JP2023160211A - Livestock barn washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a livestock barn washing device capable of automatically washing a ceiling surface, a wall surface, a floor surface, etc. in a labor saving manner while executing self-position estimation in a large scale livestock barn for executing autonomous travelling, in which a lifting and lowering mechanism is mechanically stabilized even when washing liquid is jetted from a jet nozzle, and remote control can be executed easily.SOLUTION: Automatic washing of a ceiling surface, a wall surface, a floor surface, etc. of a poultry barn 12 is carried out by a washing module 4 in a labor saving manner while executing self-position estimation of a poultry barn washing device 1 by a sensor module 5 in a large scale poultry barn 12 and causing a travelling module 3 to perform autonomous travelling along a travelling route 14 input in advance according to the position estimation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a livestock barn cleaning device that performs cleaning operations while autonomously traveling inside the livestock barn.

For example, the breeding period for broiler chickens (chicken for meat) is currently said to be about 48 days, and when all the chickens in the chicken house are shipped, there is a gap of 1 to 2 weeks from the shipping date until the next chick enters the chicken house. It will be a temporary period. During this blank period, remove chicken manure, wash the chicken house, disinfect it (1-2 times), dry it, bring in new bedding (wooden chips), warm the chicken house, prepare food, and raise the next chick. Preparatory work is carried out.

Among the preparatory work, the removal of chicken manure, washing of chicken houses, and disinfection work requires heavy labor for the workers, such as transporting heavy objects and operating high-pressure nozzles for long periods of time. The work is also difficult in terms of hygiene such as adhesion.
Producers aim to secure breeding periods and improve productivity by shortening empty house periods as much as possible, so if robots can replace the cleaning work in poultry houses, they can save labor and improve hygiene. It is also favorable in terms of management.

For this reason, the applicant has already proposed a livestock barn cleaning and disinfection system that can clean and disinfect the entire livestock barn by driving the vehicle body over the entire livestock barn. Specifically, a plurality of arms that extend and retract are provided on the vehicle body, and a nozzle that spouts cleaning liquid is provided at the tip of each arm so that a wide area can be cleaned. In addition, by rotating the nozzle, it is possible to clean the chicken house from various angles (Patent Document 1; Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-220655).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-220655

However, in the livestock barn cleaning and disinfection system of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the arm is deflected in the torsional and bending directions due to the reaction force of the nozzle and the weight of the nozzle rotation mechanism. Also, because the nozzle rotates, the arm vibrates like the flapping of a bird's wings. For this reason, there is a possibility that the cleaning liquid may not hit the object to be cleaned, and there is a possibility that the vehicle body may vibrate and the vehicle may become unstable. On the other hand, increasing the rigidity of the arms and vehicle body would increase the vehicle weight, increase costs, and increase the consumption of the battery, which is the driving source.

Furthermore, by ejecting the cleaning liquid from multiple nozzles at the same time, the amount of liquid used increases, and it is necessary to use a higher-performance pump to send the liquid, which increases equipment costs.

Furthermore, since the vehicle body passes under a feeder suspended from a water supply pipe serving as a guide, the area that can be washed is limited. In recent years, especially as farms have become larger-scale operations, livestock barns themselves have also tended to become larger, making it difficult to clean the entire livestock barn.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and its purpose is to estimate the self-position in a large-scale livestock barn and move autonomously while moving the ceiling, wall, floor, etc. To provide a livestock shed cleaning device that can perform automatic cleaning with labor saving, has a lifting mechanism that is mechanically stable even when cleaning liquid is jetted from a jet nozzle, and can be easily operated remotely.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes the following configuration.
A livestock barn cleaning device that cleans the inside of the livestock barn by spouting cleaning liquid from the vehicle body while autonomously traveling along a cleaning path input from an input terminal, and each of which is rotatably driven by a pair of drive motors at the bottom of the vehicle body. a traveling module having a driving wheel that rotates and a driven wheel that rotates; and a traveling module that is movable up and down from the vehicle body and can be turned, and that sprays cleaning liquid from a jet nozzle that extends toward the tip in the vertical direction to spray the cleaning fluid along the traveling line. a cleaning module that cleans the inside of the livestock barn according to a cleaning program according to the cleaning program; and a sensor module that is installed in front of the vehicle body in the direction of travel and is capable of capturing an image of the environment inside the livestock barn and measuring the distance to the surrounding wall of the livestock barn. and estimating the self-position of the vehicle body in the livestock barn based on the measurement data detected by the sensor module, controlling the traveling operation of the vehicle body by the traveling module according to the position estimation, and cleaning by the cleaning module. It is characterized by comprising an electrical module that controls the operation.

As a result, the self-position of the vehicle itself is estimated using the measurement data of the sensor module in a large-scale livestock barn, and the travel module is autonomously driven along a predetermined travel route according to the position estimation while cleaning. Cleaning work on the ceiling, surrounding walls, floor, etc. of livestock barns can be done in a labor-saving and automated manner.
Further, even if the cleaning liquid is ejected from the ejection nozzle extending from the vehicle body to the tip in the vertical direction, the lifting mechanism is unlikely to vibrate due to the reaction force of the nozzle, and cleaning work can be performed in a mechanically stable state.
In addition, the electrical module estimates the vehicle's own position in the livestock shed based on the measurement data detected by the sensor module, controls the traveling operation of the vehicle by the travel module according to the position estimation, and performs the cleaning operation by the cleaning module. control. Therefore, the inside of the livestock barn can be thoroughly washed by repeating the translational movement or turning movement of the vehicle body along the washing path inputted in advance.

