amount setting value. By tapping on this fertilizer amount setting value icon 4h, it can be enlarged for editing (Figure 10). By pressing the initial value button on the enlarged screen, the setting value can also be reset to the value at the time the fertilization map data was loaded. It can be changed during operation. Setting values 1 to 5 can each be changed independently.

In the screen in Figure 9, tapping the "Back" icon will transition to the original fertilization map loading screen. In this case, any file data loaded up to that point will be deleted. This prevents the device from slowing down if the map data is kept.

Figure 11 is a screen that displays the basic fertilizer application rate, specific gravity, trial feed rate, and fertilizer application rate setting value for the above fertilizer during operation. On this screen, 4i is a graph of the fertilizer application rate over time, and the fertilizer application rate at each location is displayed as the machine 1 moves. The fertilizer application rate corresponds to the shutter opening of the fertilizer applicator. This allows you to check that the variable fertilizer application operation is working properly during operation. A fertilizer application map and the position of the machine 1 are displayed on the right. At the start, the speed is slow, so the amount of fertilizer application is small. 4j displays the corrected fertilizer application rate as a percentage.

Figure 12 shows the case where the fertilizer application amount has been corrected and the machine 1 is in the corrected area, with the correction percentage being 10%. Tapping the interruption icon 4k in Figure 12 will take you to the screen in Figure 13.

In the screen in Figure 13, the display of the basic fertilizer amount, trial feed amount, and fertilizer amount setting is in an inactive state and cannot be changed. 4m is the resume icon.

The screen in Figure 14 is the screen for creating work records. After editing the field name, you can enter the herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, number of seedlings used, and notes, and record them as work records.

The screen in Figure 15 is the work results screen, displaying the field, fertilization settings, work notes, etc. 4n is a fertilizer amount map showing the results. Since this actual fertilization map was able to increase or decrease the amount of fertilizer applied by the machine 1 during work, and does not follow the set value when the map was loaded, the actual fertilization amount is divided into five levels from minimum to maximum, and the fertilization results are remapped and displayed as an image in heat map format (which has a higher resolution than the planned fertilization map and is displayed in a single color gradation). This allows for a more intuitive understanding of the work results.

In Figure 16, 4p shows the planned fertilization map, and on the right side are the work performance maps displayed in heat map format. Each work performance map shows the correction percentage of the fertilizer amount. The correction percentage is a percentage of the overall average. Tapping will enlarge the display (see Figure 17).

In addition, by tapping the switch selection 4q on the screen of Figure 15, it is possible to switch to the display of the planning map (Figure 18). By tapping the map output icon 4r on the screen of Figure 15, fertilization map data can be created from the fertilizer amount setting values, written in ISOxml format, and saved on the terminal.

Next, we will explain the inventions related to this invention.

Figure 20 shows the screen 10 of the remote control used for the robotic rice transplanter. That is, when the robotic rice transplanter makes a round trip to plant, it always stops after each round trip, and remote control operation is required. However, in the case of dense sowing mats or small fields, material replenishment is not always required at the edge of the field, and remote control operation becomes cumbersome. Therefore, it is possible to set the timing of stopping as desired. That is, for example, when it is set not to stop at a certain replenishment step, the step 10b to be skipped is displayed in a specific color, and a replenishment skip icon 10a is displayed. From the step diagram, it is possible to know whether the robotic rice transplanter will stop at the next replenishment timing.

A screen is provided that allows the timing of such replenishment processes to be changed using the remote control settings. This is shown in Figure 21. In Figure 21, it is set to stop every replenishment 10c. On a round trip, it is necessary to stop at the replenishment ridge every time, and replenish and start automatic driving again by operating the remote control.

Figure 22 shows the screen when the resupply process is set to 10d per resupply. During a round trip, it is necessary to pause every two round trips at the resupply ridge and use the remote control to resupply and start automatic travel. If it is clear that the rice transplanter will not need to resupply materials for more than two round trips, the number of remote control operations can be significantly reduced.

