JP2006107087A - Forest resource distribution system and work machine used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new forest resource distribution system properly supplying forest resources including a log or forest remaining wood to demand to realize unwasted and efficient distribution of the forest resources, and to provide a working machine used therefor. <P>SOLUTION: This forest resource distribution system has: the working machine 10 having a GPS device 1 calculating a present position on the basis of a signal from a GPS satellite 75, a working tool cutting a tree to produce the log, a CPU 9 calculating lumber production information including volume of the remaining wood and the log produced by the working tool, and a memory 8 storing calculation results of the CPU 9 and the GPS device 1; a base station c having a CPU 55 receiving operation data including the lumber production information and position information of the working machine 10, managing an operation situation of the working machine 10 and preparing a work plan, and a base station computer 50 having a database 53 storing the work plan prepared by the CPU 55 and the operation data received by the CPU 55; and communication devices 6, 52 transmitting the work plan and the operation data between the base station c and the working machine 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a forest resource distribution system that distributes forest resources including logs that become timber and the like in the forest and forest land residual materials that become biomass resources and the like, and a work machine used therefor.

  Logs obtained by cutting and timber cutting lumber at the forest land are generally sold at the lumber market, then transported to the lumber mill, processed at the lumber mill, and distributed to timber shops and construction shops. . In such a log distribution channel, logs that have been logged in a pre-certified forest will be given a certification display that includes information including the source, etc., at the log market and sawmill to manage the subsequent log distribution. Those are known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-330998 A

  However, in the above prior art, since the log displayed for the first time in the log market is sent to the log conveyed from the certified forest, the data such as the quantity of the log is unknown before passing through the log market. In other words, although the number of logs that have passed through the log market can be grasped, it is difficult to grasp exactly how many logs were produced in the forest with the above-mentioned conventional technology, and it takes a lot of manual labor to grasp. Cost. Since the log demand in each distribution channel is not always constant, it is difficult to supply logs accurately with respect to the demand and to achieve efficient distribution without waste. In addition, it leads to cutting down the sawn logs in the forest without knowing the exact demand, and there are still problems in the environment.

  In addition, the distribution system for the remaining forest land that is left in the forest without being normally used, such as the branches that are generated when the lumber is cut off during lumbering and the thinning that occurs during thinning, is still established. It has not been.

  The present invention has been made based on the above, and is a novel forest capable of accurately supplying forest resources including logs and remaining forest land to demand and realizing efficient forest resource distribution without waste. An object is to provide a resource distribution system and a work machine used therefor.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first invention is a machine for processing trees in a forest, and is a current position calculation means for calculating a current position based on a signal from a GPS satellite; Work tool to be manufactured, lumber information calculating means for calculating the lumber information including the volume of logs and remaining material manufactured by the work tool, and the calculation results of the lumber information calculating means and the current position calculating means are stored. A working machine having storage means for operating, operating means for receiving operating data including position information and lumbering information of the working machine and managing the operating status of the working machine, and storing operating data received by the operating means And a base station having a base station computer having storage means, and information transmission means for transmitting the operation data and work plan between the base station and the work machine. .

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the base station computer receives the operation data including the position information and the lumbering information of the work machine and manages the operation state of the work machine by the arithmetic means. A subsequent work plan of the work machine is created, and the created work plan is stored in the storage unit together with the received operation data.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the work tool includes a diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of a log to be manufactured, and a length measuring means for measuring the length of the log. The material information calculating means calculates the volume and quantity of the log based on the detection signals of the diameter measuring means and the length measuring means.

  In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the working tool further includes weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the log to be formed, and the material information calculating means calculates the weight detected by the weight measuring means. Based on the volume of the log, the moisture content of the log is calculated as the lumbering information.

  According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the lumber information calculation means is based on the calculated log volume and the volume ratio of the log and the remaining material peculiar to the tree species. The volume of is calculated.

  In a sixth aspect based on any one of the first to fifth aspects, the information transmission means is provided in the work machine and the base station computer, and the information stored in the storage means of the work machine and the base station computer. It is the communication means which mutually transmits / receives, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a seventh invention, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, the information transmission means is provided in the work machine, and the information stored in the storage means of the work machine can be recorded at least on a storage medium. Means, a storage medium storing the storage information of the storage means recorded by the recording means, and a reading means provided in the base station computer and capable of reading at least the information stored in the storage medium. It is characterized by.

  In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the information transmission means is provided in an office near the work site of the work machine, and has communication means capable of communicating information with the base station computer. An office computer capable of transmitting information to and from the work machine via the storage medium is included.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the computing means of the base station computer, when the stock quantity of logs or remaining materials at a single lumbering site is less than customer requirements, Based on the results of this calculation, we can calculate the optimal transportation routes to the customer facilities via the multiple lumbering sites and the multiple lumbering sites that satisfy the customer's requirements. A work plan for a transport vehicle that transports logs or remaining materials to a customer facility is created.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a working machine for processing trees in a forest, which is used in a forest resource distribution system for distributing forest resources, a current position calculation means for calculating a current position based on a signal from a GPS satellite, and a tree Work tool for producing logs by manufacturing lumber, construction material information computing means for computing construction material information including the volume of logs and remaining material produced by the work tool, construction material information computing means, and current position computing means Storage means for storing the result of the calculation.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically and easily grasp the amount of logs and residual materials generated in the forest at the time of lumbering, so that forest resources including logs and residual forest land can be supplied accurately to demand. It is possible to realize efficient distribution of forest resources without waste.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the forest resource distribution system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a forest resource distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a work machine deployed in the ground a. In this embodiment, the work machine 10 cuts a tree in a forest, branches the tree, and uses its trunk as a timber or the like. As a log to be produced, the branches and strips that have been debranched are manufactured as a remaining material that becomes a biomass resource. Of course, it is used not only for the purpose of manufacturing logs, but also when cutting surplus trees for so-called thinning.