The sensor module includes an imaging camera for recognizing the surrounding environment necessary for autonomous driving and a range sensor for measuring the distance to the surrounding wall of the livestock barn, and the imaging camera is arranged in a first guide section in the livestock barn. and detecting the inclination angle and positional deviation amount of the vehicle body with respect to the running line recognized between the first and second guide parts by capturing an image of the second guide part, and performing a translational movement along the running line. The range sensor may be configured to detect at least a distance in front of the vehicle main body to a peripheral wall of the livestock barn, and to control a turning operation of turning the vehicle main body to an adjacent running line.
As a result, the vehicle body is moved in translation along the running line along the surrounding wall of the livestock shed, the range sensor detects the distance to the surrounding wall of the livestock barn in front of the vehicle body, and the vehicle body is moved to either the left or right near the surrounding wall of the livestock barn. Turn and move to the next running line. The imaging camera detects the inclination angle and positional deviation amount of the vehicle body with respect to the running line recognized between the first and second guide parts by capturing images of the first guide part and the second guide part, and adjusts the vehicle body to follow the running line. The translational movement of the vehicle body is controlled. Therefore, the autonomous running operation can be controlled by repeating the translation operation of the vehicle body on a predetermined running line along the cleaning path and the turning operation to the next running line.
In this way, the accuracy of autonomous driving operation can be improved by detecting environmental data specific to the livestock barn using an imaging camera and a range sensor, and estimating the self-position by preferentially using highly reliable measurement data. I can do it.

The livestock house is a chicken house, and is provided with a water supply line along water cups arranged along the longitudinal direction of the chicken house, and a feeding line along feeding trays arranged along the longitudinal direction of the chicken house, and the imaging camera In this case, a translational motion along a running line recognized between the water supply line and the food supply line may be controlled by capturing images of the water supply cup and the feeding tray.
In this case, the vehicle body can be translated along a traveling line recognized between the water supply line and the feeding line using the imaging camera. In addition, when the vehicle body approaches the peripheral wall of the chicken house in the forward direction of travel, the vehicle body is rotated based on measurement by the range sensor and moved to the next travel line, allowing efficient cleaning work while continuously traveling in a single stroke. .

The electrical module is equipped with a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an input terminal, and has map data regarding the size of the inside of the livestock barn and the arrangement of guide parts in the livestock barn stored in the storage section, and the input terminal can transmit data according to the map data. When a travel route is input, the travel operation of the travel module and the cleaning operation of the cleaning module may be controlled in accordance with the travel route.
This makes it possible to remotely control the vehicle from outside the barn, freely set the travel route based on map data, and control the vehicle's travel and cleaning operations. In addition, it is possible to remotely check the cleaning status of the livestock barn and the occurrence of trouble using an imaging camera and a range sensor.

Preferably, in the cleaning module, a jet nozzle extending in the vertical direction at the tip of the lifting arm is rotated by a motor, and a pivot axis of the jet nozzle is arranged perpendicular to the jetting direction.
In this way, the ejection direction of the cleaning liquid from the ejection nozzle and the lifting direction of the lifting arm are the same, so the lifting arm does not twist due to the reaction force of the cleaning liquid jetting, and the rotation axis of the injection nozzle is perpendicular to the injection direction. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the bending and vibration of the lifting arm due to the rotating operation of the jet nozzle, and cleaning work can be performed in a mechanically stable state.

It is preferable that the cleaning module jets the cleaning liquid by directing the jet nozzle toward the ceiling of the livestock barn, surrounding walls of the livestock barn, the floor, etc. while driving a motor to rotate forward and backward at a predetermined angle about the pivot shaft.
As a result, while the vehicle body is running, the jet nozzle is raised and lowered and rotated forward and backward at a predetermined angle around the pivot axis toward the ceiling surface, surrounding wall surface, floor surface, etc. of the livestock barn. Not only the floor surface can be cleaned, but also the water trays, feeding trays, etc. placed along the travel line can be evenly cleaned.

It is preferable that a hose through which cleaning liquid is fed under pressure is connected to the cleaning module, and a hose reel for winding up the excess of the hose is rotatably provided on the vehicle body.
As the vehicle moves through the barn, the hose is pulled out from the hose reel, but when the vehicle turns and returns to the adjacent running line, the excess hose that has been pulled out is re-wound onto the hose reel. By doing so, the excess hose will not drag on the floor and will not interfere with the running operation of the vehicle or cleaning operations.

It is possible to automatically clean ceilings, walls, floors, etc. in large-scale livestock barns with self-position estimation and autonomous driving, while saving labor, and even when cleaning liquid is sprayed from the spray nozzle, the lifting mechanism does not work. It is possible to provide a livestock shed cleaning device that is mechanically stable and can be easily operated remotely.

