JP7075127B2 - Field analysis method, field analysis program, field analysis device, drone system and drone - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a field analysis method, a field analysis program, a drone system and a drone.

As an important field of crop growth analysis, a method of measuring the amount of nitrogen absorbed by leaves is known in order to measure the growth degree of crops such as rice and wheat. Nitrogen absorption greatly affects the yield and taste of crops. If the amount of nitrogen absorbed exceeds the appropriate amount, it causes deterioration of taste and environmental pollution, and if it is less than the appropriate amount, it causes a decrease in yield. big.

Utilizing the fact that the density of chlorophyll (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid, etc.) in leaves changes depending on the amount of nitrogen absorbed, the density of chlorophyll is estimated by analyzing the characteristics of transmitted light in leaves, and nitrogen to leaves is estimated. A method of estimating the amount of absorption and measuring the growth degree of the crop as a result is known (for example, Patent Document 1). However, this method has a problem of inefficiency especially when obtaining a large number of data samples because it is necessary to actually go to the field and read the leaves of the crop into a measuring instrument for measurement (typically). It took about 1 hour per field).

In order to improve the efficiency of the above measurements, the amount of nitrogen absorbed is measured by photographing the crops in the field from artificial satellites, drones, or cameras installed in the sky, and especially by analyzing the spectrum in the near infrared region. A method for estimation has also been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2), but there is a problem in terms of accuracy. Reasons for low accuracy include a mixture of water surface images and crop images, a mixture of transmitted light and reflected light, a mixture of primary reflected light and secondary and tertiary reflected light, and a mixture of surface reflection and internal reflection.

Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-38879 Patent Publication Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-339238

Provided is a field analysis method capable of performing crop growth analysis with high accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, the field analysis method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a field data acquisition step for acquiring field data of a field by a drone, a weather information acquisition step for acquiring weather information, and the weather information. It includes a correction step for correcting the field data based on it and an analysis step for analyzing the corrected field data.

The meteorological information may include at least one of the amount of solar radiation, the temperature, the water content of the atmospheric layer, the humidity, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the field.

The meteorological information acquisition step may estimate at least one of the amount of solar radiation, the temperature, the water content of the atmospheric layer, the humidity, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the field from the information based on the meteorological satellite.

The meteorological information acquisition step is a measurement of a measuring instrument capable of measuring at least one of the amount of solar radiation, the temperature, the water content of the atmospheric layer, the humidity, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the field, and the weather information near the surface of the field. It may be estimated based on the result.

The field data acquisition step may acquire information regarding the reflected light of a ray having a wavelength in a specific band.

The analysis step may estimate the growth status of the crop growing in the field and at least one of the yield and quality of the crop.

In order to achieve the above object, the field analysis program according to another aspect of the present invention includes a field data acquisition command for acquiring field data of a field by a drone, a weather information acquisition command for acquiring weather information, and the weather information. A computer is made to execute a correction command for correcting the field data based on the method and an analysis command for analyzing the corrected field data.

In order to achieve the above object, the drone according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a field data acquisition unit for acquiring field data of a field, a weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather information, and the drone based on the weather information. It includes a correction unit for correcting field data and an analysis unit for analyzing the corrected field data.

It is possible to perform crop growth analysis with high accuracy.

It is a top view of the drone which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a right side view of the above drone. It is a rear view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a perspective view of the said drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram of the above drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram which shows the 2nd Embodiment of the said drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram which shows the 3rd Embodiment of the said drone. It is a schematic diagram showing the control function of the said drone. It is a functional block diagram which the drone system which concerns on this invention has. It is a flowchart of the field analysis method which concerns on this invention. It is a top view of the drone of another embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a bottom view of the above drone. It is a front view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a right side view of the above drone. It is a left side view of the above drone. It is a rear view of the above-mentioned drone. It is a perspective view of the said drone.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. All figures are illustrations. In the following detailed description, certain details are given for illustration purposes and to facilitate a complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these particular details. Also, for the sake of simplification of the drawings, well-known structures and devices are shown schematically.