  The manufactured logs and remaining materials are transported to the customer facility b by transport vehicles 20 and 30 described later. The customer facility b that accepts the log is, for example, a lumber purchaser or processor such as a sawmill, lumber shop, construction shop, or house maker, and the customer facility b that accepts the remaining material is a wood chip manufacturer, thermal power plant, compost center, etc. Representatives are those who use or sell biomass resources as fuel or fertilizer, such as gardeners. In a thermal power plant or the like, the consumption of fossil fuel is reduced by co-firing wood chips obtained by refining the remaining material together with fossil fuel, for example.

  In addition, the biomass resource said here is, for example, thinning materials generated by thinning operations in forests, branches and branching generated by tree cutting or cutting of building materials (main cutting), and tree roots (stumps) Conventionally, it is a collective term for the remaining forest land that has been left in the forest with almost no use.

  The illustrated working machine 10 is configured such that an upper swing body 12 is turnable with respect to a lower traveling body 11, and a work device 16 including a boom 13, an arm 14, and a work tool 15 is attached to the upper swing body 12. Has been. The work tool 15 cuts trees to produce logs and remaining materials. The work machine 10 can be a processor or a harvester, or a forestry machine equipped with an external log attachment function attached to a grapple machine with a chain saw as a work tool 15, but in this embodiment, A work machine equipped with a processor will be described as a representative example of the work machine 10.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the work tool 15.
In FIG. 2, a weight sensor 101 is provided on the attachment portion 100 for the arm 14 of the work tool 15. The weight sensor 101 detects the weight of the work tool 15 itself and the weight of a log or the like gripped by the work tool 15. A work tool main body 103 is suspended from the weight sensor 101 via a support member 102.

  A pair of grapple arms 104 are rotatably supported on the work tool main body 103, and the grapple arms 104 are rotationally driven by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) to hold a log or the like between the pair of grapple arms 104. In the present embodiment, an angle sensor 105 is provided at the rotation fulcrum portion of the grapple arm 104, and the angle sensor 105 has a rotation angle of the grapple arm 104 as a value converted into the diameter of the gripped log. Is detected. The detection signal of the angle sensor 105 is output to a CPU 9 described later, and the CPU 9 calculates the diameter of the gripped log based on this detection signal. The angle sensor 105 functions as a diameter measuring unit that measures the diameter of a log to be manufactured. As a function that performs the same function, a stroke sensor of a hydraulic cylinder that rotationally drives the grapple arm 104 may be used.

  The work tool main body 103 is provided with a chainsaw 106 for cutting the grasped log. The chain saw 106 is normally housed in the work tool main body 103, but rotates around one end to cut the log gripped by the grapple arm 104. At this time, the work tool body 103 and the grapple arm 104 are provided with a feeding device 107 for transferring the gripped logs, and the gripped logs are transferred by the feeding device 107 in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the figure, When the logs are cut by the chainsaw 106 after being transported by a certain distance, logs having a certain length are sawn.

  The log feed amount (that is, the length of the log to be sawn) by the material feeder 107 is measured by the length measuring device 108. The length measuring device 108 is connected to a support roller of the material feeding device 107, for example, and is configured to measure the rotation speed (or pulse) thereof. The detection signal of the length measuring device 108 is output to a CPU 9 which will be described later, and the CPU 9 calculates the length of the log based on the detection signal from the length measuring device 108. Strictly speaking, when the CPU 9 sends a log by a set feed amount, the CPU 9 temporarily stops the feeding device 107 and controls the operation of the work tool 15 to drive the chainsaw 106 to cut the log.

  The work tool body 103 and the grapple arm 104 are respectively provided with cutters 109 and 110 for removing logs. The cutter 109 is fixed to the work tool main body 103, and the cutter 110 is attached so as to be rotationally driven with respect to the grapple arm 110 with a pin 111 as a fulcrum. These cutters 109 and 110 are both provided on the upstream side in the log transport direction by the material feeding device 107, and are configured to cover the outer periphery of the log gripped by the grapple arm 104. The log branches are cut by the cutters 109 and 110 when the is transferred. If the two cutters 110 are insufficient for the drive type cutter that rotates and contacts the outer peripheral portion of the log, a drive type cutter may be additionally provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing logs and remaining materials.
First, the work tool 15 grips the root portion of the raw wood W1, cuts it at the C1 portion, and measures the diameter R1 at the C1 portion. Then, using this C1 portion as the starting point of the log E1, the raw material W1 is transferred by the feeding device 107 until the detection value of the length measuring device 108 reaches the set length L, and cut at the C2 portion to obtain the diameter R2 at the C2 portion. measure. Thereafter, similarly, the log W1 is transferred by a set distance L, and is cut while being cut by the chain saw 106, and the diameters R3 to R5 at both ends C3 to C5 are measured. When it is confirmed that a log having the tip length L cannot be obtained after cutting at C5, the wood log W1 is continuously fed by the feeding device 107 and passed through the grapple arm 104. As a result, the ends G1 and G2 of the raw wood W1 are cut off, and the portions useful as the middle timber are obtained as logs E1 to E4. The cut ends G1, G2 and branches B are used as biomass resources. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 3, in the case of thinning materials generated by thinning work performed for the purpose of thinning out for environmental conservation of the forest, the whole can be used as biomass resources, and can be used for pulp and agricultural materials ( It can also be used as compost or bedding.