They are a front view, a right side view, and a plan view of the poultry house cleaning device. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of the poultry house cleaning device with the cleaning module in a normal position and a position raised from the normal position. They are a front view, a top view, and a right side view of the poultry house cleaning device running inside the poultry house. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the translational movement of the poultry house cleaning device inside the poultry house, and a plan view showing the turning movement of the poultry house cleaning device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between imaging by an imaging camera and a travel line. FIG. 2 is a plan view explanatory diagram showing a deviation between the traveling posture of the vehicle body and the traveling line, and an explanatory diagram of a captured image. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing ceiling cleaning, floor cleaning, feeding tray, and water cup cleaning operations of the poultry house cleaning device. FIG. 3 is a state diagram showing the turning operation of the jet nozzle. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of an electrical module. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an input screen showing cleaning route settings of the poultry house cleaning device. FIG. 11 is an input screen diagram showing preset cleaning conditions for each route associated with the cleaning route setting in FIG. 10 and an explanatory diagram of an input screen showing cleaning routes in a poultry house according to another example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A schematic configuration of a livestock shed cleaning device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. The livestock shed cleaning device 1 is a trackless vehicle in which a cleaning module 4 is mounted on a vehicle body 2 and autonomously travels to a designated location. In the following, a poultry house cleaning device 1 for washing the inside of a poultry house 12 with water will be described as an example. The poultry house cleaning device 1 of this embodiment uses both image information from the imaging camera 5a and coordinate information from the range sensor 5b (LiDAR), as will be described later, and preferentially uses one of them depending on the environment inside the poultry house 12. This increases the reliability of the autonomous running operation within the poultry house 12.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), when a cleaning route is input from an input terminal, the poultry house cleaning apparatus 1 recognizes a predetermined running line M (see FIG. 5) using a sensor module 5. The vehicle autonomously travels using the travel module 3, and performs a cleaning operation while traveling inside the livestock shed 12 (see FIG. 4(b)) by spouting cleaning liquid from the cleaning module 4 mounted on the vehicle body 2.
A travel module 3 is provided at the bottom of the vehicle body 2. The traveling module 3 has a front wheel 3a (driving wheel) which is rotatably driven by a pair of drive motors (not shown), and a pair of rear wheels 3b (driven wheel) which are rotated by a pair of drive motors (not shown) at the bottom of the vehicle body 2. Drive is transmitted from a drive motor to each front wheel 3a via a coupling. Note that the drive may be transmitted from the drive motor through a clutch mechanism such as an electromagnetic clutch. Moreover, the pair of rear wheels 3b are flexible wheels with casters. A pneumatic tire or a puncture-free tire is used for the front wheel 3a and the rear wheel 3b. Further, a battery case 3c (see FIG. 1(b)) is provided at the bottom of the vehicle body 2, and a rechargeable battery (not shown) is installed in the battery case 3c. The batteries each supply power to a pair of drive motors.

The drive motors of the pair of front wheels 3a are controlled by a control unit, which will be described later, via a motor drive module, and by making the rotational speed and number of rotations of the left and right wheels the same or changing them, translational movement or turning movement is realized. It has become. The rotational speed and rotational position of the left and right front wheels 3a are transmitted to a control section, which will be described later, based on a rotational signal from the drive motor. Note that when the vehicle main body 2 is to run freely, the brake can be released or the clutch mechanism can be released to allow the vehicle to run.

As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), a cleaning module 4 is mounted on the vehicle body 2. The cleaning module 4 is mounted on the upper part of the vehicle body 2 and surrounded by a cylindrical exterior panel 4a. Inside the exterior panel 4a, a lifting pipe 4b and a spray module 4d including a spray nozzle 4c at its tip are integrally assembled. The ejection nozzle 4c is installed at the longitudinal end of the elevating pipe 4b so as to follow the elevating direction. The elevating pipe 4b is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the base portion 4e, and is housed in a nested manner. The spray module 4d is connected to the tip of a telescopic rod 4g that is extended and contracted by an actuator 4f (for example, an electric actuator), and is also connected to the lifting pipe 4b. The spray module 4d includes a swing motor with an absolute encoder (see Fig. 2(b)) that rotates the jet nozzle 4c around a swing shaft 4h (see Fig. 2(b)) disposed perpendicular to the lifting direction (lifting pipe 4b). (not shown) is built-in. High-pressure water is supplied to the jet nozzle 4c through a hose from a power sprayer (not shown) prepared separately from the vehicle main body 2, and by opening a solenoid valve (described later), cleaning water is jetted out from the jet nozzle. It is designed to eject from 4c.

When the actuator 4f is operated from the state shown in FIG. 2(a), the telescopic rod 4g extends upward as shown in FIG. 2(b), and the spray module 4d rises from the base portion 4e together with the elevating pipe 4b. A hose that supplies cleaning water to the spray module 4d, electrical wiring for the swing motor, and the like are protected by a cable carrier 4i and connected to the vehicle body 2. The cleaning operation is performed by spouting cleaning water from the spout nozzle 4c toward the ceiling of the poultry house, the surrounding walls of the poultry house, the floor, etc. while rotating the whirling motor in forward and reverse directions to rotate the spout nozzle 4c at a predetermined angle around the pivot shaft 4h. will be held. The cleaning range can be approximately 270° around the pivot axis 4h, including both left and right sides with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2. Note that the cleaning range can be changed as appropriate.

