JP2019037196A - Scattering device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a scattering device capable of scattering an object to be scattered so that a content of the object to be scattered becomes uniform in a scattering target area.SOLUTION: A scattering device 100 comprises: a component sensor (moisture amount sensor 1) for radiating light to an object (farm 201) from a constant position while scanning light, for detecting a content of water in each position to which light is radiated; a scattering unit 2 for, based on a detection result of the component sensor, scattering water to the object; and a control unit 4 for controlling the component sensor and the scattering unit 2. The control unit 4 determines a scattering amount of water to the position to which the light is radiated, based on a detection result on each position to which light is radiated (unit range R) in the component sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a spraying device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a spraying device such as a watering device, for example, a device that automatically sprays water when the humidity in the atmosphere is measured and reduced to a predetermined humidity is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4640625

  By the way, in the spraying area, the content of the object to be sprayed may be different for each part. For this reason, if the to-be-dispersed material is sprayed by the same amount with respect to the whole, the content in the spraying area will vary.

  Then, the objective of this invention is providing the spraying apparatus which can spray a to-be-dispersed object so that content of a to-be-scattered object may become uniform in a spraying area.

  In order to achieve the above object, a scattering device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a component sensor that detects light from a fixed position and detects the content of a component at each irradiation position, and targets the component. And a control unit that controls the component sensor and the spraying unit, and the control unit is configured to spray the amount of the component with respect to the irradiation position based on the detection result at each irradiation position in the component sensor. And at least one of the spraying ranges is determined.

  The spraying device according to the present invention can spray the material to be sprayed so that the content of the material to be sprayed is uniform in the spraying area.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an installation state of a spraying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the spraying device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the spraying device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a scanning range of the moisture sensor and the spraying unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration and a field of the moisture sensor according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the moisture sensor according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing absorption spectra of moisture and water vapor. FIG. 8 is a front view showing an installation state of the spraying device according to the modification. FIG. 9 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of a spraying unit provided in a spraying apparatus according to a modification.

  Below, the spraying apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated in detail using drawing. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a preferred specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements, connection forms, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims showing the highest concept of the present invention are described as optional constituent elements.

  Each figure is a mimetic diagram and is not necessarily illustrated strictly. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not necessarily match in each drawing. Moreover, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the substantially same structure, The overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[Spraying device]
First, the spraying device 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing an installation state of the spraying device 100 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the spraying device 100 is installed on farmland such as a field. In this Embodiment, the case where the spreading | spreading apparatus 100 is installed in the greenhouse 200 is illustrated. The spraying device 100 is supported by a frame that forms the ceiling of the greenhouse 200 and sprays water on the field 201 in the greenhouse 200.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the spraying device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the spraying device 100 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, the upper side is the field 201 side. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spraying device 100 includes a moisture amount sensor 1, a spraying unit 2, a scanning unit 3, and a control unit 4.

  The moisture amount sensor 1 is an example of a component sensor that irradiates an object while scanning light from a fixed position and detects the content of the component at each irradiation position. Specifically, the moisture amount sensor 1 irradiates the target field 201 while scanning light from a fixed position, and detects the water content at each irradiation position. The moisture amount sensor 1 is installed in the scanning unit 3 such that the posture is changed by the scanning unit 3. The moisture amount sensor 1 detects the amount of moisture for each part of the field 201 by irradiating light while scanning the entire surface of the field 201 by changing the posture by the scanning unit 3. Details of the moisture sensor 1 will be described later.

  The spraying unit 2 is a watering device that sprays water. The spraying unit 2 is connected to, for example, a pipe connected to a tank or a water supply, and sprays water supplied from the tank or the water supply from the nozzle 29 and sprays the water. The spraying unit 2 is installed in the scanning unit 3 so that the spraying direction of the water sprayed from the nozzle 29 and the light irradiation direction of the moisture amount sensor 1 substantially coincide. Specifically, the nozzle 29 of the spraying unit 2 is disposed next to the moisture amount sensor 1, and the posture of the nozzle 29 is changed by the scanning unit 3 together with the moisture amount sensor 1. That is, the spraying unit 2 can spray water from the nozzle 29 while scanning the entire surface of the field 201 in the same manner as the moisture amount sensor 1.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the scanning range A of the moisture sensor 1 and the spraying unit 2 according to the embodiment. The scanning range A is a spraying area where water is sprayed by the spraying device 100. For example, the scanning range A is the entire field 201 in the greenhouse 200. As shown in FIG. 4, while the light from the moisture sensor 1 scans the scanning range A, the scanning unit 3 temporarily stops scanning the light a plurality of times. FIG. 4 illustrates a case where six places are stopped at regular intervals per line and six places are stopped at regular intervals per column.