Here, typical volume formulas for calculating the volume (log volume) of logs are the following so-called central cross-section formula (Hoover formula), average cross-section formula (Smarian formula), and end-square method (Japanese Agricultural Standard). is there.
(A) Central sectional formula V = g × l
V is the material volume, g is the cross-sectional area at the center of the log, and l is the length of the log.
(B) Average sectional formula V = (g1 + g2) × l / 2
V is the material volume, g1 and g2 are the cross-sectional areas of the original and end of the log, and l is the length of the log.
(C) End-square method i) When length is less than 6 m V = d ² × 1/10000
ii) When length is 6 m or more V = {d + (l′−4) / 2} ² × 1/10000
V is the volume of material (m ³ units), d is the end diameter (cm units), l and l ′ are the log lengths (m units, but rounded down to the nearest decimal place in the case of l ′).

If the volume of the logs E1 to E4 in FIG. 3 is calculated by, for example, an average cross section, the volume V _{E1 of the} log E1 is, for example, the diameter of the original mouth is R1 and the diameter of the end mouth is R2.
V _E1 = 1 / 8π (R1 ² + R2 ² )
Is required. Therefore, the total volume V _S of the logs E1 to E4 is
V _S = V _E1 + V _E2 + V _E3 + V _E4
Is required.

Further, the volume V _B of the branch _B and the volume V _G of the end material _G are:
V _B = α _B × V _S
V _G = α _G × V _S
Each is required. Here, α _B is the branching rate, α _G is the end material rate, and the rate (volume ratio) at which the branch B and end material G are generated with respect to the trunk (total volume V _S ) is almost constant peculiar to the tree species. It is a constant that uses the fact that it shows the correct value. For example, in the cedar experiment, α _B = 0.12 and α _G = 0.25 are obtained.

  Returning to FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a transport vehicle that loads forest resources (logs and biomass resources) accumulated at a predetermined location in the forest by the work machine 10 and transports the loaded biomass resources to a predetermined customer facility b outside the forest. As an example of this transport vehicle 20, for example, a crawler carrier having an endless track crawler belt 21 suitable for traveling on sloping ground, rough terrain, soft ground and the like can be cited.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes a transport vehicle that transports forest resources from the land a to the customer facility b. However, it is not necessary to use the transport vehicle 20, for example, when transporting forest resources to the customer facility b through a general road or the like. . Examples of the transport vehicle 30 include a truck and a trailer.

  Although details will be described later, the operating status of the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 is managed by a base station computer 50 installed in the base station c. The base station computer 50 is connected to a computer 70 installed in the customer facility b, a detailed map data database 72 installed in a prefectural office, etc. via a network line (public line or dedicated line) 73. Is possible. The base station computer 50 can communicate with the work machine 10, the transport vehicles 20, 30 and the like via a communication line using the communication satellite 74. The base station c is operated by, for example, an organization that manages forests. An example is an organization such as a forestry association, but it is also conceivable that not only a single organization but also a plurality of forestry associations or individual forest owners who are not affiliated with the association are jointly operated.

  The work machine 10, the transport vehicles 20, 30 and the like are provided with GPS devices 1, 31 (see FIG. 4) as current position calculation means, and the current positions of the work machine 10, the transport vehicles 20, 30 are The GPS devices 1 and 31 mounted on the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 are calculated based on the received signals from the GPS satellites 75, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the forest resource distribution system of FIG. 1, and parts similar to those in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the work machine 10 includes the GPS device 1, the GPS antenna 2 connected to the GPS device 1, the angle sensor 105, the length measuring device 108, and operation data. Communication with the controller 4 that performs calculation of various data and command signals and storage of calculation results, and the display device 5 that is provided with an input unit that displays the calculation results of the controller 4 and performs input operations as necessary. A communication antenna 7 for transmitting / receiving data via the satellite 74 and a communication device 6 for inputting / outputting data via the communication antenna 7 are provided. The controller 4 includes at least a CPU 9 that is a calculation means and a memory 8 that is a storage means.

  The GPS device 1 is a current position measuring device, receives a signal given from at least one GPS satellite 75 via the GPS antenna 2, and calculates a current position based on the signal. The calculation of the current position is performed at a set time interval according to the measurement time of the built-in timer. The calculation result (current position data) calculated by the GPS device 1 is transmitted to the controller 4 and stored in the memory 8 built in the controller 4 together with the measurement date / time data and the machine ID data. The controller 4 further sets the current position, measurement date / time data, and machine ID data to the base station computer 50 via the communication device 6 based on the measurement time of a built-in timer (not shown). Send with.