In this way, since the direction in which the cleaning liquid (or disinfectant) is ejected from the jet nozzle 4c and the direction in which the elevating pipe 4b is raised and lowered are the same, the elevating pipe 4b is not twisted by the reaction force of the ejecting cleaning liquid. Further, the ejection nozzle 4c is extended to the tip of the elevating pipe 4b, and the length of the elevating pipe 4b is limited, and the rotating axis 4h is perpendicular to the elevating direction. Deflection and vibration can be minimized, allowing cleaning work to be carried out in a mechanically stable state.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), the cleaning module 4 is rotatably provided on the vehicle body 2 with a hose reel 4j wound around a hose through which cleaning liquid is fed under pressure. The hose reel 4j includes a hose reel winding mechanism that is rotated by an electric motor (not shown) to wind up the hose, and a hose irregular winding prevention mechanism (not shown) that corrects the imbalance of the hose wound around the hose reel 4j. , a solenoid valve (not shown) that supplies the high-pressure cleaning water supplied into the hose to the jet nozzle 4c. The electric motor is provided with a one-way clutch, which rotates by inertia in the direction in which the hose is pulled out from the hose reel 4j, and is driven to rotate only in the direction in which excess hose is wound up. When the hose reel 4j rotates in either direction, the hose reel irregular winding prevention mechanism acts in synchronization with the rotation of the hose reel 4j. When the poultry house cleaning device 1 runs autonomously, when the vehicle body 1 makes a U-turn and returns, it runs while winding up the excess hose with the hose reel winding mechanism.

In this way, when the vehicle body 2 autonomously travels inside the poultry house, the hose is pulled out from the hose reel 4j, but when the vehicle body 2 turns and returns by making a U-turn on the adjacent running line, the pulled out hose By winding up the excess onto the hose reel 4j without getting entangled or stepping on the floor surface, the running operation of the vehicle body 2 and the cleaning work are not obstructed.

The sensor module 5 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 2. The sensor module 5 images the environment inside the livestock barn 12 and measures the distance from the livestock barn surrounding wall surface W (see FIG. 4(b)), and recognizes the surrounding environment necessary for the vehicle body 2 to autonomously travel. It is something. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(a) and 2(b), the sensor module 5 includes an imaging camera 5a (environmental understanding camera) located at the upper stage in front of the vehicle main body 2 and a measuring camera 5a at the lower stage thereof. It is equipped with a range sensor 5b (Lider: laser distance sensor). The imaging camera 5a images and reads the environment inside the poultry house 12 necessary for autonomous running. As the type of imaging camera 5a, a waterproof monocular camera is used. Note that a wide-angle camera may be used if waterproofness and the number of pixels can be ensured. As shown in FIG. 5, the imaging camera 5a captures images of the water cups 6 (first guide section) and the feeding trays 7 (second guide section) arranged in the poultry house 12, thereby making it possible to detect the water cups 6 and the feeding trays. The running attitude of the vehicle main body 2 with respect to the running line M formed between the two positions is detected, and the translational movement is controlled so as to follow the running line M (see FIG. 6).

Further, the range sensor 5b measures the distance to the object based on the difference in time between receiving the reflected light of the laser beam emitted from the laser scanner. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the range sensor 5b detects at least the distance to the front and side peripheral walls of the chicken house W of the vehicle body 2, and detects the translational movement of the vehicle body 2 and the distance to the adjacent running line. The turning motion is controlled. The range sensor 5b estimates its own position by emitting laser light and acquiring 3D (x, y, z coordinate) point group data. The range sensor 5b is used not only to estimate the position but also to detect obstacles when the poultry house cleaning device 1 is running.