First, the configuration of the drone included in the drone system according to the present invention will be described. In the present specification, the drone is regardless of the power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.) and the maneuvering method (wireless or wired, autonomous flight type, manual maneuvering type, etc.). It refers to all aircraft with multiple rotor blades.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also referred to as rotors) are It is a means for flying the Drone 100, and is equipped with eight aircraft (four sets of two-stage rotor blades) in consideration of the balance of flight stability, aircraft size, and power consumption. Each rotor 101 is arranged on all sides of the main body 110 by an arm protruding from the main body 110 of the drone 100. That is, the rotors 101-1a and 101-1b are left rearward in the direction of travel, the rotary blades 101-2a and 101-2b are forward left, the rotary blades 101-3a and 101-3b are rearward right, and the rotary blades 101- are forward right. 4a and 101-4b are arranged respectively. In addition, the drone 100 has the traveling direction facing downward on the paper in FIG. Rod-shaped legs 107-1,107-2,107-3,107-4 extend downward from the rotation axis of the rotary wing 101, respectively.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b have rotary blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- It is a means to rotate 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but it may be a motor, etc.), and one machine is provided for one rotary blade. Has been done. Motor 102 is an example of a propulsion device. The upper and lower rotors (eg 101-1a and 101-1b) in one set and their corresponding motors (eg 102-1a and 102-1b) are for the stability of the drone's flight, etc. The axes are on the same straight line and rotate in opposite directions. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with foreign matter has a rather wobbling structure rather than a horizontal structure. This is to encourage the member to buckle to the outside of the rotor blade in the event of a collision and prevent it from interfering with the rotor.

The drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are means for spraying the drug downward and are provided with four machines. In the specification of the present application, the term "drug" generally refers to a liquid or powder sprayed in a field such as a pesticide, a herbicide, a liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, a seed, and water.

The medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed, and is provided at a position close to the center of gravity of the drone 100 and at a position lower than the center of gravity from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 1053, 105-4 are means for connecting the drug tank 104 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are rigid. It may be made of the above-mentioned material and also serve to support the drug nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the drug from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an example of the drug spraying application of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram, and the scale is not accurate. In the figure, the drone 100, the actuator 401, the small mobile terminal 401a, and the base station 404 are connected to the farming cloud 405, respectively. These connections may be wireless communication by Wi-Fi, mobile communication system, etc., or may be partially or wholly connected by wire.

The operation device 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by the operation of the user 402 and displaying information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, amount of drug, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). Yes, it may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. The drone 100 according to the present invention is controlled to perform autonomous flight, but may be capable of manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to the portable information device, an emergency operation device (not shown) having a function dedicated to emergency stop may be used. The emergency controller may be a dedicated device equipped with a large emergency stop button or the like so that an emergency response can be taken quickly. Further, apart from the operating device 401, the system may include a small mobile terminal 401a capable of displaying a part or all of the information displayed on the operating device 401, for example, a smart phone. Further, it may have a function of changing the operation of the drone 100 based on the information input from the small mobile terminal 401a. The small mobile terminal 401a is connected to, for example, the base station 404, and can receive information and the like from the farming cloud 405 via the base station 404.

The field 403 is a rice field, a field, or the like that is the target of chemical spraying by the drone 100. In reality, the terrain of the field 403 is complicated, and the topographic map may not be available in advance, or the topographic map and the situation at the site may be inconsistent. Normally, the field 403 is adjacent to a house, a hospital, a school, another crop field, a road, a railroad, or the like. In addition, intruders such as buildings and electric wires may exist in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a master unit function for Wi-Fi communication, etc., and may also function as an RTK-GPS base station so that it can provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-). The base unit function of Fi communication and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). Further, the base station 404 may be able to communicate with the farming cloud 405 by using a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE.

