JPH07318330A - Crop detection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To extract a proper crop region on the basis of a difference in a spatial height in which a crop exists by a method wherein rectlinear slit light is shone at a crop planted face from the upper part and the crop planted face is imaged by an imaging means obliquely with reference to the slit light. CONSTITUTION:A crane-type moving body 3 which is moved along a rail 2 is arranged at the upper part of a seedling-raising tray 1. A detection part 4 which detects the state of a crop from the upper part and a supplementary planting mechanism 5 are installed in the moving body 3. A beam-light scanning device 7 which shines rectlinear slit light (a) at a planted face on the tray 1 from the upper part and a CCD camera S which images the shone planted face obliquely with reference to the slit light (a) are installed in the detection part 4. Then, whenever the planted face and the scanning device 7 are moved relatively by a set distance under the control of a controller 6, a part, corresponding to a part where a crop exists, which is deviated to a direction crossing the length direction of the slit light and which is irradiated with the slit light is extracted, on the basis of image information by the camera S, from an estimated position, on the plated face, which is irradiated with the slit light.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a crop detection device, and more particularly to a crop detection device for obtaining crop detection information on a planting surface on which a crop is planted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in such a crop detecting device, for example, a predetermined number of seedlings such as vegetables and flowers as crops grown on a tray are picked up from above by an image pickup means such as a television camera, and the picked up image is obtained. The area corresponding to the crop and the background area such as soil are distinguished by the difference in brightness, that is, the contrast is extracted to extract the area of the crop, and based on the crop area extraction information, for example, the presence or absence of seedlings and the growth state are detected. It was

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the brightness difference (contrast) in the picked-up image is high.
Since the area of the crop is extracted by using, for example, when weeds grow on the soil surface that is the background, the difference in lightness from the crop becomes unclear and the crop area is extracted. In addition, under the condition that the planting surface is exposed to outside light such as sunlight when growing the crop outdoors or in a house, the brightness value is saturated due to the irradiation light and the crop is saturated. There is a problem in that there is no difference in brightness between the area and the background area, and it is not possible to properly extract the crop area.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is not to extract a crop area by utilizing a brightness difference (contrast) in a captured image, but
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional techniques by extracting the crop region based on the spatial height difference between the part where the crop exists and the part (background) where the crop does not exist.

[0005]

A first characteristic configuration of a crop detecting apparatus according to the present invention is slit light irradiating means for irradiating a straight slit light from above toward a planting surface on which a crop is planted, and Imaging means for imaging the planting surface irradiated with the slit light obliquely with respect to the slit light, and changing the irradiation position of the slit light with respect to the planting surface to a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. , Moving means for relatively moving the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means, and each time the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means are relatively moved by a set distance by the moving means, in the imaging information of the imaging means. Based on the predicted position on the planting surface where the slit light is irradiated, the position shifts in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. Extraction means for extracting the crop existence corresponding portion illuminated by the slit light, and an image for creating image data in which the crop existence corresponding portion is associated with the position on the planting surface based on the extraction information of the extracting means. And a data creating means.

A second characteristic configuration is that the slit light irradiating means irradiates the slit light toward the planting surface obliquely from above.

The third characteristic configuration is that the extraction means is
The crop existence corresponding portion is configured to extract a portion that is separated from the predicted position by a set distance or more in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light.

A fourth characteristic configuration is that the extraction means is
It is configured to obtain a separation position in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light between each of the pixels forming the crop existence corresponding portion and the predicted position, and the image data creating unit, the crop existence corresponding portion. It is configured so as to create image data including the above-mentioned separation distance for each of the pixels constituting the.

In a fifth characteristic configuration, in the image data created by the image data creating means, an area having an area equal to or larger than a set area out of the areas corresponding to the crop existence corresponding portion is selected. The point is that a crop presence determining means for determining a true crop presence portion is provided.

A sixth characteristic configuration is that the slit light irradiating means is configured to scan the beam light in the longitudinal direction of the slit light to form the slit light.

[0011]

According to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, the planting surface of the crop irradiated with the linear slit light from above is imaged obliquely with respect to the slit light by the imaging means, and the planting surface is The relative position of the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means is changed so as to change the irradiation position of the slit light with respect to the direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the slit light, and the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means are relatively moved by a set distance. For each, based on the image pickup information of the image pickup means, from the predicted position where the slit light is radiated on the planting surface, the crop existence corresponding portion where the slit light is radiated in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light Is extracted,
Based on the extracted information, image data in which the crop existence corresponding portion is associated with the position on the planting surface is created.

Further, according to the second characteristic configuration, the planting surface of the crop irradiated with the linear slit light obliquely upward, that is, in the direction inclined with respect to the direct upward direction, is oblique to the slit light, for example. An image is picked up by the image pickup means from a direction inclined to the side opposite to the side where the slit light is located with respect to the direction directly above. Thereby, as compared with the case of irradiating the slit light from directly above, for example, in the imaged image of the imaging means, the amount of deviation from the predicted position of the crop existence corresponding portion in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. Expanded.