As shown in FIG. 5, inside the poultry house 12, there is a water supply line L1 in which water cups 6 are lined up in series along a water supply pipe suspended from the ceiling along its longitudinal direction, and a mounting arm suspended from the ceiling. Feeding lines L2 in which feeding plates 7 are lined up in series are alternately arranged along the line. Incidentally, the water supply cup 6 is a receptacle to prevent water spilled when the chickens drink water from the nipple attached to the water supply pipe, or water leaked from the nipple due to vibration etc. from getting the floor wet.
The imaging camera 5a images the water supply cup 6 and the feeding tray 7, thereby recognizing the traveling line M formed between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2 in the vehicle body 2. Let M' be the actual running line. The amount of positional deviation and inclination of the traveling line M' of the vehicle body 2 with respect to the traveling line M is estimated from the captured image, and the operation of the traveling module 3, that is, the drive motor that rotationally drives the pair of front wheels 3a is controlled. The translational movement of the vehicle body 2 is controlled so as to follow the travel line M.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the imaging camera 5a identifies the water supply line L1 where the water supply cup 6 is provided and the feeding line L2 where the feeder 7 is provided from the captured images. recognize. At this time, a traveling line M is recognized at the intermediate portion between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2. By drawing a perpendicular line V at the center of the image of the imaging camera 5a, the inclination angle θ between the perpendicular line V and the traveling line M indicates the amount of deviation in the attitude (orientation) of the vehicle body 2. Further, by drawing a parallel line M' to the running line M passing through the center of the image of the imaging camera 5a, the distance D between the running line M and the parallel line M' becomes the amount of deviation from the running line M. FIG. 6(b) shows the tilt angle θ and the shift amount D displayed on the captured image. The electrical module 8 controls the drive amount of the pair of drive motors of the travel module 3 so that the vehicle body 2 traces the travel line M so that the tilt angle θ and the deviation amount D become zero. run it.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), there are relatively few obstacles in the poultry house 12 that can be imaged by the imaging camera 5a, and when the reliability of the imaged image data is low, the obstacles obtained by the range sensor 5b are Self-position estimation is performed by measuring the distance to the object and using it preferentially.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when the vehicle main body 2 is first arranged along the peripheral wall W of the poultry house and is driven between the peripheral wall W of the poultry house and the water supply line L1, the range sensor 5b detects the distance to the chicken house surrounding wall surface W on the front and side of the vehicle body 2, and recognizes the running line M (see FIG. 5) formed between the chicken house surrounding wall surface W and the water supply line L1. The operation of the traveling module 3, that is, the control of the drive motors that rotate each of the pair of front wheels 3a, is performed by estimating the tilt angle θ and the amount of deviation D of the vehicle body 2 with respect to the traveling line M (FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). )reference). When the water supply cup 6 (water supply line L1) cannot be recognized from the image taken by the imaging camera 5a, the vehicle travels while preferentially applying the measurement data of the distance to the chicken house surrounding wall surface W in front of the vehicle body 2 measured by the range sensor 5b. The operation of the module 3 is controlled to turn the vehicle body 2 in either the left or right direction. Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the vehicle main body 2 is translated along the traveling line M recognized between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2. Thereafter, similarly, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the vehicle body 2 can be moved autonomously within the poultry house 12 by repeatedly translating between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2 and turning to the next line. can.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when the vehicle body 2 performs a turning operation, the elevating pipe 4b is lowered and housed coaxially in the base portion 4e to lower the height position of the jet nozzle 4c. This is preferable in terms of running stability (see FIG. 2(a)). When the vehicle main body 2 shifts to a translational motion, it is preferable to raise the elevating pipe 4b to the original height position and raise the height position of the jet nozzle 4c to perform the cleaning operation (see FIG. 2(b)). .

Note that inside the poultry house 12, where there are few obstacles around, the density of point cloud data obtained from the range sensor 5b is not sufficient, and there is a possibility that the current position of the vehicle body 2 may be lost. Therefore, self-position estimation based on image data of the water cup 6 and feeding tray 7 by the imaging camera 5a and self-position estimation based on distance data to the peripheral wall W of the poultry house from the range sensor 5b are used together to maintain self-position estimation accuracy. are doing. In this way, environmental data specific to the poultry house 12 is detected by the imaging camera 5a and the range sensor 5b, and self-position estimation is performed by using these together or preferentially to improve the accuracy of autonomous running. There is.

An example of a cleaning operation using the cleaning module 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7(a) is an explanatory diagram of the operation when cleaning the ceiling surface of a poultry house. Cleaning is performed while jetting high-pressure cleaning water toward the ceiling surface from a jetting nozzle 4c provided at the tip of the lifting pipe 4b, while rotating at a predetermined angle about the pivot shaft 4g. It is preferable that the jet nozzle 4c is rotated by a predetermined angle from the upright position (see FIG. 8(a)) to both left and right sides (see FIG. 8(d)). Although the number of nozzles is one, it can be increased to a plurality of nozzles if necessary. When the ceiling surface is high, the actuator 4f can raise the telescopic rod 4g to bring the jet nozzle 4c close to the ceiling surface for cleaning. Further, when the water supply pipe suspended and supported from the ceiling along the water supply line L1 is rolled up near the ceiling, the cleaning effect can be enhanced by moving while shaking the jet nozzle 4c little by little.

FIG. 7(b) is an explanatory diagram of the operation when cleaning the floor of a poultry house. In this case, it is preferable to wash the jet nozzle 4c while rotating it vertically at a predetermined angle from an obliquely downward position (see FIGS. 8(b), 8(c), and 8(e)).

FIG. 7(c) is an explanatory diagram of the operation when cleaning the water cup 6 and feeding tray 7 placed in the poultry house. In this case, it is preferable to wash the jet nozzle 4c while rotating it vertically at a predetermined angle from a horizontal position. This can be done in the same way when cleaning the surrounding wall surface W of the poultry house. Incidentally, an inlet constituting an air conditioner provided on the peripheral wall surface W of the poultry house is opened and closed in order to exchange the air and adjust the temperature inside the poultry house. Dust tends to accumulate in this inlet, and dust tends to adhere to the surrounding walls. Therefore, when cleaning, the cleaning effect can be enhanced by running the jet nozzle 4c while rotating it little by little, similarly to the water supply cup 6 and the feeding tray 7.

In FIG. 9, the electrical module 8 that constitutes the control system of the poultry house cleaning device 1 will be explained with reference to a block diagram. The electrical module 8 controls the traveling operation of the traveling module 3 based on the image information detected by the sensor module 5 and the distance information from the poultry house surrounding wall surface W, and also controls the cleaning operation by the cleaning module 4 according to the traveling route. do. The electrical module 8 includes a microcomputer 8a, a memory 8b, a communication circuit 8c, and the like. The imaging camera 5a and range sensor 5b are also connected to the electrical module 8 via a communication interface (not shown), and transmit imaged or measured data to the electrical module 8.