  At the time of this stop, the moisture amount is detected and water is sprayed. As described above, since the irradiation direction of the moisture sensor 1 and the spraying direction of the spraying unit 2 substantially coincide with each other, the position of the irradiation range of the moisture sensor 1 and the position of the water spraying range are approximately Match. Here, the position of the irradiation range of the moisture sensor 1 is the irradiation position of the light irradiated by the moisture sensor 1. The size of each irradiation range and the application range may be the same or different. In this Embodiment, the case where each magnitude | size of the irradiation range per time and the distribution range is the same is illustrated. For this reason, in FIG. 4, the irradiation range per one time and the distribution range are collectively shown as one unit range R. Here, when the adjacent unit ranges R overlap, water is sprayed a plurality of times in the overlapped portion, and uniform water spraying as a whole field 201 is hindered. For this reason, it is desirable to determine the size and position of the unit ranges R so that adjacent unit ranges R do not overlap as much as possible. Even if there is a gap between adjacent unit ranges R, the water sprayed in the unit range R penetrates to the outside of the unit range R, so that there is no problem.

  The scanning unit 3 varies the postures of the water content sensor 1 and the spraying unit 2 in a state where the irradiation direction of the water content sensor 1 and the spraying direction of the spraying unit 2 substantially coincide with each other, thereby changing the unit range R. Let it scan. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the scanning unit 3 includes a rotary table 31, a first rotary unit 32, and a second rotary unit 33. The turntable 31 is fixed to the frame of the greenhouse 200 and holds the first rotating part 32 and the second rotating part 33.

  The first rotating part 32 is provided on the turntable 31 so that a part thereof rotates with respect to the turntable 31. Specifically, the first rotating part 32 includes a first base 321, a wall part 322 erected with respect to the first base 321, and a first motor 323 that rotates the first base 321. ing. The rotation axis of the first motor 323 is in a direction along the vertical direction. When the first motor 323 is driven, the first base 321 and the wall 322 are rotated with respect to the turntable 31. The rotation directions of the first base 321 and the wall portion 322 are indicated by an arrow Y1 in FIG.

  The second rotating part 33 is provided in the first rotating part 32 so that a part thereof rotates with respect to the first rotating part 32. Specifically, the second rotating unit 33 includes a second base 331 and a second motor 332 that rotates the second base 331. The second base 331 is attached to the wall portion 322 via the second motor 332. The moisture sensor 1 and the nozzle 29 of the spraying unit 2 are fixed to the second base 331. The rotation axis of the second motor 332 is orthogonal to the rotation axis of the first motor 323. When the second motor 332 is driven, the second base 331 rotates with respect to the first rotating unit 32. The rotation direction of the second base 331 is indicated by an arrow Y2 in FIG.

  By controlling the rotation angles of the first motor 323 and the second motor 332, the postures of the moisture sensor 1 and the nozzles 29 of the spray unit 2 are changed. As a result, the unit range R scans the scanning range A as shown in FIG. For example, the first motor 323 adjusts the pitch of the unit range R in the main scanning direction by controlling the rotation angle. The second motor 332 adjusts the pitch of the unit range R in the sub-scanning direction by controlling the rotation angle.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control unit 4 includes, for example, a microcontroller, and controls the moisture amount sensor 1, the spraying unit 2, and the scanning unit 3. The control unit 4 is a non-volatile memory in which a processing program for controlling the moisture sensor 1, the spraying unit 2, and the scanning unit 3 is stored, and a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program. A memory, an input / output port, a processor for executing a program, and the like are included.

