JP2023160358A - Control method for flying body, control program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To more appropriately acquire the situation around a work vehicle.SOLUTION: There is provided a control method for a flying body for controlling a flying position of a flying body that flies with a camera mounted thereon with respect to the position of a work vehicle. A control unit includes a vehicle position acquisition step of acquiring information on the position of the work vehicle, and a flying body position acquisition step of acquiring information on the position of the flying body (step S1). The control unit includes a position control step of controlling a relative position of the flying body to the work vehicle so that the flying body flies above and in front in the direction of travel of the work vehicle based on information obtained through the vehicle position acquisition step and the flying body position acquisition step, and a changing step of, when the work vehicle travels straight on, changing the relative position so that the clearance between the work vehicle and the flying body becomes a first distance when the speed of the work vehicle is a first speed, and the clearance becomes a second distance longer than the first distance when the speed of the work vehicle is a second speed faster than the first speed (step S4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a control method, a control program, and a recording medium for an aircraft equipped with a camera flown on a work vehicle used for agricultural work.

Conventionally, when a combine harvester, which is an example of a work vehicle used for agricultural work, is used in the field, a technology that allows a drone (flying object) equipped with a camera to fly close to the combine harvester in order to obtain the surrounding conditions of the combine harvester. was known. As such technology, for example, a technology has been developed in which the relative position of the drone with respect to the combine harvester is set in advance at multiple locations, and the worker selects one of the multiple relative positions to position the drone (patented). (See Reference 1). According to this drone control method, the operator does not need to set the relative position of the drone in detail while performing work using the combine harvester, and operability can be simplified.

JP 2019-175312 Publication

However, in the drone control method described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the relative position of the drone can only be set at a preset location, and for example, the relative position of the drone can be set in detail according to the traveling speed of the combine harvester. I couldn't. For this reason, it has been difficult to accurately acquire the surrounding situation of the work vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a flying object, a control program, and a recording medium that can more accurately acquire the surrounding situation of a work vehicle.

A method for controlling a flying object (100) according to the present invention is to determine the flight position of a flying object (100) equipped with a camera (103) with respect to the position of a working vehicle (1) traveling in a field (30). A method for controlling a flying object (100) controlled by a control device (10), comprising:
a vehicle position acquisition step in which the control device (10) acquires position information of the work vehicle (1);
an aircraft position acquisition step in which the control device (10) acquires position information of the aircraft (100);
The control device (10) causes the flying object (100) to fly above the working vehicle (1) in the forward direction of movement based on the information obtained in the vehicle position acquisition step and the flying object position acquisition step. a position control step of controlling the relative position of the flying object (100) with respect to the work vehicle (1);
When the work vehicle (1) is traveling straight and the speed of the work vehicle (1) is a first speed, the control device (10) controls the work vehicle (1) and the flying object (100). The separation distance from the working vehicle (1) is a first distance, and when the speed of the work vehicle (1) is a second speed faster than the first speed, the separation distance is a second distance longer than the first distance, and a changing step of changing the relative position.

For example, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6(a) and (b), in the position control step, the control device (10) is configured to allow the flying object (100) to plant crops in the field (30). When the boundary line of the range is reached, the movement of the flying object (100) in the traveling direction is restricted.

For example, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 66(a) and (b), in the position control step, the control device (10) controls the flying object (100) while the work vehicle (1) is turning. to hover and fly.

For example, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7(a) and (b), the work vehicle (1) includes a grain tank (8) for storing threshed grains, and a grain tank (8) for storing threshed grains. A combine harvester (1) having a discharge auger (9) for discharging grains outside the machine,
A discharge control step is provided in which the control device (10) controls the flying object (100) to hover over the tip of the discharge auger (9) when grains are discharged by the combine (1).

For example, with reference to FIG. 8, the work vehicle (1) is a combine harvester (1) having a reaping section (4) that performs the work of reaping grain culms in the field (30),
The control device (10) adjusts the reaping speed in the reaping section (4) and the vehicle speed of the work vehicle (1) based on lodging information of grain culms acquired from the camera (103). Equipped with a process.

The control program of the present invention causes a computer to execute each step of the method for controlling the flying object (100) described above.

A computer readable recording medium of the present invention records the control program described above.

Note that the above-mentioned symbols in parentheses are for contrast with the drawings, but do not limit the configuration of the present invention in any way.