The farming cloud 405 is typically a group of computers operated on a cloud service and related software, and may be wirelessly connected to the actuator 401 by a mobile phone line or the like. The farming cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 taken by the drone 100, grasp the growing condition of the crop, and perform a process for determining the flight route. In addition, the topographical information of the stored field 403 may be provided to the drone 100. In addition, the history of the flight and shot images of the drone 100 may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

The small mobile terminal 401a is, for example, a smart phone or the like. On the display of the small mobile terminal 401a, information on expected operations regarding the operation of the drone 100, more specifically, the scheduled time when the drone 100 will return to the departure / arrival point 406, and the work to be performed by the user 402 at the time of return Information such as contents is displayed as appropriate. Further, the operation of the drone 100 may be changed based on the input from the small mobile terminal 401a. The small mobile terminal 401a can receive information from the drone 100.

Normally, the drone 100 takes off from the departure / arrival point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the departure / arrival point 406 after spraying the chemicals on the field 403 or when replenishment or charging of the chemicals is required. The flight route (invasion route) from the departure / arrival point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farming cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before the start of takeoff.

As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, in the drug spraying system of the drone 100 according to the present invention, the drone 100, the actuator 401, the small mobile terminal 401a, and the farming cloud 405 are connected to the base station 404, respectively. It may be the configuration that is used.

Further, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in the drug spraying system of the drone 100 according to the present invention, the drone 100, the actuator 401, and the small mobile terminal 401a are each connected to the base station 404 and operated. Only the vessel 401 may be connected to the farming cloud 405.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram showing a control function of an embodiment of the drone according to the present invention. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501 uses the input information received from the controller 401 and the input information obtained from various sensors described later, and the motors 102-1a and 102-1b via a control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control). , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotation speeds of the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b are fed back to the flight controller 501, and normal rotation is performed. It is configured so that it can be monitored. Alternatively, the rotary blade 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like so that the rotation of the rotary blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 can be rewritten through a storage medium or the like for function expansion / change, problem correction, etc., or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, protection is performed by encryption, checksum, digital signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by unauthorized software is not performed. Further, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer located on the controller 401, on the farming cloud 405, or elsewhere. Due to the high importance of the flight controller 501, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the actuator 401 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives necessary commands from the actuator 401, and receives necessary information from the actuator 401. Can be sent to 401. In this case, the communication may be encrypted so as to prevent fraudulent acts such as interception, spoofing, and device hijacking. The base station 404 has the function of an RTK-GPS base station in addition to the communication function by Wi-Fi. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the flight controller 501 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of several centimeters. Since the flight controller 501 is so important, it may be duplicated / multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 should use a different satellite to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite. It may be controlled.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body in three directions orthogonal to each other, and further, a means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration. The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the change in the attitude angle of the drone aircraft in the above-mentioned three directions, that is, the angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone aircraft by measuring the geomagnetism. The barometric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring barometric pressure, and can also indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone aircraft and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of the laser light, and may be an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone aircraft and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone. In addition, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the aircraft, a wind power sensor for measuring wind power, and the like may be added. Further, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them and switch to an alternative sensor if it fails. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used at the same time, and if the measurement results do not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensor 510 is a means for measuring the flow rate of the drug, and is provided at a plurality of locations on the route from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzle 103. The liquid shortage sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of the drug has fallen below a predetermined amount. The field photographing camera 512 is a means for photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The field photographing camera 512 may be a multispectral camera. The intruder detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting a drone intruder, and is a different device from the field photography camera 512 because the image characteristics and the orientation of the lens are different from those of the field photography camera 512. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The intruder contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, in particular, its rotor or propeller guard part, has come into contact with an intruder such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a standing tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The intruder contact sensor 515 may be replaced with a 6-axis gyro sensor 505. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the cover for internal maintenance are in the open state. The drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the drug tank 104 is in an open state. These sensors may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Further, a sensor may be provided at the base station 404, the actuator 401, or some other place outside the drone 100, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone. For example, a wind sensor may be provided in the base station 404 to transmit information on the wind and wind direction to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the drug discharge amount and stop the drug discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions) is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for informing the drone operator of the state of the drone. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used in place of or in addition to the LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by an audio signal. The Wi-Fi slave unit function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like for transferring software, for example, in addition to the actuator 401. Instead of or in addition to the Wi-Fi handset function, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection. You may use it. Further, instead of the Wi-Fi slave unit function, mutual communication may be possible by a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) by means of a recorded human voice, synthetic voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight. In such cases, voice communication is effective. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state). These input / output means may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated / multiplexed.