The microcomputer 8a is a processor or a control circuit (computer) that performs calculations to control the operation of the poultry house cleaning device 1. Typically, the microcomputer 8a is a semiconductor integrated circuit. The microcomputer 8a transmits a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal, which is a control signal, to the motor drive circuit of the traveling module 3 to adjust the voltage applied to the drive motor. This allows the pair of front wheels 3a to rotate at a desired rotational speed. Further, the microcomputer 8a controls the cleaning operation in the livestock barn 12 along the cleaning path by the cleaning module 4. That is, a height command and a valve opening command for the jet nozzle 4c are sent to the cleaning module 4, a swing command for the jet nozzle 4c is sent to the swing motor, and the swing operation of the jet nozzle 4c is monitored from the encoder output. Control cleaning operations. Furthermore, the microcomputer 8a estimates the self-position of the vehicle body 2 in the livestock shed based on the measurement data detected from the imaging camera 5a and the range sensor 5b, and controls the traveling operation of the traveling module 3 based on the position estimation. In addition, it controls the cleaning operation by the cleaning module 4.

The memory 8b is a volatile storage device that stores computer programs executed by the microcomputer 8a. The memory 8b temporarily stores input data and is also used as a work area when the microcomputer 8a performs calculations such as position estimation.

The communication circuit 8c can perform wireless communication based on wireless LAN, wireless WAN, etc. between the controller 10 or the touch panel 11 (input terminal) and the communication circuit 8c. Environmental map data within the poultry house 12 is stored in the external storage device 9 in advance. One or more pieces of travel route data are stored in the external storage device 9 after the environmental map data is created. Further, the cleaning program for the poultry house 12 is stored in the external storage device 9 in advance. The user operates the controller 10 or touch panel 11 to input a travel route in advance based on the environmental map data in the poultry house 12, and inputs a cleaning command to start autonomous travel according to the travel route by the travel module 3, The cleaning operation by the cleaning module 4 is started according to the cleaning program. Note that the user can also operate the poultry house cleaning device 1 manually from the controller 10 or the touch panel 11. Thereby, the automatic cleaning operation can be controlled by remotely operating the poultry house cleaning device 1 from the controller 10 or the touch panel 11. Further, it is also possible to check the state of cleaning inside the poultry house 12 and the occurrence of troubles such as intruders by remote control through the imaging camera 5a.

Note that the controller 10 or the touch panel 11 is remotely controlled using a smartphone or tablet terminal installed with robot operation application software such as Android (registered trademark) or iOS (mobile operating system).
Although the environmental map data and cleaning program for the poultry house 12 are stored in advance in the external storage device 9, a data storage section is provided inside the electrical module 8 to store the environmental map data and cleaning program as a non-volatile storage device. You may also do so.

Next, an example of cleaning work inside a poultry house using the poultry house cleaning device 1 will be described with reference to explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 10(a) to (d).
First, map data inside the poultry house 12 is created on the screen of the input terminal (controller 10 or touch panel 11) by operating FIG. 10(a). Specifically, the equipment layout is input on a virtual plane inside the poultry house 12. For example, inside the poultry house 12, there is a water supply line L1 in which a water supply pipe that supplies water from the ceiling surface to a water supply cup 6 (not shown) is suspended and supported along the longitudinal direction, and a feeding line in which feeding trays 7 are lined up at predetermined intervals. L2 are arranged alternately, and heating devices 13 are arranged at equal intervals in the middle.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the dimensions of the equipment layout are then input on the virtual screen of the input terminal. Specifically, the external dimensions of the poultry house 12 (vertical dimension a, horizontal dimension b), the distance c between the peripheral wall surface W of the poultry house and the water supply line L1, the distance d between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2, and the water supply line L1 The distance e between them is input.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the cleaning path 14 is set on the virtual screen of the input terminal. Specifically, a cleaning start position ST, a cleaning end position END, and an intermediate route (indicated by a broken line) are set. From the cleaning start position ST provided at the upper left corner of one end of the poultry house 12 in the longitudinal direction, to the right side in the longitudinal direction of the poultry house 12, passing between the peripheral wall surface W of the poultry house and the water supply line L1, and at the other end of the poultry house 12 in the longitudinal direction. Make a U-turn and move alternately between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2, pass under the heating device 13, and then move alternately between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2 in the same way, and move to the peripheral wall of the poultry house. The cleaning path 14 is set so that the cleaning operation ends at a cleaning end position END provided at the lower right corner on the opposite longitudinal side of the poultry house 12 between W and the water supply line L1.

In FIG. 10(d), the poultry house cleaning device 1 is placed at the cleaning start position ST (upper left corner of one longitudinal end of the poultry house 12), and the poultry house cleaning device 1 is moved along the cleaning path 14 set in FIG. 10(c). This shows a state in which the cleaning operation is started while the vehicle 1 is running. The orientation of the vehicle body 2 for each cleaning path 14 is automatically set by the system. In FIG. 10(d), the apex position indicated by a white triangle indicates the forward direction in the moving direction of the poultry house cleaning device 1.