According to the present invention according to claim 1, as the traveling speed increases, the distance is photographed, so a quick response is possible, and as the traveling speed decreases, the nearby area is photographed, so that it is possible to take pictures of the vicinity of the divider near the shore. You can also check. Therefore, the situation around the work vehicle can be acquired more accurately.

The present invention according to claim 2 can prevent the flying object from leaving the field.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by stopping the following flight of the flying object accompanying the turning of the work vehicle, unnecessary flying can be reduced, battery consumption can be suppressed, and flight time can be extended. Moreover, followability at the edge of the ridge can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the truck bed can be viewed from above by using the flying object, the discharging work can be carried out efficiently. In addition, the amount of grain loss can be determined by photographing the waste from the work vehicle after harvesting and analyzing the image.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by analyzing the image data of the flying object, detailed settings of the work vehicle can be automatically made, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. It is particularly effective for reaping fallen timber. Therefore, more appropriate mowing work can be performed.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a combine harvester and a drone according to an embodiment. A block diagram showing a combine harvester. A block diagram showing a drone. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of a method for controlling an aircraft. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the relative positions of the combine harvester and the drone; (a) is a state where the combine is stopped, (b) is a state where the combine is moving forward at low speed, and (c) is a state where the combine is moving forward at high speed. be. It is a top view which shows the relative position of a combine and a drone, (a) is a state before a combine turns, (b) is a state after a combine is turned. It is a figure which shows the relative position of a combine harvester and a drone at the time of discharge, (a) is a rear view, (b) is a top view. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for reaping adjustment control by a combine harvester.

[combine]
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for controlling an aircraft that implements the control system for an aircraft according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the method for controlling a flying object of the present invention is applied to a method for controlling a drone 100 that flies around a combine harvester 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the combine 1 according to the present embodiment includes a traveling body 3 supported by a pair of left and right crawler traveling devices 2. A reaping section 4 for reaping grain culms in the field is provided in front of the traveling machine 3 so as to be able to move up and down, and an operator is seated on one side of the front of the traveling machine 3 to operate the combine harvester 1. A driving operation section 5 is provided. On the other side of the traveling machine body 3, a threshing section 6 is provided for threshing the grain culm harvested and conveyed by the reaping section 4, and below the threshing section 6, the threshed material is sorted. A sorting section 7 is provided.

A grain tank 8 for storing the threshed grains sorted by the sorting part 7 is arranged behind the operation section 5, and behind the grain tank 8, the grains stored in the grain tank 8 are stored. A discharge auger 9 is provided to discharge the water to the outside of the machine. In this embodiment, the front direction is defined as the front direction facing the operator seated on the operation control unit 5 of the combine harvester 1 placed horizontally. An engine (not shown) is provided at the right front part of the traveling body 3, and the power generated by the engine is branched into power for the traveling system and power for the work system. The power of the traveling system is transmitted to the left and right crawler-type traveling devices 2, and the power of the working system is transmitted to the reaping section 4 via a reaping clutch (not shown) and to the threshing section 4 via a threshing clutch (not shown). 6 and the grain tank 8, etc.

As shown in FIG. 2, the combine 1 is equipped with an ECU (Electric Control Unit) 10, which is an example of a control device that is connected to the traveling body 3 and controls the traveling body 3. The ECU 10 is constituted by a microcomputer including a CPU and a storage section 11 such as ROM or RAM, and is capable of executing a method of controlling the aircraft. The storage unit 11 stores field map information 12 (field information) acquired in advance and travel route information 13 acquired in advance. In this embodiment, the driving route information 13 is referred to in the case of automatic driving, but the driving route information 13 is not necessarily used in the case of manual driving by an operator. The storage unit 11 also includes an image analysis processing unit 14 that analyzes image information acquired from the drone 100, and stores lodging map information 15 of grain culms acquired by analyzing the image information acquired from the drone 100. Furthermore, the storage unit 11 includes a reaping adjustment unit 16 that adjusts the reaping unit 4 and a travel adjustment unit 17 that adjusts the crawler type traveling device 2. The storage unit 11 stores a control program for controlling each part of the combine 1 and the drone 100. The ECU 10 executes a control program stored in the storage unit 11 to control each part of the combine 1 and the drone 100.