For analysis of crop growth based on field images, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) is calculated by acquiring images of reflected light of red light (wavelength about 650 nm) and near infrared light (wavelength about 774 nm). It is effective to do. According to NDVI, it is possible to analyze the growth of crops and, by extension, predict the yield of crops. Generally, NDVI is calculated by the formula (IR-R) / (IR + R) (where IR is the reflectance of near-infrared light and R is the reflectance of red light). IR and R can be obtained by analyzing the image of the field for each frequency band, but since the amount of light obtained by the camera is greatly affected by the ambient light at that time, accurate analysis is performed using only the light amount data. It is not possible. It is necessary to make appropriate corrections according to the situation.

● Configuration of drone system As shown in Fig. 10, the drone system 500 includes the drone 100 and the field analyzer 40. The drone 100 and the field analyzer 40 are configured to be connected to each other via a network NW, for example. The network NW may be all wireless, or partly or wholly may be wired. Further, the specific connection relationship is not limited to the figure, and each configuration may be directly or indirectly connected. The field analyzer 40 may be distributed on the farming cloud 405 or another external server, or may be present on the computer mounted on the drone 100 or the actuator 401. Computers in multiple locations may cooperate to execute processing.

Further, the drone system 500 may further include a measuring instrument 50 capable of measuring meteorological information near the surface of the field 403, that is, surface meteorological information. The surface meteorological information is, for example, the amount of solar radiation, the temperature, the humidity, etc. near the surface of the field 403. The measuring instrument 50 may be arranged in or around the field 403 independently of the drone 100. Further, the measuring instrument 50 may be mounted on the drone 100. The measuring instrument 50 is a device capable of measuring a part or all of the surface weather information, and may be composed of a plurality of devices. The measuring instrument 50 can transmit the measurement result to the field analyzer 40.

● Drone Drone 100 has a flight control unit 21 and a ray transmission / reception unit 22 as functional units related to field analysis.

The flight control unit 21 is a functional unit that controls the thrust generated in the drone 100 by adjusting the operation of the propulsion unit of the drone 100, and is realized by, for example, the flight controller 501. The propellers of the drone 100 are, for example, rotors 101 and motors 102. The flight control unit 21 controls the thrust generated by the rotor blades 101 by adjusting the rotation speed of each motor 102. The flight control unit 21 can independently control the rotation speed of each motor 102, and tilts the drone 100 by making the rotation speed of one or more motors 102 different from the rotation speeds of the other motors 102. Demonstrate speed and acceleration.

The light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 is a functional unit that acquires data used for analyzing the growth state of crops by transmitting / receiving light rays to / from the field 403. The light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 can transmit / receive, for example, a plurality of rays having different wavelengths from each other. The plurality of light rays are, for example, red light (wavelength of about 650 nm) and near-infrared light (wavelength of about 774 nm). The light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 has a beam splitter and irradiates the field only with light rays in a predetermined frequency range from the light source. Further, the light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 obtains the light amount of the light beam in the predetermined frequency range, more specifically, for example, the power spectral density, by applying a frequency filter to the received light ray in a hard or soft manner. Can be done. The light rays received by the light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 include reflected light in which the light rays transmitted from the light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 are mainly reflected from the crop. The drone 100 acquires the field data of the field 403 by irradiating the field 403 with a light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 and receiving the reflected light reflected from the field 403 while flying the field 403 by the flight control unit 21. do.

● Field analysis device The field analysis device 40 has a field data acquisition unit 41, a weather information acquisition unit 42, a correction unit 43, and an analysis unit 44.