  The CPU 9 generates command signals to the lower traveling body 11, the upper swing body 12, the work device 16 and the like based on an operation signal from an operation means (not shown) and a previously stored program, and is manufactured by the work tool 15. It functions as a lumber information calculation means for calculating lumber information including the volume of the log and the remaining material. As described above, during the lumbering operation, detection signals from the angle sensor 105 and the length measuring device 108 are input to the CPU 9, and the diameter of the log gripped by the grapple arm 104 based on the detection signals from the angle sensor 105 is determined. Based on the detection signal from the length measuring device 108, the length of the log to be formed is calculated, and the volume of the log and the remaining material is calculated as described above. Further, as described above, the work tool 15 transfers the log gripped by the grapple arm 104 while measuring the set length and cuts it by the chain saw 106. The CPU 9 is responsible for this control, and the log produced at that time is processed. The quantity (number) of is also counted. These calculation results (the lumbering information, that is, the volume and quantity of logs, and the volume of the remaining material) are sequentially stored in the memory 8 together with the tree species information of the lumber that has been lumbered. The lumbering information and tree species information stored in the memory 8 is transmitted to the base station computer 50 through the communication device 6 together with the current position information and the like.

  The transport vehicles 20 and 30 include a GPS device 31, a GPS antenna 22 connected to the GPS device 31, a sensor 23 that detects the weight of the loaded forest resource, various data including operation data, and command signals. Data is transmitted via a communication satellite 74 and a display device 25 provided with a controller 24 that stores computations and computation results, the computation results of the controller 24, and an input unit that performs input operations as necessary. And a communication device 26 for inputting and outputting data via the communication antenna 27. The controller 24 includes at least a CPU 29 that is a calculation unit and a memory 28 that is a storage unit.

  The GPS device 31 is a current position measuring device that receives a signal given from at least one GPS satellite 75 via the GPS antenna 22 and calculates a current position based on the signal. The calculation of the current position is performed at a set time interval according to the measurement time of the built-in timer. The current position data calculated by the GPS device 31 is transmitted to the controller 24 and stored in the memory 28 built in the controller 4 together with the measurement date / time data and the machine ID data. The controller 24 transmits the current position, measurement date / time data, and machine ID data to the base station computer 50 via the communication device 6 at a set time interval based on the measurement time of a built-in timer (not shown). To do.

  The CPU 29 generates a command signal for a traveling system, a loading platform and the like based on an operation signal from an operating means (not shown) and a program stored in advance, and calculates the weight of the forest resources loaded on the loading platform. The calculation of the weight of the forest resource is performed based on the detection signal of the sensor 23 provided on the loading platform. The calculation results are sequentially stored in the memory 28. The weight data of the forest resources stored in the memory 28 is transmitted to the base station computer 50 through the communication device 26 together with the current position information and the like.

  On the other hand, the base station c includes a base station computer 50, a communication antenna 51 that transmits and receives data between the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 via the communication satellite 74, and a communication antenna 51. A communication device 52 that processes data to be transmitted and received and a database 53 that stores various data calculated by the base station computer 50 are provided.

  The base station computer 50 includes an input device 54 for operation input by an operator, a CPU 55 that performs predetermined arithmetic processing based on signals input via the input device 54 and the communication device 52, and an input device 54. Are provided with a display device 56 that displays a calculation result by the CPU 55 based on a display signal calculated by the CPU 55 in response to an operation input from the I / O 57, and an I / O 57 that is an interface to the network line 73.

  The base station computer 50 receives the operation data including the current position information, the lumber information, the loaded weight and the like from the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 transmitted at a set time interval via the communication device 52 and stores the data. Store and manage (not shown). Based on this input data, the operation status of the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 is calculated by the CPU 55 to create a subsequent work plan. The created work plan is stored in the memory. And CPU55 memorize | stores the operation data from the working machine 10 and the conveyance vehicles 20 and 30 which were stored in memory, and the created work plan in the database 53 at the set time interval.

  At this time, the CPU 55 of the base station computer 50 can provide each stock quantity that can be provided when the stock quantity of logs or remaining material of a single lumbering site (land) does not satisfy the requirements of the customer (customer facility, etc.). Are combined to determine the optimal transport route to the customer facility via the multiple lumbering sites that satisfy the customer's requirements, and based on the results, logs or residual materials are found at the customer facility. Has a function of creating a work plan for the transport vehicle 20 or 30 that transports the vehicle. Then, the CPU 55 stores the created work plan in the database 53 as described above, and outputs it to the transport vehicle 20 or 30 to which the work is assigned.

  Further, as described above, the base station computer 50 can be connected to the customer computer 70 at the customer facility b via the network line 73 and can receive an order from a customer online. At this time, the customer can access the base station computer 50 via the network line 73 to check the log and remaining material distribution information grasped by the base station c.