In Figure 23, a supply skip 10e can be set for a round trip. In that case, only the next supply trip in the round trip is skipped, and the setting is switched to stop supplying every time thereafter.

We will further explain inventions related to this invention.

When applying fertilizer, it is desirable to combine the use of fertilizer maps with the practice of adjusting fertilizer application in real time. In other words, the results of field trials show that fertilizer maps based on satellite images provided by cultivation management services tend not to reflect the impact of soil depth on crops. In areas with a large soil depth, crops tend to locate, so real-time adjustments mean that fertilizer application is being significantly reduced.

Therefore, it is desirable to reduce fertilizer (real-time variable) if the cultivated soil depth is equal to or greater than the teaching average value + standard deviation, and to use map-linked variable fertilization in other cases. This makes it possible to incorporate the effects of cultivated soil depth into map-linked variable fertilization based on satellite images.

In other words, fertilization maps based on satellite images reflect the shade of vegetation in past cultivation. However, because the cultivated soil depth changes depending on plowing and puddling after the previous harvest, the effects of cultivated soil depth are not reflected in fertilization maps based on satellite images. For example, there are known cases where the cultivated soil depth in the same field has changed by more than 3 cm from the previous year.

Real-time variable fertilization measures the average and standard deviation of SFV (fertility value) and cultivated soil depth through teaching at the start of work, and performs variable fertilization based on the results. However, if these samples are far removed from the characteristics of the population (the entire field), variable fertilization cannot be performed correctly. The current real-time variable fertilization system sets a lower limit for the standard deviation, and if the measured standard deviation is below this lower limit, it is overwritten with the lower limit.

If, after variable fertilization teaching, the standard deviation of the measured SFV is less than the threshold value, real-time variable fertilization is not performed as a teaching failure, and map-linked variable fertilization is performed.

If, after variable fertilization teaching, the standard deviation of the measured soil depth is less than the threshold value, the teaching is considered a failure and real-time variable fertilization is not performed, but map-linked variable fertilization is performed.

In the above configuration, if map-linked variable fertilization is performed due to a teaching failure, a message to that effect is displayed on the meter panel and tablet. Also, if the positioning quality deteriorates during map-linked variable fertilization, the system switches to real-time variable fertilization. In this configuration, if the positioning quality recovers, the system switches back to map-linked variable fertilization.

If the current position moves outside the range of the field defined by the map during map-linked variable fertilization, it will switch to real-time variable fertilization. If the current position returns to within the range of the field defined by the map, it will switch to map-based variable fertilization.

If the trends of soil fertility on the map for the current location and fertility measured by real-time sensing match, variable fertilization is performed, and if the trends do not match, variable fertilization is not performed and fertilization is performed at the basic fertilization amount. For example, when the map soil fertility is high and the real-time fertility is high, the amount of fertilization is reduced, and when the map soil fertility is high and the real-time fertility is low, the basic fertilization amount is used.

Operators can choose on the tablet app whether to use real-time variable fertilization or map-linked variable fertilization.

During automatic teaching of real-time variable fertilization, planting work is being carried out, but variable fertilization is not carried out because teaching data has not yet been acquired. During automatic teaching of real-time variable fertilization, map-linked variable fertilization is carried out.

When the machine slips, the amount of fertilizer spread on the field can be inappropriate. Therefore, the amount of slip is calculated based on the difference between the vehicle speed obtained from the satellite and the machine's own vehicle speed. The machine's own vehicle speed is obtained from the wheels. The amount of fertilizer applied is adjusted to be optimal based on the calculated degree of slip. In other words, this solves the problem of fertilizer being applied even when the wheels are slipping and the machine is not moving forward.

Taking into account the vehicle speed and direction, the amount of fertilizer dispensed can be changed from the current section to a different section. This makes it possible to predict the timing for the change in fertilizer amount and adjust the amount dispensed.