The field data acquisition unit 41 is a functional unit that acquires field data acquired by the light ray transmission / reception unit 22. The field data acquisition unit 41 acquires information on the reflected light of a light ray having a specific wavelength. This ray has wavelengths, for example, a red light band and a near infrared light band. The information about the reflected light is, for example, the amount of light. The information regarding the reflected light may further include wavelength information.

The weather information acquisition unit 42 is a functional unit that acquires weather information. Meteorological information is information on the state of the atmosphere and the state of phenomena in the atmosphere, and is a factor that causes an error in field data in particular. The meteorological information includes, for example, at least one of the amount of solar radiation, the temperature, the water content of the atmospheric layer, the humidity, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the field 403. This is because the characteristics of sunlight, which are affected by the weather, also affect the reflected and transmitted light from crops. More specifically, by estimating the amount of red light and near-infrared light that reach the field 403 from the sun, the contribution of sunlight contained in the light received by the light transmitting / receiving unit 22 is eliminated, and the contribution of sunlight contained in the light received from the field 403 is eliminated. The amount of reflected light can be accurately determined.

The meteorological information acquisition unit 42 may acquire information from the meteorological satellite 530 or may estimate from the information based on the meteorological satellite 530. The meteorological satellite 530 is, for example, a sunflower. The water content of the atmospheric layer is estimated based on the characteristics and thickness of the clouds obtained from the meteorological satellite 530. That is, it is estimated that the thicker the cloud and the denser the density, the greater the amount of water present from the sun to the field 403. Since the water content of the atmospheric layer absorbs red light and near-infrared light from the sun, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun can be estimated more accurately by determining the water content of the atmospheric layer. be able to. Since the absorption spectrum of the moisture in the atmospheric layer differs depending on whether it is in a gaseous state or a liquid state, it is preferable to further estimate the moisture state in the atmospheric layer. Further, the ratio of direct light to sky light (light diffused by water vapor or dust in the atmosphere or reflected from clouds and reaching the ground) may be measured. In addition, the amount of solar radiation may be estimated based on information on the altitude of the sun.

The meteorological information acquisition unit 42 may acquire information (public information) processed by various organizations such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, particularly a public institution, as meteorological information.

The meteorological information acquisition unit 42 may acquire surface meteorological information measured by the measuring instrument 50.

The weather information acquisition unit 42 may estimate the weather information based on the acquisition information of various sensors possessed by the drone 100. For example, the characteristics of sunlight may be estimated from the measurement results of an optical sensor or a camera provided in the drone 100.

The meteorological information acquisition unit 42 may estimate the ratio of direct light from the ratio of the solar altitude and the total amount of light that can be calculated from the time. For example, if the sun is high but the total amount of light is low, it means that the clouds are thick and the proportion of direct light is low.

The correction unit 43 is a functional unit that corrects the field data based on the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 42. For example, the correction unit 43 estimates the amount of red light and near-infrared light that reach the field 403 from the sun based on the water content of the atmospheric layer, and the light transmission / reception unit determines the contribution of the light from the sun. It is subtracted from the amount of light received by 22. The correction unit 43 may correct the field data based on the surface weather information and other various weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 42, in addition to the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 42. .. According to this configuration, the contribution of sunlight contained in the light received by the light ray transmitting / receiving unit 22 can be excluded, and the amount of reflected light from the field 403 can be accurately obtained. The correction unit 43 may calculate the correction parameters used in the analysis. The correction unit 43 may calculate the correction parameter steplessly based on the estimated light amount, or holds in advance a table in which the correction parameter is associated with each light amount in a predetermined range, and corrects the light amount. You may select parameters. According to the configuration in which the correction parameters are selected using the table, the calculation load in the correction step can be reduced.

The analysis unit 44 is a functional unit that analyzes the field data corrected by the correction unit 43. For example, the analysis unit 44 obtains the NDVI by the above-mentioned calculation formula (IR-R) / (IR + R), and analyzes the growth state of the crop in the field 403. Analytical unit 44 may also estimate at least one of the yield and quality of the crop to be harvested. The analysis unit 44 uses the correction parameters obtained by the correction unit 43 to set the NDVI calculation formula as (α * IR − β * R) / (α * IR + β * R), and sets α and β to predetermined numerical values. May be corrected and analyzed by substituting.