  The base station computer 50 can be connected to a map database 72 installed in a prefectural office or the like via a network line 73. In the base station c, the work plan of the work machine 10 in the land a is executed by the base station computer 50 based on the order data from the customer and the forest work map data obtained from the map database 72 and the thinning work plan including thinning. And the plan of the conveyance work of the conveyance vehicles 20 and 30 accompanying the work plan of this work machine 10 is created. The created work plan is appropriately transmitted to the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 via the communication device 52 and the communication satellite 74. These work plan data are preliminarily determined in accordance with the amount of work and work capacity of various sites, for example, the next day, the next week, or the month, day, month, day, month, day, and so on. 30.

  In the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30, the received work plan data is input to the controllers 4 and 24 via the communication devices 6 and 26 and stored in the memories 8 and 28, respectively. The CPUs 9 and 29 display the stored work plan data on the display devices 5 and 25 according to the operation of the operator. At this time, in order to ensure the transmission of work instructions to the operator, the work plan data has been received visually or audibly to the operator when the work plan data is received (or during unconfirmed after receiving). It is also conceivable to notify the operator. Then, the operator confirms these work plans and appropriately operates the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 to advance the work.

  As described above, in the forest resource distribution system of the present embodiment, the base station computer 50 is used, and the logistics are managed and supported by the procedure shown in FIG. 5, for example, although not necessarily limited to the following order. To do. That is, the data from the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 constituting the distribution system are input, and the work progress of the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 is calculated based on these work data, Data is aggregated and stored in the database 53. If necessary, a daily report for the set period is created based on this aggregated data. On the other hand, after confirming the order from each customer facility, based on this order data, the work plan should be considered in consideration of the detailed map data of the forest obtained from the map database 72 of the prefectural offices and the thinning plan including the thinning. The work plan data is transmitted to the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 and the work of the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30 is instructed in advance, and logs and remaining materials are transported to the customer facility b. To do.

  According to the present embodiment described above, by repeating the above procedure every day, the volume and quantity of logs and remaining materials are automatically tabulated as the work of the work machine 10 progresses in the forest. In addition, the base station c and the customer facility b can accurately and easily grasp the volume and quantity of the remaining material, the work progress of the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30, and the work progress and inventory. In consideration of the management data, it is possible to make a work plan according to the order received from the customer and give an accurate work instruction to the work machine 10 and the transport vehicles 20 and 30. Therefore, it is possible to supply logs and remaining materials accurately with respect to the demand for logs and remaining materials (order amount for each customer facility b) in each distribution route, and to achieve efficient distribution without waste. In addition, since the amount of demand can be accurately grasped, it is possible to prevent more than necessary cutting of trees in the forest, and a great contribution to the environment can be expected.

  In addition, the remaining materials such as branches and thinned wood that are generated when pruning raw logs can be accurately supplied to demand by grasping the volume, and left in the forest without being generally used so far. It is also a great advantage to be able to use the remaining material as forest biomass resources for effective use.

  In addition, generally logs that have been sawn are primarily stored in a collection place such as a ground, and then trucked from the primary storage place to the log market in accordance with the time when the log market is held. In this case, the transportation plan is usually inefficient because it is usually confirmed that the storage situation is confirmed on site and then transferred to the truck arrangement. Also in this regard, according to the present embodiment, since logs and remaining materials are quantitatively grasped from the generation stage, the transportation plan can be facilitated, and in some cases, the customer is not required to go through the log market. It is also possible to transport forest resources directly to the facility.

  Here, the remaining wood that is inappropriate for sawing is part of a single tree, so the amount generated per tree is small, and so far it has been scattered extensively in the forest, so let's collect it as a biomass resource. In addition, a great amount of labor and time are required, and an extremely large collection cost is required. In recent years, the ratio of imported timber to timber has increased, partly because it can accept large orders overseas. The amount of purchase and purchase through the Japanese forestry association and log market is limited, and in order for large housing manufacturers to purchase a large amount of domestic timber, complicated setup through multiple buyers is required, which is troublesome. The supply tends to be unstable. Therefore, we will rely on Europe and the United States, which can handle large orders.

  In contrast to this situation, if the forest resource distribution system of the present invention is used, it is possible to centrally manage the work situation in the national land using the information network at the base station. Forest resources can be distributed accurately from the right place according to the requirements of the company. As a result, stable log supply, shortened product delivery times, and reduced distribution costs can be realized. Another advantage is that logs can be transported in response to orders from customer facilities without necessarily going through the log market. In this way, the domestic timber business is expanded and activated by expanding the scale of market handling throughout the country. In addition, the residual material generated incidentally can be smoothly put on the distribution route without waste, so there is a great expectation for promoting the use of biomass resources. Of course, this system can be applied not only in Japan but also overseas.

  As a form of such forest resource distribution business, it is conceivable that an order is made from an individual customer facility b to a base station c as described above, and the base station c responds individually. For example, if the customer facility b is a facility that requires a certain amount of material every day such as a biomass resource utilization facility (for example, a boiler facility or a thermal power generation facility), this business form can be applied. In addition, an auction-type business form via an information communication network can be realized instead of a log auction performed between an unspecified number of customer facilities b in the log market and the like. In this case, employees of the customer facility b do not need to go to the log market for auction.