  Specifically, the control unit 4 controls the first motor 323 and the second motor 332 of the scanning unit 3 to scan while the position of the unit range R temporarily stops within the scanning range A a plurality of times. As described above, the postures of the moisture sensor 1 and the nozzle 29 of the spraying unit 2 are controlled. At the time of the temporary stop, the control unit 4 controls the water content sensor 1 to detect the water content in the unit range R at that position. Based on the detection result, the control unit 4 determines the amount of water spray for the unit range R at the position. The amount of application is the amount of water used per unit area. For example, the control unit 4 predetermines a target moisture amount that is an appropriate moisture amount within the unit range R, and calculates the amount of water sprayed at the position from the difference between the target moisture amount and the detection result. To do. The control unit 4 controls the spraying unit 2 to spray water with the determined spraying amount. By performing this every time scanning is stopped, the amount of water in each unit range R is equalized to the target amount of water. The target moisture amount can be arbitrarily changed.

[Moisture sensor]
Next, an outline of the moisture sensor 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the moisture sensor 1 and the field 201 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the moisture sensor 1 according to the embodiment.

  In this Embodiment, as shown in FIG.5 and FIG.6, the moisture content sensor 1 detects the moisture content contained in the field 201 which exists in space. “The amount of water contained in the field 201” includes the water accumulated on the field 201 and the water that has penetrated into the surface portion of the field 201.

  The moisture amount sensor 1 includes a housing 10, a light emitting unit 20, a first light receiving module 70, a second light receiving module 40, and a signal processing circuit 50.

  Below, each component of the moisture content sensor 1 is demonstrated in detail.

[Case]
The housing 10 houses the light emitting unit 20, the first light receiving module 70, the second light receiving module 40, and the signal processing circuit 50. The housing 10 is made of a light shielding material. Thereby, it can suppress that external light injects into the housing | casing 10. FIG. Specifically, the housing 10 is formed of a resin material or a metal material that has a light shielding property with respect to light received by the first light receiving module 70 and the second light receiving module 40.

  A plurality of openings are provided in the outer wall of the housing 10, and the lens 21 of the light emitting unit 20 and the lens 71 of the first light receiving module 70 are attached to these openings.

[Light emitting part]
The light emitting unit 20 emits detection light including a first wavelength band in which absorption by water is greater than a predetermined value and reference light including a second wavelength band in which absorption by water is equal to or less than a predetermined value toward the field 201. Part. Specifically, the light emitting unit 20 includes a lens 21 and a light source 22.

  The lens 21 is a condensing lens that condenses the light emitted from the light source 22 onto the field 201. The lens 21 is a resin convex lens, but is not limited thereto.

  The light source 22 is an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source that emits continuous light having a first wavelength band that forms detection light and a second wavelength band that forms reference light, and a peak wavelength on the second wavelength band side. Specifically, the light source 22 is an LED light source made of a compound semiconductor.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing absorption spectra of moisture and water vapor. As shown in FIG. 7, moisture has absorption peaks at wavelengths of about 1450 nm and about 1940 nm. Water vapor has absorption peaks at wavelengths slightly lower than the absorption peak of moisture, specifically at wavelengths of about 1350 nm to 1400 nm and about 1800 nm to 1900 nm.

  For this reason, a wavelength band with a high water absorbance is selected as the first wavelength band for the detection light, and a wavelength band with a lower water absorbance than the first wavelength band is selected as the second wavelength band for the reference light. select. As an example, the average wavelength of the second wavelength band is made longer than the average wavelength of the first wavelength body. Regarding the center wavelength defined by the center value of the wavelength that is half the maximum transmittance of the optical bandpass filter, for example, the center wavelength of the first wavelength band is 1450 nm and the center wavelength of the second wavelength band is 1700 nm. To do.

  Thus, since the light source 22 irradiates light that continuously includes the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band, the field 201 includes detection light including the first wavelength band that is largely absorbed by water, and water. The reference light including the second wavelength band in which the absorption by is smaller than the first wavelength band is irradiated.

[First light receiving module]
As shown in FIG. 5, the first light receiving module 70 includes a lens 71, a first band pass filter 72, and a first light receiving unit 73.

  The lens 71 is a condensing lens for condensing the reflected light reflected by the field 201 on the first light receiving unit 73. The lens 71 is fixed to the housing 10 so that the focal point is located on the light receiving surface of the first light receiving unit 73, for example. The lens 71 is, for example, a resin convex lens, but is not limited thereto.