As described above, the range sensor 5b of the vehicle main body 2 detects the distance to the chicken house surrounding wall surface W in front and on the side of the vehicle main body 2, and recognizes the running line M between the chicken house surrounding wall surface W and the water supply line L1. The image pickup camera 5a images the water supply cup 6 and the feeding tray 7, thereby recognizing the running line M between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2, and causing the machine to run (see FIG. 4(b)). (see 5). The electrical module 8 calculates the inclination angle θ and positional deviation amount D of the vehicle main body 2 with respect to the running line M, and controls the translational movement of the running module 3, that is, the drive motor that rotationally drives each of the pair of front wheels 3a. (See FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). When the water cup 6 can no longer be recognized from the captured image of the imaging camera 5a, it is determined from the distance to the chicken house surrounding wall surface W (longitudinal direction surrounding wall surface W of the chicken house 12) in front of the vehicle main body 2 in the traveling direction measured by the range sensor 5b. The operation of the traveling module 3 is controlled to cause the vehicle body 2 to turn so as to make a U-turn.

Further, a power sprayer installed outside the poultry house 12 is activated, and a pump is used to force-feed cleaning liquid to the poultry house cleaning device 1 via a hose. The cleaning operation of the poultry house 12 by the cleaning module 4 is performed by adjusting the height of the jet nozzle 4c toward the ceiling surface, peripheral wall surface, floor surface, water supply cup 6, and feeding tray 7, and jetting the cleaning liquid while rotating the jet nozzle 4c. will be held.
As shown in FIG. 11(a), presets regarding cleaning conditions are provided for each travel line along the cleaning path 14 from the cleaning start position ST. For example, cleaning conditions such as whether to clean the ceiling or walls, traveling speed, and the turning angle of the jet nozzle 4c can be set in detail for each path at the same time as the cleaning path 14 is set.

Note that when the vehicle body 2 is translated from the cleaning operation start position ST, the hose connected to the pump installed outside the poultry house 12 is pulled out from the hose reel 4j, but when it makes a U turn and translates, the hose reel 4j is wound. By removing the hose, it is possible to prevent the excess hose from getting tangled or being stepped on by the vehicle body 2.

By repeating the above operations, when the vehicle main body 2 reaches the cleaning end position END (lower right corner on the opposite longitudinal side of the poultry house 12) of the cleaning path 14 shown in FIG. 10(d), the cleaning operation ends.
When the cleaning operation is finished, the user can use the poultry house cleaning device 1 for cleaning the next poultry house 12, so the user can move it manually or put it on a light truck or the like prepared outside the poultry house 12. can. Incidentally, the poultry house cleaning device 1 used is a small device with dimensions of about L1300 x W840 x H1600 to 2400 mm.

FIG. 11(b) is an explanatory diagram of an input screen showing the cleaning path 14 in the poultry house 12 according to another example. FIG. 10(c) shows the equipment arrangement inside the poultry house 12, along the longitudinal direction of the poultry house 12 from the equipment cleaning start position ST, between the poultry house surrounding wall surface W and the water supply line L1, between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2, and the heating Although an example is shown in which the vehicle passes under the device 13 alternately, the travel route may be such that the vehicle skips any travel lane. For example, FIG. 11(b) shows a route that skips the running line below the heating device 13 from between the upper water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2 and runs between the lower water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2. In addition, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 11(b), for example, the poultry house cleaning device 1 is moved forward and backward within the same running line between the water supply line L1 and the feeding line L2 without changing the direction, and the cleaning end position is It is also possible to end the cleaning operation at END.

Incidentally, when the imaging camera 5a or the range sensor 5b detects an irregular obstacle or person while the vehicle body 2 is traveling, the vehicle body 2 may temporarily stop traveling and interrupt the cleaning operation. . Further, by taking an image of the inside of the poultry house 12 using the imaging camera 5a mounted on the vehicle body 2, it is possible to check the cleaning state. The cleaning operation by the poultry house cleaning device 1 corresponds to pre-washing of the poultry house ceiling, peripheral walls, and floor, so if there is any leftover cleaning, the user may perform a final wash as necessary. . Since the poultry house cleaning device 1 operates on battery power, when the amount of charge becomes low, the cleaning operation is stopped, the controller 10 and touch panel 11 are notified that the remaining battery power is low, and the battery is charged. You may also encourage this.

As explained above, by performing self-position estimation using the sensor module 5 in the large-scale poultry house 12 and cleaning the traveling module 3 while autonomously traveling along a predetermined traveling line M, the ceiling surface of the poultry house 12 can be cleaned. It is possible to save labor and automate the cleaning work of walls, floors, etc.
Furthermore, even if cleaning liquid is jetted from the jet nozzle 4c provided at the tip of the vehicle body 2 in the vertical direction, the vertical movement mechanism is unlikely to vibrate due to the reaction force of the nozzle, and cleaning work can be performed in a mechanically stable state. .
Further, the electrical equipment module 8 controls the translational movement or rotational movement of the traveling module 3 while estimating its own position based on the poultry house image information detected by the sensor module 5 and the distance information from the poultry house surrounding wall surface W, and also controls the translational movement or turning movement of the cleaning module 4. control the cleaning operation. Therefore, while the sensor module 5 recognizes the travel line M along the cleaning path 14 inputted in advance, the vehicle body 2 repeats the translational motion or the turning motion, thereby thoroughly cleaning the inside of the poultry house 12 while making a U-turn. .