  In addition, the land in the forest is often narrow, and if the remaining material due to sawing accumulates, a working place cannot be secured. Conventionally, for example, it has been dropped to the bottom of the valley, or since there is no demand, it is once recovered and then returned to the forest. Such work is not only wasteful, but a large amount of residual material is left in the forest, which adversely affects the forest environment. To deal with such problems, it is possible to accurately grasp and manage the amount and location of residual materials that are highly expected as forest biomass resources to be used for energy sources and fertilizers in the future, and smoothly put them on the distribution route. Therefore, it greatly contributes to the environmental improvement of forest, contribution to energy problems, and effective use as fertilizer.

  In addition, when the purpose is to distribute the remaining wood simply as a biomass resource, it is usually necessary to construct a forest road for that purpose. However, in general, when a tree is felled as a building material, a forest road for transporting the felled building material out of the forest is constructed. In the present embodiment, when the remaining forest land is distributed, the existing forest road for distribution of building materials can be used. Thus, according to the present embodiment, there is no need to install special equipment in the forest in order to distribute the remaining material. It is also a great merit that the impact on the ecosystem can be minimized.

  In addition, since the base station can centrally grasp the amount of log lumber and the amount of residual material generated at each land in the forest under management, as shown in FIG. The required amount of logs and remaining materials can be efficiently recovered and transported. For example, in FIG. 6, a predetermined amount of log W1 and the remaining material B1 are stored in the ground a1, a predetermined amount of log W2 and the remaining material B2 are stored in the ground a2, and a predetermined amount of log W3 and the remaining material are stored in the ground a3. It is assumed that the material B3 is formed and accumulated. For example, it is assumed that the order quantity of the remaining material from the customer facility b is almost equal to the total amount of the remaining materials B1 to B3.

  In such a case, if the lumbering information at each site a1 to a3 is not managed centrally, the inventory of the remaining material at each site is individually checked, and the necessary amount of remaining material is provided to the workers at the site. It must be secured, and it involves manual inventory check work and transportation vehicle arrangement work. Depending on the situation, wait until the remaining amount of the ordered amount is generated at one of the sites, or transport the remaining material individually from the customer's site to the customer facility b. It may be necessary to take a gathering procedure such as going to and from the customer facility b.

  On the other hand, if this system is used, the amount of inventory of the remaining materials in the land under management can be grasped at all times, so if the remaining materials B1 to B3 of the grounds a1 to a3 are collected, the requirements of the customer facility b will be satisfied. Can be grasped immediately at the ordering stage. Therefore, even if the inventory of logs or remaining materials at a single lumbering site (land) is less than the customer's requirements, each material can be efficiently collected and delivered to the customer facility b. By adding up the available inventory, it is possible to determine a plurality of lumbering sites (land) that satisfy customer requirements. Then, based on the result, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, an efficient transport route such as the land a1 → the land a2 → the land a3 → the customer facility b is determined by the CPU 55 of the base station computer 50, and the transport vehicle The work plan is output at 20 or 30.

  As a result, it is possible to easily specify a very efficient transport route and improve the transport efficiency. In addition, by optimizing the transport route, the number of transport vehicles can be reduced to the minimum necessary, and the work of arranging the transport can be performed very easily. Needless to say, this system can also be applied to collecting logs of required quantity via multiple sites, and delivering them to customers. Since it is distributed, it is inefficient unless an efficient transportation plan is made as shown in FIG. 6, and the transportation cost is more than necessary, which is likely to cause a rise in the price of the remaining material itself. This system is extremely effective because it can quickly make efficient transportation plans and solve these problems.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a forest resource distribution system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the CPU 9 calculates the moisture content of the log as the lumber information based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 101 and the volume of the log calculated in the same manner as the above-described embodiment. Therefore, it is sufficient that the hardware configuration is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. In the embodiment described above, the work tool 15 is not necessarily provided with the weight sensor 101.

A method for measuring the weight of each of the logs E1 to E4 will be described with reference to FIG.
In order to measure the weight of each of the logs E1 to E4, for example, each of the logs E1 to E4 after the lumbering is gripped and lifted by the grapple arm 104, and the amount of change in the detected weight of the weight sensor 101 at that time is observed. The weight of the logs E1 to E4 can be measured.

  It is also possible to detect the weights of the logs E1 to E4 during the lumbering operation. That is, it can be considered that the weights of the logs E1 to E4 are measured along with the lumbering work by observing the change in the weight detected by the weight sensor 101 when the logs E1 to E4 are cut off in FIG. When the swing or vibration of the work tool 15 affects the detected weight of the weight sensor 101, the movement of the work tool 15 may be stopped until the detected weight is stabilized at the time of cutting at C1 to C5.

Next, a method for calculating the moisture content of logs will be described.
When obtaining the moisture content U of the log E, first, the specific gravity γ is calculated by the following equation.
γ = W / V
Here, V is, for example, the volume (material volume) obtained by the above-described average cross section, and W is the detected weight.

If specific gravity is calculated | required, the moisture content U will be calculated | required by following Formula then.
U = (100 / γ ₀ +28) × γ−100 (Equation 1)
γ ₀ is the total dry specific gravity of the target log. Specific gravity varies depending on the tree species, and there is a specific gravity distribution in the trunk. In addition, the specific gravity of logs sawn in the spring when trees are growing and growing during the year is low, and the specific gravity of logs sawn from summer to autumn when the growth of growth is slow is high. The total dry specific gravity is the specific gravity when the water content is 0 (zero), and is almost constant depending on the tree species and production area.