● Flowchart Fig. 11 shows an outline flowchart of the field analysis according to the present invention. The field analysis program takes an image of the crop taken by the drone 100 field camera 512 as input (S601). The image input may be performed by collecting the image data of the entire field that has been photographed (in this case, it is preferable to record the image as moving image data and record the information on sunlight with the same time code as the moving image. ) May input a part of the image currently being shot by the streaming method (quasi-real-time method).

Then, the weather information is acquired (S602). The meteorological information includes information from the meteorological satellite 530, information from various organizations such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, information from the measuring instrument 50, information from the drone 100, time information, and the like, and may be acquired in no particular order. In addition, another index may be estimated based on the acquired information.

Next, the field data to be analyzed is corrected (S603). Typically, correction may be performed by multiplying a predetermined coefficient for each section (particularly, red light and near-infrared light) in which the wavelength band is divided. For example, the calculation formula of NDVI may be (α * IR-β * R) / (α * IR + β * R), and correction may be performed by substituting predetermined numerical values for α and β. As for the specific values to be substituted for α and β, the correction values suitable for various sunlight conditions are obtained by prior experiments, and the appropriate values are selected according to the sunlight conditions at the time of shooting obtained by the method described later. It is desirable to select. Other correction methods may be used.

Finally, an analysis process is performed on the corrected field data to be analyzed (pretreatment and posttreatment may be performed in addition to the above calculation of NDVI) (S604). The information of the analysis processing result may be temporarily saved and used for the subsequent analysis, but the drone 100 may be able to refer to it in real time during the flight.

The above processing may be performed on the farming cloud 405 or another external server, or may be executed by the computer equipped with the drone 100 or the operation device. Computers in multiple locations may cooperate to perform processing. The analysis process may be performed ex post facto, or may be performed in real time during the flight of the drone 100. Real-time analysis has the advantage that the chemical application can be dynamically adjusted according to the growing conditions of the crop.

● Drone (2)
12 to 18 show schematic views of a drone according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In this description, a drone for growth monitoring has been described as an example, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a machine traveling on land. Further, the machine is not limited to the automatic driving machine, and may be a manual driving machine. Also, it does not have to be a moving body.

(Technically significant effect of the present invention)
In the field analysis method according to the present invention, crop growth analysis can be performed with high accuracy.

Claims (15)