  The first band pass filter 72 is a band pass filter that extracts light in the first wavelength band from the reflected light. Specifically, the first band pass filter 72 is disposed between the lens 71 and the first light receiving unit 73, and is on the optical path of the reflected light that passes through the lens 71 and enters the first light receiving unit 73. Is provided. Further, the first band pass filter 72 is disposed to be inclined with respect to the optical axis of the lens 71. Thereby, the first bandpass filter 72 transmits light in the first wavelength band and reflects light in other wavelength bands.

  The first light receiving unit 73 is a light receiving element that receives light in the first wavelength band reflected by the field 201 and transmitted through the first band pass filter 72 and converts the light into a first electric signal. The 1st light-receiving part 73 produces | generates the 1st electric signal according to the light reception amount (namely, intensity | strength) of the said light by photoelectrically converting the light of the received 1st wavelength band. The generated first electric signal is output to the signal processing circuit 50. The first light receiving unit 73 is, for example, a photodiode, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first light receiving unit 73 may be a phototransistor or an image sensor.

[Second light receiving module]
The second light receiving module 40 includes a second band pass filter 42 and a second light receiving unit 43.

  The second bandpass filter 42 is a bandpass filter that extracts light in the second wavelength band from the light reflected by the first bandpass filter 72. Specifically, the second band pass filter 42 is disposed between the first band pass filter 72 and the second light receiving unit 43, and passes through the first band pass filter 72 to transmit the second light receiving unit 43. Is provided on the optical path of the light incident on. The second bandpass filter 42 transmits light in the second wavelength band and absorbs light in other wavelength bands.

  The second light receiving unit 43 is a light receiving element that receives light in the second wavelength band reflected by the field 201 and transmitted through the second band pass filter 42 and converts the light into a second electric signal. The second light receiving unit 43 photoelectrically converts the received light in the second wavelength band, thereby generating a second electric signal corresponding to the amount of light received (that is, intensity). The generated second electric signal is output to the signal processing circuit 50. The second light receiving unit 43 is a light receiving element having the same shape as the first light receiving unit 73. That is, when the first light receiving unit 73 is a photodiode, the second light receiving unit 43 is also a photodiode.

[Signal processing circuit]
The signal processing circuit 50 controls the lighting of the light source 22 of the light emitting unit 20, and processes the first electric signal and the second electric signal output from the first light receiving unit 73 and the second light receiving unit 43, so that the amount of moisture is increased. Is a circuit for calculating.

  The signal processing circuit 50 may be housed in the housing 10 or may be attached to the outer surface of the housing 10. Alternatively, the signal processing circuit 50 may have a communication function such as wireless communication, and may receive the first electric signal from the first light receiving unit 73 and the second electric signal from the second light receiving unit 43.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the signal processing circuit 50 includes a light source control unit 51, a first amplification unit 52, a second amplification unit 53, a first signal processing unit 54, a second signal processing unit 55, and an arithmetic operation. A processing unit 56 is provided.

  The light source control unit 51 includes a drive circuit and a microcontroller. The light source control unit 51 includes a non-volatile memory in which a control program for the light source 22 is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. The light source control unit 51 controls the light source 22 so that turning on and off of the light source 22 is repeated at a predetermined light emission period. Specifically, the light source control unit 51 outputs a pulse signal having a predetermined frequency (for example, 1 kHz) to the light source 22 to turn on and off the light source 22 at a predetermined light emission cycle.

  The first amplifying unit 52 amplifies the first electric signal output from the first light receiving unit 73 and outputs the amplified first electric signal to the first signal processing unit 54. Specifically, the first amplifying unit 52 is an operational amplifier that amplifies the first electric signal.

  The first signal processing unit 54 is configured by a microcontroller. The first signal processing unit 54 is a non-volatile memory in which a processing program for the first electric signal is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like Have The first signal processing unit 54 performs a multiplication process with the light emission period of the light source 22 after limiting the passband and correcting the phase delay due to the passband restriction on the first electric signal. The process for the first electric signal is a so-called lock-in amplifier process. Thereby, the noise based on disturbance light can be suppressed from the first electric signal.

  The second amplifying unit 53 amplifies the second electric signal output from the second light receiving unit 43 and outputs the amplified second electric signal to the second signal processing unit 55. Specifically, the second amplifying unit 53 is an operational amplifier that amplifies the second electric signal.