In addition, when the moisture content is higher than the fiber saturation point (the moisture content in the state where there is no free water in the log and the maximum amount of bound water is present, usually around 30%), the volume swelling of the cells disappears and the moisture content is reduced. Fills the cell space. Since the volume of the fiber saturation point at which the total dry volume = 1 is 1 + 0.28γ _0, moisture content U is the specific gravity γ when the above fiber saturation point, the following equation.
γ = γ ₀ × (100 + U) / (100 + 28γ ₀ ) (Expression 2)
When this (Equation 2) is solved for U, the previous (Equation 1) is obtained. Since the log handled by the work machine 10 is close to a raw tree, it may be considered that the moisture content is equal to or higher than the fiber saturation point, and the moisture content U obtained in the above (Equation 1) is the moisture content of the sawn logs. If they are generated from the same tree, it may be considered that the moisture content of the branches B and the end materials G1, G2, etc. shows almost the same tendency, and the calculated moisture content or an estimated value from the calculated value is sufficient.

  In the present embodiment, (Equation 1), total dry specific gravity for each tree species, and the like are stored in the controller 4 in advance, and according to a program stored in the controller 4, the CPU 9 calculates the moisture content of the log from the calculated volume and the detected weight. Is stored in the memory 8 together with the lumber information of each log. Then, the lumber information added with the moisture content is transmitted to the base station computer 50 through the communication device 6 and the communication satellite 74 together with other position information.

  In other respects, the present embodiment is the same as the above-described embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the same effects as the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in the present embodiment, the moisture content of the sawn logs can be grasped as the lumbering information, so there is a great merit in terms of quality control, and the moisture content can be a quality standard at the time of sale. For example, when the remaining material is burned in a boiler facility or a thermal power generation facility, it can be said that the remaining material with a high moisture content has poor combustion efficiency and has a low quality as a fuel, and the remaining material with a low moisture content has a higher quality. In such a case, set the selling price according to the quality and use it for the establishment of fair trading, or adjust the moisture content to ensure the quality to withstand the selling price, etc. It also contributes to

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a forest resource distribution system according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 4 and FIG.
In both of the above-described embodiments, the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50 are used as information transmission means for transmitting operation data including lumber information and the created work plan between the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50. The communication devices 6 and 52 that transmit and receive information stored in the memory 8 and the database 53 of the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50 are used. The present embodiment is an embodiment in which different means are adopted as the information transmission means.

  That is, the information transmission means in the present embodiment is provided in the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50, and can record and read information stored in the memory 8 and the database 53 of the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50, respectively. Recording devices 150 and 151, a memory 8 recorded by the recording devices 150 and 151, and storage media 152 and 153 storing the storage information of the database 53. That is, operation data, position information, and the like of the work machine 10 are recorded on one of the recording media 152 and 153 by the recording device 150, and information is transmitted to the base station computer 50 via either of the recording media 152 and 153. The work plan created by the base station computer 50 is also recorded on one of the recording media 152 and 153 by the recording device 151 and transmitted to the work machine 10 via either of the recording media 152 and 153.

  At this time, if the ground a where the work machine 10 operates is close to the base station c, the information can also be obtained by exchanging the recording media 150 and 151 themselves, which record necessary information, between the ground a and the base station c. It can be transmitted.

  Further, as information transmission means, there is provided communication means provided in an office near the operation site (land a) of the work machine 10 and capable of information communication with the base station computer 50 via the information communication network 73, for example. If the office computer 200 is further provided, information is transmitted between the office computer 200 and the work machine 10 via the storage media 152 and 153, and information communication is performed between the office computer 200 and the base station computer 50. Thus, information can be transmitted between the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50.

  That is, when operating data including lumbering information is transmitted from the work machine 10 to the base station computer 50, the storage information in the memory 8 is recorded in the storage medium 152 or 153 by the recording device 150, and the office computer. 200 reads the storage information of the storage medium 152 or 153 and transmits the information to the base station computer 50 via the information communication network 73. Conversely, when a work plan or the like is transmitted from the base station computer 50 to the work machine 10, the work plan stored in the database 53 is first transmitted to the office computer 200 via the information communication network 73. Then, the work plan is recorded on the storage medium 152 or 153 or the like by the recording means on the office computer 200 side, and the work plan stored in the storage medium 152 or 153 is read by the recording device 150 in the work machine 100.

  Even if such an information transmission method is employed, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide the communication device and its communication antenna in the work machine 10 or the base station computer 50, and it is also an advantage that the system configuration can be made inexpensive.

  In the present embodiment, both the work machine 10 and the base station computer 50 are provided with the storage devices 150 and 151 capable of reading and writing information with respect to the storage medium 152 or 153, but either one is omitted. Also good. For example, with this system, a work plan for the work machine 10 or the like is not created by the base station computer 50, but the operating status of the work machine 10 or the like, forest resource lumbering information, etc. are simply managed by the base station computer 50. In some cases, the recording device 150 of the work machine 10 may be a simple recording device that does not have a reading function, while the recording device 151 of the base station computer 50 may be a simple reading device that does not have a recording function.