In this embodiment, a RAM or ROM is used as the storage unit 11, but the storage medium is not limited to these, and examples include magnetic storage media (floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, etc.), optical disks (MO, PD, etc.). magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.), semiconductor storage, paper tape, ROM Examples include elements.

Note that the processing program of the ECU 10 for realizing the method for controlling an aircraft according to the present embodiment can be stored in the storage unit 11 made up of ROM or RAM, or a storage device made up of an HDD, SSD, or the like. In that case, the processing program of the ECU 10 for realizing the method of controlling the flying object can be supplied to each of the above-mentioned storage units via the network interface, and can be updated to a new program. Alternatively, the processing program of the ECU 10 for realizing the method of controlling the aircraft is supplied to each of the above-mentioned storage units via storage means such as various magnetic disks, optical disks, and flash memories, and a drive device for that purpose. , and its contents can be updated. Various storage means, storage units, or storage devices storing programs that can execute the processing of the ECU 10 for realizing the method of controlling an aircraft of the present invention are computer-readable records of the method of controlling an aircraft of the present invention. It is a medium.

The ECU 10 includes a communication section 18 as hardware such as an antenna and electrical components for connecting to the drone 100 and the Internet (not shown), and a monitor display section 19 disposed in the driving operation section 5 and displaying the output from the ECU 10. , and a buzzer 20 that notifies an alarm or the like. The ECU 10 is provided with various sensors for detecting operation information of the combine harvester 1, and includes, for example, a GPS sensor 21 and an IMU 22. The GPS sensor 21 is a body position detection sensor (GNSS) that receives radio waves (data) from GPS satellites, measures the position of the traveling body 3 using GPS, and transmits the acquired position information to the ECU 10. The IMU 22 consists of a 3-axis gyro and a 3-direction accelerometer, and acquires attitude information of the combine 1. In this embodiment, the combine harvester 1 is capable of both manual travel by an operator's operation and automatic travel that does not require an operator's operation. In the case of automatic driving, the ECU 10 acquires the position information and attitude information of the combine harvester 1 obtained from the GPS sensor 21 and the IMU 22, and based on the acquired position information and attitude information of the combine harvester 1, the ECU 10 sets the travel route information 13 set in advance. A steering amount is calculated so that the crawler-type traveling device 2 travels along the same direction, and the calculated steering amount is transmitted to a steering section side control section (not shown). The steering unit side control unit 42 steers the crawler type traveling device 2 so that the amount of steering becomes the instructed amount of steering.

In this embodiment, battery information of the drone 100 is displayed on the monitor display section 19. This allows the operator to detect when the battery capacity of the drone 100 has decreased while harvesting with the combine 1, leading to reduced downtime.

Connected to the ECU 10 are a reaping transport HST 23 that can adjust the reaping transport speed in the reaping section 4 and a travel HST 24 that can adjust the traveling speed. In addition, HST is a system in which the power from the engine is transmitted to the reaping section 4 or the crawler type traveling device 2 in a stepless manner by supplying oil to the hydraulic motor according to the angle of the swash plate of the hydraulic pump. This is a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission. Further, a reaping conveyance speed sensor 25 that detects the reaping conveyance speed of the reaping section 4 and a traveling speed sensor 26 that detects the traveling speed of the traveling machine body 3 are connected to the ECU 10. The reaping transport HST 23 and the traveling HST 24 adjust the reaping transport speed and the traveling speed based on the information obtained by the reaping transport speed sensor 25 and the traveling speed sensor 26 and the lodging map information 15.

Further, regarding the field information, for example, a simply photographed image may be displayed on the monitor display section 19 of the operation control section, and according to this, the field information can be utilized for reaping work. Alternatively, the captured image may be analyzed and the control of the combine harvester 1 may be automatically adjusted based on the analysis result. Further, for switching the control mode, a configuration may be adopted in which a changeover switch is provided and the control mode is manually switched. Alternatively, it may be configured to automatically switch depending on the situation.