  The second signal processing unit 55 is configured by a microcontroller. The second signal processing unit 55 includes a nonvolatile memory in which a processing program for the second electric signal is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. Have The second signal processing unit 55 performs a multiplication process with the light emission period of the light source 22 after performing the passband restriction and correcting the phase delay due to the passband restriction on the second electric signal. The process for the second electric signal is a so-called lock-in amplifier process. Thereby, the noise based on disturbance light can be suppressed from the second electric signal.

  The arithmetic processing unit 56 detects moisture contained in the field 201 based on the first electric signal output from the first light receiving unit 73 and the second electric signal output from the second light receiving unit 43. Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 56 detects the amount of water contained in the field 201 based on the ratio (signal ratio) between the voltage level of the first electrical signal and the voltage level of the second electrical signal. In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 56 uses the first electric signal processed by the first signal processing unit 54 and the second electric signal processed by the second signal processing unit 55 as the field 201 Detect moisture content. The arithmetic processing unit 56 outputs the detected moisture amount to the control unit 4. Specific water content detection processing will be described later.

  The arithmetic processing unit 56 is, for example, a microcontroller. The arithmetic processing unit 56 includes a nonvolatile memory in which a signal processing program is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, and a processor that executes the program.

[Moisture detection process]
Next, the moisture amount detection process performed by the arithmetic processing unit 56 will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 56 detects the amount of component included in the field 201 by comparing the light energy Pd of the detection light included in the reflected light with the light energy Pr of the reference light. The light energy Pd corresponds to the intensity of the first electric signal output from the first light receiving unit 73, and the light energy Pr corresponds to the intensity of the second electric signal output from the second light receiving unit 43.

  The light energy Pd is expressed by the following (Formula 1).

  (Formula 1) Pd = Pd0 × Gd × Rd × Td × Aad × Ivd

  Here, Pd0 is the light energy of the light in the first wavelength band that forms the detection light among the light emitted from the light source 22. Gd is the coupling efficiency (condensing rate) of the light in the first wavelength band with respect to the first light receiving unit 73. Specifically, Gd corresponds to the proportion of the light emitted from the light source 22 that is part of the component that is diffusely reflected by the object (field 201) (that is, the detection light included in the reflected light). To do.

  Rd is the reflectance of the detection light by the field 201. Td is the transmittance of the detection light by the first band pass filter 72. Ivd is the light receiving sensitivity for the detection light included in the reflected light in the first light receiving unit 73.

  Aad is an absorptance of detection light by a component (moisture) contained in the object, and is expressed by the following (Expression 2).

(Formula 2) Aad = 10 ^{−αa × Ca × D}

  Here, αa is a predetermined extinction coefficient, specifically, the extinction coefficient of the detection light by the component (water). Ca is the volume concentration of the component (moisture) contained in the object. D is a contribution thickness that is twice the thickness of the component that contributes to the absorption of the detection light.

  More specifically, in an object in which moisture is uniformly dispersed, when light is incident on the object, reflected, and emitted from the object, Ca corresponds to the volume concentration contained in the component of the object. . D corresponds to the optical path length from reflection to emission from the object. For example, Ca is the concentration of moisture contained in the liquid phase covering the object. Further, D is a contribution thickness converted as an average thickness of the liquid phase covering the object.

  Therefore, αa × Ca × D corresponds to the amount of component (water content) contained in the object. From the above, it can be seen that the light energy Pd corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal changes according to the amount of water contained in the object. In addition, since the light absorbency of moisture is extremely small compared with moisture, it can be disregarded.

  Similarly, the optical energy Pr of the reference light incident on the second light receiving unit 43 is expressed by the following (Expression 3).

  (Formula 3) Pr = Pr0 * Gr * Rr * Tr * Ivr

  In the present embodiment, since the reference light can be regarded as not substantially absorbed by the component contained in the target object, it corresponds to the moisture absorption rate Aad as can be seen in comparison with (Equation 1). The term is not included in (Equation 3).

  In (Expression 3), Pr0 is the light energy of the light in the second wavelength band that forms the reference light among the light emitted from the light source 22. Gr is the coupling efficiency (condensation rate) of the reference light emitted from the light source 22 to the second light receiving unit 43. Specifically, Gr corresponds to the proportion of the reference light that is part of the component that is diffusely reflected by the object (that is, the reference light included in the reflected light). Rr is the reflectance of the reference light by the object. Tr is the transmittance of the reference light by the second band pass filter 42. Ivr is the light receiving sensitivity with respect to the reflected light of the second light receiving unit 43.