In this embodiment, the poultry house cleaning apparatus 1 is illustrated, but it can be customized for cleaning livestock houses of other livestock such as cows and pigs.
Further, although the poultry house cleaning device 1 for washing the poultry house 12 with water has been illustrated, it can also be used as a poultry house disinfection device for disinfecting the inside of the poultry house 12 using not only a cleaning solution but also a disinfectant.
In addition, when there are many obstacles in the livestock barn, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) performs self-position estimation by creating environmental map data inside the livestock barn and comparing it with point cloud data measured from the range sensor 5b. It is also possible to install self-position estimation and environmental mapping (simultaneous execution). In this case, the environmental map data is created in advance by autonomously driving the poultry house cleaning device 1 inside the livestock house, and stored in the data storage section of the electrical module 8. The cleaning operation can be performed while estimating the amount of movement and position of the vehicle body 2 by matching the point cloud data measured from the range sensor 5b with the environmental map data stored in the data storage unit in advance.
Further, although Lidar is used as the range sensor 5b, other sensors such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a radar sensor using radio waves may be used instead.

1 Poultry house cleaning device 2 Vehicle body 3 Traveling module 3a Front wheel 3b Rear wheel 3c Battery case 4 Cleaning module 4a Exterior panel 4b Lifting pipe 4c Spray nozzle 4d Spray module 4e Base portion 4f Actuator 4g Telescopic rod 4h Swivel shaft 4i Cable carrier 4j Hose reel 5 Sensor module 5a Imaging camera 5b Range sensor 6 Water supply cup 7 Feeding plate 8 Electrical module 9 External storage device 10 Controller 11 Touch panel 12 Poultry house 13 Heating device 14 Cleaning path L1 Water supply line L2 Feeding line M Running line W Poultry house surrounding wall surface

Claims (7)

A livestock barn cleaning device that performs a cleaning operation inside the livestock barn by spouting cleaning liquid from the vehicle body while autonomously traveling along a cleaning route input from an input terminal,
a traveling module having a drive wheel and a driven wheel that are rotated by a pair of drive motors and a driven wheel that is rotated by a pair of drive motors at the bottom of the vehicle body;
a cleaning module that can be raised and lowered from the vehicle body and can be rotated, and that sprays cleaning liquid from a jet nozzle that extends toward the tip in the vertical direction to perform a cleaning operation in the livestock barn along the cleaning path;
a sensor module that is provided in front of the vehicle main body in the traveling direction and is capable of capturing an image of the environment inside the livestock barn and measuring a distance to a surrounding wall surface of the livestock barn;
Estimating the self-position of the vehicle body in a livestock barn based on measurement data detected by the sensor module, controlling the traveling operation of the vehicle body by the traveling module according to the position estimation, and controlling the cleaning operation by the cleaning module. A livestock barn cleaning device characterized by comprising: an electrical module for controlling; The sensor module includes an imaging camera for recognizing the surrounding environment necessary for autonomous driving and a range sensor for measuring the distance to the surrounding wall of the livestock barn,
The inclination angle and positional deviation amount of the vehicle body with respect to the running line recognized between the first and second guide parts by the imaging camera capturing images of the first guide part and the second guide part arranged in the livestock barn. , and the translational movement is controlled so as to follow the running line, and the range sensor detects at least a distance in front of the vehicle main body to a peripheral wall of the livestock barn, and turns the vehicle main body to an adjacent running line. 2. The livestock barn cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating motion is controlled. The livestock house is a chicken house, and is provided with a water supply line along water cups arranged along the longitudinal direction of the chicken house, and a feeding line along feeding trays arranged along the longitudinal direction of the chicken house, and the imaging camera 3. The livestock barn cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein a translational movement along a running line recognized between the water supply line and the feeding line is controlled by capturing images of the water supply cup and the feeding tray. The electrical module is equipped with a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an input terminal, and has map data regarding the size of the inside of the livestock barn and the arrangement of guide parts in the livestock barn stored in the storage section, and the input terminal can transmit data according to the map data. 2. The livestock barn cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein when a travel route is inputted, the travel operation of the travel module and the cleaning operation of the cleaning module are controlled in accordance with the travel route. 2. The cleaning module according to claim 1, wherein a jet nozzle extending in the vertical direction at the tip of a lifting arm is rotated by a motor, and a pivot axis of the jet nozzle is arranged perpendicular to the jetting direction. Livestock cleaning equipment. 6. The livestock barn cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning module jets the cleaning liquid while driving the jet nozzle to rotate forward and backward at a predetermined angle around the pivot axis while directing the jetting nozzle toward the ceiling surface, surrounding wall surface, and floor surface of the livestock barn. . 2. The livestock shed cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a hose through which cleaning fluid is force-fed is connected to the cleaning module, and a hose reel for winding up excess of the hose is rotatably provided on the vehicle body.