[Drone]
Next, a drone 100, which is an example of a flying object, will be described using FIGS. 1 and 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the drone 100 includes an arm portion 101 extending outward in the horizontal direction, a propeller 102 attached to a motor 119 (see FIG. 3) provided at the tip of the arm portion 101, It has a camera 103 provided at the bottom. In this embodiment, the arm portions 101 extend in a cross direction, and a propeller 102 is supported at the tip of each arm portion 101, respectively. The camera 103 is capable of photographing the area below the drone 100, and the photographing direction can be adjusted by a swing mechanism (not shown). As the camera 103, for example, a high-sensitivity camera, an infrared camera, a multispectral camera, etc. can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drone 100 includes a control unit 110. The control unit 110 is constituted by a microcomputer including a CPU and a storage unit 111 such as ROM or RAM. The storage unit 111 stores field map information 112 acquired in advance and flight route information 113 acquired in advance. Note that in this embodiment, the flight route changes depending on the position of the combine 1, and the flight route information 113 may not be provided. The storage unit 111 also stores a target position calculation unit 114 that calculates the target position of the drone 100, a flight adjustment unit 115, and camera photography information 116 that is image information photographed by the camera 103.

Connected to the control unit 110 are a communication unit 118 as hardware such as an antenna and electrical components for wirelessly connecting to the combine harvester 1, and a motor 119 for driving the propeller 102. The control unit 110 is provided with various sensors for detecting the position and inclination of the drone 100, such as a GPS sensor 121, an IMU 122, and an altimeter 123. Since the GPS sensor 121 and IMU 122 have the same configuration as the GPS sensor 21 and IMU 22 mounted on the combine harvester 1, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The altimeter 123 includes, for example, a radar that measures the distance from below.

In this embodiment, image data acquired by the drone 100 is communicated to the combine harvester 1 so that the combine harvester 1 can receive the data. Then, the image data is analyzed by the combine harvester 1, and the reaping speed and conveyance speed of the combine harvester 1 and the threshing and sorting section are automatically controlled. However, the analysis of the image data may be performed on the drone side or on an external terminal other than the combine harvester 1 via a communication means. Further, control may be performed based on both field information and drone information obtained in advance.

[Drone flight control]
Next, the control system for the flying object in this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of a flying object control method for controlling the flight of the drone 100. The method of controlling the flying object here is a control method in which the ECU 10 controls the flight position of the drone 100 that flies and carries the camera 103 with respect to the position of the combine harvester 1 that travels in a field. As shown in FIG. 4, the ECU 10 executes information detection while the combine harvester 1 is working (step S1). Here, for example, detection of field information, detection of operation information of the combine 1 and information regarding the position, direction, and speed, and detection of imaging information by the camera 103 of the drone 100 and information regarding the position and speed are executed. That is, the ECU 10 executes a vehicle position acquisition process of acquiring position information of the combine 1 and an aircraft position acquisition process of acquiring position information of the drone 100.

The ECU 10 determines whether the combine harvester 1 is in the process of discharging grains stored in the grain tank 8 to the outside of the machine (step S2). If the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is not in the process of discharging (NO in step S2), the ECU 10 determines whether the combine harvester 1 is running (step S3). If the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is traveling (YES in step S3), the ECU 10 calculates the distance that the drone 100 is away from the combine harvester 1, and also calculates the target position of the drone 100 (step S4). ). That is, the ECU 10 controls the drone 100 relative to the combine harvester 1 so that the drone 100 flies with the target position in front of the combine harvester 1 in the forward direction based on the information obtained in the vehicle position acquisition step and the aircraft position acquisition step. A position control step is performed to control the relative position. Although the target position of the drone 100 is in principle above the front of the combine 1, it may not be above the front depending on the conditions, which will be described later.

Here, the target position of the drone 100 will be explained using FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c). 5(a) shows a state where the combine 1 is stopped, FIG. 5(b) shows a state where the combine 1 is moving forward in a straight line at a low speed (for example, 0.5 m/s), and FIG. ) respectively indicate a state in which the combine 1 is traveling forward on a straight line at high speed (for example, 1.0 m/s). In this case, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when the combine 1 is stopped, the drone 100 aims at a relative position immediately in front of the combine 1 in order to wait for the combine 1 to move forward. position, and perform a hovering flight (flight with the flight position stopped) at that position. Here, the horizontal distance from the forefront end of the combine harvester 1 to the center position of the drone 100 is defined as L0.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the combine harvester 1 is moving forward at a low speed, the drone 100 sets a relatively close relative position in front of the combine harvester 1 as a target position, and the drone 100 moves with the combine harvester 1 to maintain that relative position. move forward at the same speed. Here, the horizontal distance from the foremost end of the combine harvester 1 to the center position of the drone 100 is assumed to be L1. As shown in FIG. 5(c), when the combine harvester 1 is moving forward at high speed, the drone 100 sets a relatively far relative position in front of the combine harvester 1 as a target position, and the drone 100 moves with the combine harvester 1 to maintain that relative position. move forward at the same speed. Here, the horizontal distance from the front end of the combine 1 to the center position of the drone 100 is defined as L2. This means that in order to control the progress speed and work content of combine harvester 1 based on images taken by drone 100, it is better to reflect the current situation as close as possible to combine harvester 1 in the control to achieve more appropriate control. However, when the traveling speed is fast, there is less time to reflect the control, and there is a possibility that the control will not be able to be done in time. Therefore, the faster the combining harvester 1 is traveling, the farther the drone 100 is from the target position, and the control is given more margin. Try to make it stand out.