In addition, when working across an area of, say, 5m square with different application rates, the amount can be automatically adjusted to the average amount calculated for 8 rows. This means that the optimal amount of fertilizer can be automatically calculated and applied.

It may also be possible to configure it to take into account the time lag between when the fertilizer is actually applied from the delivery section to the field.

It is also possible to configure the system so that variable fertilization amounts (fertilization maps) can be set for fields registered in the system, and the cloud and the direct communication unit on the rice transplanter can work together to receive the fertilization maps and perform variable fertilization. This makes it possible to set even more precise fertilization amounts within a single field, reducing uneven growth and improving yields and quality.

For example, mesh map data from a combine harvester can be used to check the taste and yield of the field from the previous year, allowing you to narrow down areas where fertilization is insufficient.

Map data can also be imported from a tablet app.

The blower's air volume can also be adjusted. When the planting section is not on the ground, there is less risk of fertilizer clogging, so the blower is stopped. The adjustment is performed automatically, detecting the amount of fertilizer remaining in the hopper when it is discharged, and changing the air volume according to the amount remaining. Since the remaining amount tends to decrease differently for each row, it is set to detect each row. The adjustment can also be configured to be performed automatically based on the specific gravity of the fertilizer calculated by trial dispensing.

A fertilizer applicator equipped with an electric fertilizer amount adjustment may be configured to correct the current fertilizer opening for each specified vehicle speed (0.08 m/s).

Aircraft speed A is the antenna speed sampled for a certain period of time and filtered using a low-pass filter. The further the main shift lever is tilted forward, the shorter the sampling time interval is. It may also be possible to configure the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter to be smaller as the set value is increased.

If the slip ratio standard correction after calibration is below a certain value, in other words, if the rear wheel rotational speed is much slower than the GNSS vehicle speed, it is deemed a calibration error and no correction is made. The slip ratio during driving when there is no slip while driving on the road is calculated, and calibration is performed to correct the slip ratio standard. If the slip ratio standard correction after calibration is above a certain value, the driver may be notified that the rear wheels are worn.

It may also be equipped with an electric fertilizer adjustment function and an LCD monitor that allows settings to be changed.

This invention is ideal for variable fertilization rice transplanters that can effectively use fertilization map data for multiple fields.

1 This unit 2 Mobile terminal 3 Start button 4 Management screen 4a List 4b Search icon 4c Confirmation icon 4d Planned fertilization map 4e This unit's current location icon 4f Current location correction means 4f1 Correction arrow 4f2 Color display area 4g Fertilizer amount setting value 4h Change setting icon for fertilizer amount setting value 4i Fertilizer amount time series graph 4j Fertilizer amount correction %
4k Pause icon 4m Resume icon 4n Fertilizer amount map (actual results)
4p Planned fertilization map 4q Switching selection icon 4r Map output icon 10 Remote control screen 10a Supply skip icon 10b Path 10c Stop supplying every time 10d Skip supplying once 10e Supply skip

Claims (3)

A work machine that travels through a work site in accordance with a work instruction value,
a satellite antenna for receiving a satellite signal from a satellite;
a satellite positioning module that outputs positioning data corresponding to the vehicle's position based on the satellite signal;
a storage unit that stores a work plan map in which the work instruction values are input for each section that is divided into a mesh shape in association with the work site;
A work machine that performs fertilization work in accordance with the work instruction values inputted for the section corresponding to the vehicle position. The slip is calculated based on the difference between the vehicle speed obtained from the satellite and the vehicle speed of the unit.
The amount of fertilizer applied is adjusted to the optimum amount based on the calculated degree of slippage.
2. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of fertilizer fed from a point just before a section different from the current section is changed in consideration of the vehicle speed and direction. In addition to the fertilization work according to the work plan map,
3. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein the depth of cultivated soil in a farm field and the fertility of the soil are detected in real time, and fertilization is carried out in accordance with the detected values.