  In the present embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 22, that is, the detection light and the reference light are irradiated coaxially and at the same spot size, so that the detection light coupling efficiency Gd and the reference light coupling efficiency Gr are It becomes almost equal. Further, since the peak wavelengths of the detection light and the reference light are relatively close, the detection light reflectance Rd and the reference light reflectance Rr are substantially equal.

  Therefore, the following (Expression 4) is derived by taking the ratio (signal ratio) between (Expression 1) and (Expression 3).

  (Formula 4) Pd / Pr = Z × Aad

  Here, Z is a constant term and is represented by (Equation 5).

  (Formula 5) Z = (Pd0 / Pr0) × (Td / Tr) × (Ivd / Ivr)

  Each of the light energies Pd0 and Pr0 is predetermined as an initial output of the light source 22. Further, the transmittance Td and the transmittance Tr are predetermined by the transmission characteristics of the first band-pass filter 72 and the second band-pass filter 42, respectively. The light receiving sensitivity Ivd and the light receiving sensitivity Ivr are determined in advance by the light receiving characteristics of the first light receiving unit 73 and the second light receiving unit 43, respectively. Therefore, Z shown in (Expression 5) can be regarded as a constant.

  The arithmetic processing unit 56 calculates the light energy Pd of the detection light based on the first electric signal, and calculates the light energy Pr of the reference light based on the second electric signal. Specifically, the signal level (voltage level) of the first electric signal corresponds to the light energy Pd, and the signal level (voltage level) of the second electric signal corresponds to the light energy Pr.

  Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 56 can calculate the absorption rate Aad of the moisture contained in the object based on (Equation 4). Thereby, the arithmetic processing part 56 can calculate a moisture content based on (Formula 2).

  Although moisture (water vapor) is also present in the space, it is assumed that the detection light and the reference light are absorbed by the water vapor. A correction unit that corrects the first electric signal and the second electric signal so as to cancel the absorption due to the water vapor may be provided in the signal processing circuit 50.

[Operation of spraying device]
Next, the operation of the spraying device 100 will be described. The control unit 4 of the spraying apparatus 100 controls the scanning unit 3 so that the position of the unit range R is scanned while temporarily stopping the inside of the scanning range A a plurality of times, and the moisture amount sensor 1 and the spraying unit 2. The posture with the nozzle 29 is controlled.

  At the time of the temporary stop, the control unit 4 controls the water content sensor 1 to detect the water content in the unit range R at that position. Based on the detection result of the moisture sensor 1, the controller 4 determines the amount of water sprayed on the unit range R at the position. The control unit 4 controls the spraying unit 2 to spray water from the spraying unit 2 with the determined spraying amount. By performing this every time scanning is stopped, the amount of water in each unit range R is made uniform to the reference amount of water.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, according to the spraying apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the moisture sensor detects the water content at each irradiation position by scanning light from the fixed position to the object (field 201). 1, a spraying unit 2 that sprays water on an object, and a control unit 4 that controls the moisture sensor 1 and the spraying unit 2. Based on the detection result in the range R), the amount of water sprayed on the irradiation position is determined.

  According to this, since the control unit 4 determines the amount of water sprayed to the irradiation position based on the detection result in each unit range R in the moisture amount sensor 1, the amount of water in each unit range R Will be equalized to the target moisture content. Thereby, in the scanning range A which is a dispersion | spreading area, content of the water which is a to-be-sprayed object can be made uniform.

  In addition, the water content sensor 1 targets detection light including a first wavelength band in which absorption by water is larger than a predetermined value and reference light including a second wavelength band in which absorption by water is not more than a predetermined value as light. A light emitting unit 20 that emits toward the object, a first light receiving unit 73 that receives the detection light reflected by the object and converts it into a first electrical signal, and a reference light that is reflected by the object; A second light receiving unit 43 that converts the electrical signal into an electrical signal and an arithmetic processing unit 56 that calculates the water content based on the signal ratio between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal are provided.