The relationship between the forward speed of the combine 1 and the separation distance of the drone 100 may be, for example, a linear relationship, or the forward speed may be divided into stages and the separation distance may be different for each step. etc., to be memorized. In either case, in step S4 shown in FIG. 4, the ECU 10 determines that when the combine harvester 1 travels straight and the speed of the combine harvester 1 is the first speed, the separation distance between the combine harvester 1 and the drone 100 is the first distance. L1, and when the speed of the combine 1 is a second speed faster than the first speed, a changing step is performed to change the relative position so that the separation distance becomes a second distance L2, which is longer than the first distance L1.

As shown in FIG. 4, after calculating the target position, the ECU 10 determines whether the combine harvester 1 is turning (step S5). Here, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the field 30 has a planting range 31 inside. The combine harvester 1 performs operations such as planting within the cropping range 31 of the field 30. For example, as shown in FIG. Then, it turns and reverses as shown in FIG. 6(b). As shown in FIG. 4, if the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is not turning (NO in step S5), the ECU 10 determines that the drone 100 is within the outer peripheral range 32 outside the planting range 31 of the field 30 (see FIG. 6(a)). (see step S6). If the ECU 10 determines that the drone 100 is not located within the outer peripheral range 32 of the field 30 (NO in step S6), the ECU 10 moves the drone 100 to the target position (step S7), and ends the process.

On the other hand, if the ECU 10 determines that the drone 100 is located within the outer circumferential range 32 of the field 30 (YES in step S6), the ECU 10 prevents the drone 100 from leaving the field 30, as shown in FIG. 6(a). In order to prevent this, the drone 100 is restricted from advancing in the forward direction of the combine 1, and the drone 100 executes a hovering flight at the current position (step S8). That is, in the position control process, when the drone 100 reaches the boundary line of the crop planting range 31 in the field 30, the ECU 10 restricts the movement of the drone 100 in the advancing direction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the drone 100 from stopping before leaving the field 30 and going outside.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, if the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is turning (YES in step S5), the drone 100 leaves the field 30, as shown in FIG. 6(b). In order to prevent this and prepare for the next forward movement of the combine 1, the drone 100 executes a hovering flight at the current position (step S8). That is, the ECU 10 causes the drone 100 to hover while the combine 1 is turning in the position control process. Then, when the combine 1 turns, reverses, and starts moving forward, the drone 100 quickly moves above the combine 1 in front of it. Therefore, while the combine 1 travels on a straight path, follows a semicircular arc-shaped turning path, and travels on a straight path again, the drone 100 flies on a straight path and then hovers on the spot. When the drone 100 completes its reversal, it moves diagonally and flies on a straight path again.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, if the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is not running (NO in step S3), the ECU 10 prepares for the next forward travel of the combine harvester 1, as shown in FIG. Then, the drone 100 executes a hovering flight at the current position (here, immediately in front of the combine harvester 1) (step S8). Therefore, when the combine harvester 1 starts from a stopped state, the surrounding situation of the combine harvester 1 can be grasped from a bird's-eye view, thereby improving safety.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), if the ECU 10 determines that the combine harvester 1 is in the process of discharging (YES in step S2), the ECU 10 moves the drone 100 into the air above the tip of the discharging auger 9. to hover and fly (step S9). Here, when the combine 1 is in the process of discharging, the grains are discharged to, for example, a truck 40 using the discharge auger 9. At this time, it is desirable to discharge the grains while moving the discharge auger 9 so that the upper surface of the grains becomes flat with respect to the loading bed of the truck 40, but if there is no information on the loading state, the upper surface of the grains becomes flat. It is difficult to move it like this. Therefore, using the image from the drone 100 and the measurement result of the altimeter 123, the drone 100 is positioned above the tip of the discharge auger 9 in order to move the discharge auger 9 so that the upper surface of the grain becomes flat. That is, the ECU 10 executes a discharge control process in which the drone 100 is controlled to hover over the tip of the discharge auger 9 when the combine 1 discharges grains (step S9).