The field data acquisition step to acquire the field data of the field by drone,
The weather information acquisition step to acquire the weather information and
A correction step for correcting the field data based on the meteorological information,
An analysis step for analyzing the corrected field data,
Including
In the meteorological information acquisition step, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the meteorological information acquisition step, it is estimated whether the state of moisture in the atmospheric layer is in a gaseous state or a liquid state.
Field analysis method. The field data acquisition step to acquire the field data of the field by drone,
The weather information acquisition step to acquire the weather information and
A correction step for correcting the field data based on the meteorological information,
An analysis step for analyzing the corrected field data,
Including
In the meteorological information acquisition step, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the meteorological information acquisition step, the ratio of direct light to sky light is measured .
Field analysis method. In the meteorological information acquisition step, the ratio of the direct light is estimated from the ratio of the solar altitude and the total light amount calculated from the time.
The field analysis method according to claim 2 . The field data acquisition step to acquire the field data of the field by drone,
The weather information acquisition step to acquire the weather information and
A correction step for correcting the field data based on the meteorological information,
An analysis step for analyzing the corrected field data,
Including
In the meteorological information acquisition step, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the correction step, the amount of red light and the near-infrared light reaching the field from the sun is estimated based on the water content of the atmospheric layer, and the contribution of the light from the sun is calculated as described above. The correction is made by subtracting from the amount of light received by the light transmission / reception step of transmitting / receiving light rays to / from the field .
Field analysis method. The field data acquisition step to acquire the field data of the field by drone,
The weather information acquisition step to acquire the weather information and
A correction step for correcting the field data based on the meteorological information,
An analysis step for analyzing the corrected field data,
Including
In the meteorological information acquisition step, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the correction step, the correction parameter corresponding to the light amount is selected from the table in which the correction parameter is associated with each light amount in a predetermined range held in advance, and the correction is performed .
Field analysis method. A field data acquisition command to acquire field data of a field by drone,
A weather information acquisition order to acquire weather information and
A correction command that corrects the field data based on the weather information, and
An analysis command to analyze the corrected field data and
Let the computer run
In the meteorological information acquisition command, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer .
In the meteorological information acquisition command, it is estimated whether the state of moisture in the atmospheric layer is in a gaseous state or a liquid state.
Field analysis program. A field data acquisition command to acquire field data of a field by drone,
A weather information acquisition order to acquire weather information and
A correction command that corrects the field data based on the weather information, and
An analysis command to analyze the corrected field data and
Let the computer run
In the meteorological information acquisition command, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the meteorological information acquisition command, the ratio of direct light to sky light is measured.
Field analysis program. In the meteorological information acquisition command, the ratio of the direct light is estimated from the ratio of the solar altitude and the total light amount calculated from the time.
The field analysis program according to claim 7. A field data acquisition command to acquire field data of a field by drone,
A weather information acquisition order to acquire weather information and
A correction command that corrects the field data based on the weather information, and
An analysis command to analyze the corrected field data and
Let the computer run
In the meteorological information acquisition command, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the correction command, the amount of red light and the near-infrared light reaching the field from the sun is estimated based on the water content of the atmospheric layer, and the contribution of the light from the sun is calculated in the field. Is corrected by subtracting from the amount of light received by the light transmission / reception command for transmitting / receiving light rays.
Field analysis program. A field data acquisition command to acquire field data of a field by drone,
A weather information acquisition order to acquire weather information and
A correction command that corrects the field data based on the weather information, and
An analysis command to analyze the corrected field data and
Let the computer run
In the meteorological information acquisition command, the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun is estimated by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
In the correction command, the correction parameter corresponding to the light amount is selected from the table in which the correction parameter is associated with each light amount in a predetermined range held in advance, and the correction is performed.
Field analysis program. The field data acquisition unit that acquires the field data of the field,
The meteorological information acquisition department that acquires meteorological information,
A correction unit that corrects the field data based on the weather information,
An analysis unit that analyzes the corrected field data,
Equipped with
The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates whether the state of moisture in the atmospheric layer is in a gaseous state or a liquid state.
Drone. The field data acquisition unit that acquires the field data of the field,
The meteorological information acquisition department that acquires meteorological information,
A correction unit that corrects the field data based on the weather information,
An analysis unit that analyzes the corrected field data,
Equipped with
The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
The meteorological information acquisition unit measures the ratio of direct light to sky light.
Drone. The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates the ratio of the direct light from the ratio of the solar altitude and the total amount of light calculated from the time.
The drone according to claim 12. The field data acquisition unit that acquires the field data of the field,
The meteorological information acquisition department that acquires meteorological information,
A correction unit that corrects the field data based on the weather information,
An analysis unit that analyzes the corrected field data,
Equipped with
The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
The correction unit estimates the amount of red light and the near-infrared light that reach the field from the sun based on the water content of the atmospheric layer, and determines the contribution of the light from the sun to the field. Is corrected by subtracting from the amount of light received by the light transmitting / receiving unit that transmits / receives light.
Drone. The field data acquisition unit that acquires the field data of the field,
The meteorological information acquisition department that acquires meteorological information,
A correction unit that corrects the field data based on the weather information,
An analysis unit that analyzes the corrected field data,
Equipped with
The meteorological information acquisition unit estimates the amount of red light and near-infrared light from the sun by obtaining the water content of the atmospheric layer.
The correction unit selects and corrects correction parameters corresponding to the light amount from a table in which correction parameters are associated with each light amount in a predetermined range held in advance.
Drone.

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