  Further, in the above, only one customer facility b and one ground a are shown for the base station c, but a plurality of customer facilities b and ground a can be managed by one base station c. Needless to say. A plurality of such base stations c may be provided throughout the country (for example, for each region). By doing so, the customer can request a product from the base station c having better conditions in consideration of various circumstances. Moreover, the base station c can respond to a customer's request more flexibly by placing a plurality of bases a and customer facilities b under management.

  Moreover, although the case where the volume and moisture content of the log and the remaining material are managed as the building material information has been described, the weight detected by the weight sensor 101 can be used as the building material information of the log and the remaining material. Also, the volume can be calculated by converting from the detected weight, and the volume value converted from the weight may be managed in place of the volume calculated by the above-described arithmetic expression. In this case, the angle sensor 105 and the length measuring device 105 of the work tool 15 can be omitted, and there is an advantage in reducing the cost of the work machine 10.

  In addition, in the above, when the remaining material is chipped when used as biomass resources, etc., if the customer facility has wood chipping equipment such as a wood crusher, the remaining material is left unprocessed from the customer to the customer. It may be transported to a facility, or may be preliminarily chipped using a wood crusher or the like at the ground or the like according to the customer's request, and distributed in the form of wood chips. An intermediate processing facility may be provided between the ground and the customer facility, and the remaining material may be chipped in this intermediate processing facility.

1 is a schematic diagram of a forest resource distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic showing the structure of the working tool with which the working machine used for the forest resource distribution system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention was equipped. It is the figure which represented typically the log and remaining material lumbered by the working machine used for the forest resource distribution system of this invention. 1 is a block diagram of a forest resource distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart showing the process sequence of the base station computer which comprises the forest resource distribution system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which represented typically an example of the forest resource distribution route by the forest resource distribution system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the forest resource distribution system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the forest resource distribution system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 GPS device 6 Communication device 8 Memory 9 CPU
15 Work tool 26 Communication device 28 Memory 29 CPU
31 GPS device 50 Base station computer 52 Communication device 53 Database 55 CPU
73 information communication network 74 communication satellite 75 GPS satellite 101 weight sensor 105 angle sensor 108 length measuring device 150 recording device 151 recording device 152 storage medium 153 storage medium 200 office computer c base station

Claims (10)

A machine for processing trees in a forest, a current position calculating means for calculating a current position based on a signal from a GPS satellite, a work tool for producing a log by timbering a tree, and a log and a residue produced by the work tool. A work machine having a storage means for storing the calculation results of the material information calculation means for calculating the material information including the volume of the material, and the material information calculation means and the current position calculation means;
A base station computer having operation means for receiving operation data including position information and lumbering information of the work machine and managing the operation status of the work machine, and a storage unit for storing operation data received by the operation means A equipped base station;
A forest resource distribution system comprising: information transmission means for transmitting the operation data and work plan between the base station and the work machine.   The base station computer receives the operation data including the position information and the lumbering information of the work machine by the calculating means, manages the operation status of the work machine, and creates a subsequent work plan of the work machine, The forest resource distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the created work plan is stored in the storage unit together with the received operation data.   The working tool has a diameter measuring means for measuring the diameter of the log to be manufactured and a length measuring means for measuring the length of the log, and the material information calculating means detects the diameter measuring means and the length measuring means. The forest resource distribution system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a log volume and quantity are calculated based on the signal.   The work implement further includes a weight measuring unit that measures the weight of the log to be formed, and the material information calculating unit calculates the moisture content of the log based on the weight detected by the weight measuring unit and the calculated volume of the log. The forest resource distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the forest resource distribution system is calculated as lumbering information.   5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the material information calculating unit calculates a volume of the remaining material based on the calculated volume of the log and a volume ratio of the log and the remaining material peculiar to the tree type. Forest resource distribution system described in 1.   6. The information transmission means is a communication means provided in the work machine and the base station computer, and transmitting and receiving information stored in storage means of the work machine and the base station computer. Forest resource distribution system according to any one of the above.   The information transmission means is provided in the work machine, stores at least recording information stored in the storage means of the work machine in a storage medium, and stores storage information of the storage means recorded by the recording means. The forest resource distribution according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a storage medium configured to read the information stored in the storage medium and provided in the base station computer. system.   The information transmission means is provided in an office near the operation site of the work machine, has communication means capable of information communication with the base station computer, and communicates with the work machine via the storage medium. The forest resource distribution system according to claim 7, further comprising an office computer capable of transmitting information through the network.   The computing means of the base station computer satisfies the customer's requirement if the log or remaining inventory of a single lumbering site is less than the customer's requirement and the respective available inventory is added up Determine the optimal transportation route to the customer facility via multiple lumbering sites and the customer's facility, and create a work plan for the transporting vehicle that transports logs or remaining materials to the customer facility based on the results. The forest resource distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein Used in a forest resource distribution system that distributes forest resources, in work machines that process trees in the forest,
Current position calculation means for calculating the current position based on a signal from a GPS satellite;
A work implement that produces logs by timbering trees,
Lumber information calculating means for calculating lumber information including the volume of logs and remaining material produced by this work tool,
A working machine comprising: the lumber information calculation means; and storage means for storing the calculation results of the current position calculation means.

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