Specifically, for example, the height of the top surface of the grain is measured in real time using the altimeter 123 of the drone 100, and the monitor display unit 19 is instructed to move the tip of the discharge auger 9 to a place where the top surface is low. Give direction. Alternatively, only the image may be displayed on the monitor display section 19, and the tip of the discharge auger 9 may be moved to a location where the top surface is low based on visual estimation by the operator. Note that it is preferable not to lower the altitude of the drone 100 more than necessary so as not to blow the grains away due to downwash.

[Reaping adjustment control]
Next, control of reaping adjustment in the control system for an aircraft according to this embodiment will be explained. Here, the ECU 10 executes an adjustment step of adjusting the reaping speed in the reaping section 4 and the vehicle speed of the combine harvester 1 based on the lodging information of the grain culm acquired from the camera 103. This adjustment process will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG. Incidentally, it is also possible to photograph the planted grain culm before harvesting and perform image analysis to determine whether it is early green wood or lodging wood. In addition, it is determined whether the land is already mown or uncut, and the data for already mowed land is not used. Discrimination between mowed land and unmown land may be made by analyzing photographed image data, or may be made based on field information and machine travel route information.

The ECU 10 executes information detection while the combine harvester 1 is working (step S10). Here, for example, detection of field information and detection of image information of the camera 103 are performed. The ECU 10 processes the image information and creates a lodging map (step S11). The ECU 10 detects the position of the combine harvester 1 and adjusts the reaping conveyance speed based on information on the created lodging map (step S12).

The ECU 10 determines the degree of lodging of the crop to be harvested immediately based on the lodging map (step S13). If the ECU 10 determines that the degree of lodging is a standing state with no lodging, the ECU 10 executes mowing with the mowing speed in standard mode, the traveling speed in standard mode, and no notification in particular (step S14). When the ECU 10 determines in step S13 that the degree of lodging is moderate lodging, which is slightly lodging, the ECU 10 determines the reaping direction (step S15). Here, there are four types of reaping directions: facing mowing, right lodging mowing, trailing mowing, and left lodging mowing. In the opposite cutting, the tip of the grain culm is cut in a state where it is tilted toward the front side when viewed from the driver's seat, and the tip of the grain enters the cutting section 4 from the tip side and is likely to become clogged. Right-side down mowing involves mowing with the tip of the grain culm lying down on the right side when viewed from the driver's seat, the right-hand divider is hidden behind the culm, making it impossible to see the base of the plant, and the cutting section 4 is offset to the left. With this model, there is a risk of being stepped on by the right crawler. Trail mowing involves mowing with the tip of the grain culm lying on the far side when viewed from the driver's seat, and since it comes in from the base of the stock, it can be pulled up, and is less likely to cause clogging than face mowing. Left-side down mowing involves mowing with the tip of the grain culm lying down to the left as seen from the driver's seat.Since the uncut grain culm falls to the left, it is easy to see the base of the uncut grain culm, and the position of the right divider can be adjusted. It is easier to remove and cut than right-hand lodging.

If the ECU 10 determines in step S15 that the mowing direction is one of right-lodging mowing, trailing mowing, and left-lodging mowing, the ECU 10 executes the mowing with the mowing speed set to standard mode, the running speed set to standard, and the notification set to nothing. (Step S16). If the ECU 10 determines in step S15 that the mowing direction is facing mowing, the ECU 10 executes mowing with the mowing speed set to standard mode, the traveling speed set to low speed, and the notification set to low speed (step S17).