  According to this, light including detection light including a first wavelength band in which absorption by water is greater than a predetermined value and reference light including a second wavelength band in which absorption by water is equal to or less than a predetermined value is detected by an object. By irradiating a certain field 201, the water content of the field 201 can be detected.

  Moreover, the scanning part 3 which scans light by changing the attitude | position of the moisture content sensor 1 is provided.

  According to this, since the scanning unit 3 scans the light by changing the posture of the moisture amount sensor 1, the light is emitted when the worker visually recognizes the posture of the moisture amount sensor 1. The approximate position can be grasped.

  Note that a scanning module that scans the light within the scanning range A by reflecting the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 may be provided in the moisture amount sensor 1. Specifically, the scanning module has a first mirror that swings at a relatively high speed in the horizontal direction (main scanning direction) and a second mirror that swings at a relatively low speed in the vertical direction (sub-scanning direction). doing. The first mirror and the second mirror reflect light from the light source 22 in a direction corresponding to its own swing angle. The light from the light source is reflected by the second mirror after being reflected by the first mirror. The first mirror and the second mirror swing in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, so that the light from the light source 22 is irradiated to the space while being scanned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction (that is, two-dimensionally). Scan within range A. In this case, the light from the moisture sensor 1 can be scanned without the scanning unit 3.

  In addition, the scanning unit 3 changes the postures of the water content sensor 1 and the spraying unit 2 in a state where the irradiation direction of the water content sensor 1 and the spraying direction of the spraying unit 2 substantially coincide with each other.

  According to this, even during scanning, the irradiation direction of the moisture sensor 1 and the spraying direction of the spraying unit 2 are substantially the same, so the irradiation position of the moisture sensor 1 and the spraying position of the spraying unit 2 Makes it easier to match. Therefore, the water content in the scanning range A can be made more uniform.

[Modification]
In the said embodiment, the attitude | position of the spreading | diffusion part 2 which has the one nozzle 29 was fluctuated, and the case where it was scanned with the spreading | diffusion position of the spreading | diffusion part 2 was illustrated. However, it may be a spraying unit that sprays water from a plurality of nozzles whose posture is not changed.

  FIG. 8 is a front view showing an installation state of the spraying apparatus 100A according to the modification. FIG. 9 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of the spraying unit 2a provided in the spraying apparatus 100A according to the modification. In the following description, the same parts as those in the above embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the spreading unit 2 a provided in the spreading device 100 </ b> A includes a plurality of column parts 202, a pair of first beam parts 203 spanned between the column parts 202, and a pair of first beams. And a plurality of second beam portions 204 spanned between the portions 203. The first beam portion 203 is a long member along the sub-scanning direction. The second beam portion 204 is a long member along the main scanning direction. The second beam portion 204 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 29a with a predetermined interval in the main scanning direction. Each nozzle 29a is connected to a pipe (not shown) connected to a tank or a water supply, and water is sprayed and sprayed from each nozzle 29a. The water spray range of each nozzle 29a is set corresponding to each unit range R. Each nozzle 29a is controlled by the control unit 4 to spray water at a determined spraying amount. Specifically, the control unit 4 controls the scanning unit 3 to change the posture of the moisture sensor 1 so that the position of the unit range R scans within the scanning range A while temporarily stopping a plurality of times. Control. Thereby, the water content sensor 1 detects the water content of each unit range R. The control unit 4 determines the amount of water sprayed for each unit range R based on the detection result of the moisture amount sensor 1. That is, the amount of water sprayed from the nozzle 29a corresponding to each of the plurality of unit ranges R is determined. The control unit 4 controls each nozzle 29a of the spray unit 2a to spray water from each nozzle 29a with the determined spray amount. Thereby, the water content in each unit range R is made uniform to the target water content.