If the ECU 10 determines in step S13 that lodging is higher than medium lodging, it determines the reaping direction (step S18). If the ECU 10 determines in step S18 that the mowing direction is trailing mowing or left lodging mowing, the ECU 10 executes the cutting with the mowing speed set to lodging mode, the running speed set to low speed, and the notification set to lodging mode and low speed (step S19). . If the ECU 10 determines in step S18 that the reaping direction is facing mowing or right-lodging mowing, the mowing speed is set to lodging mode, the traveling speed is stopped, and the notification is set to disable mowing, and the mowing is stopped (step S20).

As described above, according to the flying object control method of this embodiment, the relative position of the drone 100 with respect to the combine harvester 1 is changed in accordance with the speed of the combine harvester 1 in the changing step. Specifically, when the combine harvester 1 travels straight, when the speed of the combine harvester 1 is the first speed, the separation distance between the combine harvester 1 and the drone 100 is the first distance L1, and the speed of the combine harvester 1 is the first speed. When the second speed is faster than the second speed, the relative position is changed so that the separation distance becomes a second distance L2 that is longer than the first distance L1. Therefore, as the traveling speed increases, the farther distance is photographed, making it possible to respond quickly, and as the traveling speed becomes slower, the closer photograph is taken, so it is possible to check the area around the divider at the edge of the shore. Furthermore, the faster the combine harvester 1 travels, the farther the drone 100 is from the target position, allowing more leeway in control. On the other hand, when the traveling speed decreases, the drone flies closer to the aircraft, so when the combine 1 slows down and turns, the drone also makes a 100-degree turn, improving followability. From these things, the situation around the work vehicle can be acquired more accurately.

Furthermore, according to the method for controlling an aircraft according to the present embodiment, detailed settings for the combine harvester 1 can be automatically made by analyzing the image data of the drone 100, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. It is particularly effective for harvesting fallen timber and early harvesting of green timber. In addition, it is possible to work at the optimal cutting speed under field conditions, improving work efficiency and fuel consumption. Furthermore, since the camera 103 of the drone 100 flying in front of the combine harvester is used instead of the camera installed in the combine 1, information on the planted grain culm before harvesting can be quickly detected, and the influence of dust flying around the combine harvester can be detected quickly. can be made smaller and used for control. In addition, stable photographing is possible without being affected by the machine posture, machine vibration, etc., the accuracy of analysis data is improved, and stable reaping and threshing performance of the combine harvester 1 can be ensured. Furthermore, since the drone 100 is controlled from the combine 1 and flies automatically, the drone can be used even if there is no piloting skill.

Further, according to the method for controlling a flying object of the present embodiment, when the drone 100 reaches the boundary line of the crop planting range in the field, movement of the flying object in the traveling direction is restricted. Therefore, the drone 100 can be prevented from leaving the field.

Further, according to the method for controlling a flying object of the present embodiment, the drone 100 is caused to fly in a hovering manner while the combine harvester 1 is turning. Therefore, by stopping the flight of the drone 100 following the turn of the combine harvester 1, unnecessary flights can be reduced, battery consumption can be suppressed, and flight time can be extended. Moreover, followability at the edge of the ridge can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the flying object control method of the present embodiment, the drone 100 hovers over the tip of the discharge auger 9 when the combine 1 discharges grains. Therefore, since the truck bed can be viewed from above using the drone 100, the discharge work can be carried out efficiently. Further, the amount of grain loss can be determined by photographing the discharged material from the combine harvester 1 after harvesting and analyzing the image.

Further, according to the method for controlling an aircraft according to the present embodiment, the reaping speed in the reaping section 4 and the vehicle speed of the combine harvester 1 are adjusted based on the lodging information of the grain culm acquired from the camera 103. Thereby, by analyzing the image data of the drone 100, detailed settings for the combine harvester 1 can be automatically made, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. It is particularly effective for reaping fallen timber. Therefore, more appropriate mowing work can be performed.

Furthermore, according to the method for controlling the flying object of this embodiment, by increasing the wind power of the drone 100, morning dew and dust can be blown away during downwash, making it easier to check the grain discharge status. Become.

Further, according to the method for controlling an aircraft according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically check whether caution labels on various parts of the combine harvester 1 are peeled off using the camera 103 of the drone 100. Specifically, the positions of caution labels at various locations are input into the drone 100 in advance, and the caution labels are inspected using the camera 103 during automatic flight. If there is any damage or peeling, a photo is taken and the vehicle is sent to a maintenance vehicle. to notify. Thereby, compared to the case where the operator goes around visually checking the caution labels attached to various parts of the combine harvester 1 one by one, the labor can be reduced. Furthermore, it becomes possible to easily inspect places that are difficult for operators to inspect, such as at high places.