(Other)
As mentioned above, although the moisture content sensor 1 which concerns on this invention was demonstrated based on said embodiment, this invention is not limited to said embodiment.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the light source 22 is an LED light source has been illustrated, but the light source may be a semiconductor laser element or an organic EL element.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the one light source 22 emitted the continuous light containing the 1st wavelength band which makes detection light, and the 2nd wavelength band which makes reference light demonstrated. However, a plurality of light sources may be provided so that one light source emits detection light and the other light source emits reference light.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the light source control part 51 with which the signal processing circuit 50 is equipped, the 1st signal processing part 54, the 2nd signal processing part 55, and the arithmetic processing part 56 each consist of a dedicated microcontroller is illustrated. Although described, the signal processing circuit may be realized by a single microcontroller as a whole.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in order to perform a moisture content detection and water dispersion | distribution simultaneously, the case where the moisture content sensor 1 and the distribution part 2 scan within the scanning range A, stopping several times temporarily is illustrated. did. If the detection of water content and the spraying of water are performed separately, the water content sensor 1 scans the scanning range A first to detect the water content in the scanning range A, and then the water content is detected. It is also possible to carry out spraying. In this case, the moisture sensor 1 may perform continuous scanning without temporarily stopping a plurality of times. The moisture amount sensor 1 can detect the moisture amount at each irradiation position even in continuous scanning. If only scanning by the moisture sensor 1 is performed first, it is possible to create a moisture distribution within the scanning range A. For example, in the said embodiment, the case where the control part 4 determined only the application quantity was illustrated. However, if there is a moisture distribution, the control unit 4 can also control the spraying range based on the moisture distribution. For example, if the portion with a small amount of water is concentrated over a wide range, it is possible to reduce the number of sprays by widening the spray range. And if the nozzle which can adjust the spraying range per spraying is employ | adopted as a spraying part, control of a spraying range is possible. Moreover, even if it is a nozzle which cannot adjust the spraying range per spraying, if water is sprayed with the fixed spraying quantity with respect to several unit range R, a spraying range can be adjusted. In addition, based on the detection result in each irradiation position in the moisture amount sensor 1, both the spraying amount and spraying range of water for the irradiation position may be determined.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the spraying apparatus 100 which sprays water as a spraying apparatus was illustrated. However, the spraying device may be a spraying device that sprays an object to be sprayed other than water. In this case, the component sensor which detects content of the component of a to-be-dispersed object is mounted in a spreading device. Examples of materials to be spread other than water include drugs such as herbicides and plant growth regulators. In this case, the light emitting unit of the component sensor includes detection light including a first wavelength band in which absorption by the drug is greater than a predetermined value and reference light including a second wavelength band in which absorption by the drug is equal to or less than the predetermined value. Emits light toward the object. Since the detection light and the reference light are different for each type of medicine, it is necessary to appropriately select the detection light and the reference light according to the type of medicine to be used. Also in this case, the control unit 4 determines the amount of the medicine to be applied to the irradiation position based on the detection result in each unit range R in the component sensor. Thereby, in the scanning range A which is a dispersion | spreading area, content of the chemical | medical agent which is a to-be-scattered object can be made uniform.

  In addition, the embodiment can be realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention, or a form obtained by subjecting each embodiment to various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art. Forms are also included in the present invention.

1 Moisture sensor (component sensor)
2, 2a Scattering unit 3 Scanning unit 4 Control unit 20 Light emitting unit 43 Second light receiving unit 56 Arithmetic processing unit 73 First light receiving unit 100, 100A Scattering device 201 Field (object)
R Unit range

Claims (6)

A component sensor that scans the object from a fixed position and detects the content of the component at each irradiation position;
A spraying unit for spraying the component onto the object;
A control unit for controlling the component sensor and the spraying unit,
The said control part determines at least one of the application quantity of the said component with respect to the said irradiation position and the application range based on the detection result in each irradiation position in the said component sensor. The component sensor is
Detection light including a first wavelength band in which absorption by the component is larger than a predetermined value and reference light including a second wavelength band in which absorption by the component is equal to or less than the predetermined value are directed to the object as the light. A light emitting unit that emits
A first light receiving unit that receives the detection light reflected by the object and converts it into a first electrical signal;
A second light receiving unit that receives the reference light reflected by the object and converts the reference light into a second electrical signal;
The scattering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an arithmetic processing unit that calculates a content of the component based on a signal ratio between the first electric signal and the second electric signal. The spraying device according to claim 1, further comprising a scanning unit that scans the light by changing a posture of the component sensor. The scanning unit varies a posture of each of the component sensor and the spraying unit in a state where an irradiation direction of the light by the component sensor and a spraying direction of the component by the spraying unit substantially coincide with each other. 3. A spraying device according to 3. The spraying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the component is water. The spraying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the component is a drug.

Images