In addition, in the embodiment mentioned above, although the combine harvester 1 was demonstrated as a work vehicle, it is not limited to this. The work vehicle may be, for example, another work vehicle such as a tractor or a rice transplanter.

Note that the present technology can also have the following configuration.
(1)
A method for controlling a flying object in which a control device controls the flight position of a flying object equipped with a camera with respect to the position of a work vehicle traveling in a field, the method comprising:
a vehicle position acquisition step in which the control device acquires position information of the work vehicle;
an aircraft position acquisition step in which the control device acquires position information of the aircraft;
The control device controls the work of the flying object so that the flying object flies above the forward direction of the working vehicle based on the information obtained in the vehicle position acquisition step and the flying object position acquisition step. a position control step for controlling the relative position with respect to the vehicle;
The control device may be configured such that when the work vehicle travels straight ahead and the speed of the work vehicle is a first speed, the separation distance between the work vehicle and the flying object is a first distance; a changing step of changing the relative position so that when the speed is a second speed faster than the first speed, the separation distance becomes a second distance longer than the first distance;
How to control an aircraft.
(2)
In the position control step, the control device regulates movement of the flying object in the traveling direction when the flying object reaches a boundary line of a crop planting range in the field.
The method for controlling a flying object according to (1) above.
(3)
In the position control step, the control device causes the flying object to hover while the work vehicle is turning.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to (1) or (2) above.
(4)
The work vehicle is a combine harvester including a grain tank that stores threshed grains and a discharge auger that discharges the grains stored in the grain tank to the outside of the machine,
The control device includes a discharge control step of controlling the flying object to hover over the tip of the discharge auger when grain is discharged by the combine.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to any one of (1) to (3) above.
(5)
The work vehicle is a combine harvester having a reaping section that performs reaping work of grain culms in the field,
The control device includes an adjustment step of adjusting a reaping speed in the reaping section and a vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on lodging information of the grain culm acquired from the camera.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to any one of (1) to (4) above.
(6)
A control program for causing a computer to execute each step of the method for controlling an aircraft according to any one of (1) to (5) above.
(7)
The computer-readable recording medium on which the control program according to (6) is recorded.

1... Combine harvester (work vehicle)
4...Reaping section 8...Grain tank 9...Discharge auger 10...ECU (control device)
30...Field 100...Drone (flying object)
103...Camera L1...First distance L2...Second distance

Claims (7)

A method for controlling a flying object in which a control device controls the flight position of a flying object equipped with a camera with respect to the position of a work vehicle traveling in a field, the method comprising:
a vehicle position acquisition step in which the control device acquires position information of the work vehicle;
an aircraft position acquisition step in which the control device acquires position information of the aircraft;
The control device controls the work of the flying object so that the flying object flies above the forward direction of the working vehicle based on the information obtained in the vehicle position acquisition step and the flying object position acquisition step. a position control step for controlling the relative position with respect to the vehicle;
The control device may be configured such that when the work vehicle travels straight ahead and the speed of the work vehicle is a first speed, the separation distance between the work vehicle and the flying object is a first distance; a changing step of changing the relative position so that when the speed is a second speed faster than the first speed, the separation distance becomes a second distance longer than the first distance;
A method for controlling an aircraft, characterized by the following. In the position control step, the control device regulates movement of the flying object in the traveling direction when the flying object reaches a boundary line of a crop planting range in the field.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the position control step, the control device causes the flying object to hover while the work vehicle is turning.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The work vehicle is a combine harvester including a grain tank that stores threshed grains and a discharge auger that discharges the grains stored in the grain tank to the outside of the machine,
The control device includes a discharge control step of controlling the flying object to hover over the tip of the discharge auger when grain is discharged by the combine.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The work vehicle is a combine harvester having a reaping section that performs reaping work of grain culms in the field,
The control device includes an adjustment step of adjusting a reaping speed in the reaping section and a vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on lodging information of the grain culm acquired from the camera.
The method for controlling an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: A control program for causing a computer to execute each step of the method for controlling an aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The computer-readable recording medium on which the control program according to claim 6 is recorded.

Images