Further, according to the third characteristic configuration, the crop existence corresponding portion separated from the predicted position by a set distance or more in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light is extracted, and the slit light of the slit light is extracted from the predicted position. The crop existence corresponding portion that is not separated by a set distance or more in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, that is, the crop existence corresponding portion that is less than the set distance is not extracted.

Further, according to the fourth characteristic configuration, the separation position of each pixel forming the crop existence corresponding portion and the predicted position in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light is also obtained as extraction information. Then, based on the extracted information, image data including the separation distance is created for each of the pixels constituting the crop existence corresponding portion associated with the position on the planting surface.

Further, according to the fifth characteristic configuration, in the created image data, among the areas corresponding to the crop existence corresponding portions, the area having the area equal to or larger than the set area is the true crop existence. It is identified as a part.

According to the sixth characteristic construction, the slit light is formed by scanning the light beam in the longitudinal direction.

[0017]

Therefore, according to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, the difference in spatial height between the location where the crop is present and the location where the crop is not present (background) is used as the positional shift in the captured image. Since the image data of the crop is obtained by converting and extracting the crop area by distinguishing it from the background area based on the shift information, the brightness difference (contrast) in the captured image
The above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional technique of extracting the crop region by utilizing the above have been solved.

Further, according to the second characteristic configuration, the difference in spatial height between the crop existing location and the crop non-existing location (background) is
It is converted as a larger positional deviation in the captured image, and the crop area and the background area can be more accurately distinguished based on the deviation information. Therefore, it is preferable when implementing the first characteristic configuration. Can be obtained.

Further, according to the third characteristic configuration, when the positional deviation in the captured image is smaller than the set distance, that is, when the spatial height is lower than the set height, it is not extracted as the crop existence corresponding portion. For example, locations where foreign matter such as stones are present, or crops with poor growth that are low in height can be excluded from the crop image data, and the reliability of the data can be improved. Suitable means for implementing the characteristic construction of

Further, according to the fourth characteristic configuration, with respect to each pixel constituting the crop existence corresponding portion associated with the position on the planting surface, information on the separated position which is the positional deviation information in the captured image, that is, Since image data including spatial height information can be obtained, for example, a growth amount analysis is performed by comparing the growth state of a crop determined based on the height information with a standard growth state, such as a crop. Various analyzes and evaluations can be performed on the state, and thus suitable means for implementing the first, second, or third characteristic configuration can be obtained.

Further, according to the fifth characteristic configuration, since the image data corresponding to the true crop existing portion can be obtained, for example, the presence or absence of a crop (stock loss) can be accurately determined based on this image data. Can be detected, and thus the first, second,
Suitable means for achieving the effects of the third or fourth characteristic configuration can be obtained.

According to the sixth characteristic configuration, since the slit light is formed by scanning the light beam, for example,
Compared with the case where light from a light source such as a fluorescent lamp is formed through a slit-shaped opening provided in a shielding plate, the brightness of the planting surface irradiated with the slit light is made brighter, and S in the captured image is taken. The / N ratio can be increased to reliably detect the crop region, and thus suitable means for implementing the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth characteristic configuration can be obtained.

[0023]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention applied to a seedling plant for growing seedlings such as vegetables and flowers as crops will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling raising plant has a rectangular seedling raising tray 1 in which a predetermined number of cellular seedlings are planted.
Above the above, a crane-type moving body 3 that is suspended by two suspension portions 3a at the front and rear of the rail 2 provided on the ground side and moves along the rail 2 is arranged. Although not shown, the suspension portion 3a includes a guide wheel for the rail 2, a traveling wheel for movement, a traveling motor controlled by a controller 6 to drive the traveling wheel, and the like. Is decorated. In the moving body 3, for each of the seedling raising trays 1, a detection unit 4 for detecting the state of the crop on the planting surface (that is, the upper surface) on which the crop is planted, and the detection of the detection unit 4 A supplementary planting mechanism 5 that removes the seedlings that have been determined to be defective based on the result and plants a substitute seedling, and image information from the detection unit 4 is processed, and the supplementary planting mechanism 5 is operated based on the processing result. A controller 6 for image processing and control using a microcomputer
And are installed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the detecting section 4 has
A beam light scanning device 7 as a slit light irradiation means for irradiating the linear slit light a from above (obliquely above) toward the planting surface of the seedling raising tray 1, and the slit light from this beam light scanning device 7 is emitted. A black-and-white CCD camera S as an image pickup means for taking an image of the planted surface obliquely with respect to the slit light a (that is, from a direction inclined to the side opposite to the slit light a with respect to the direction directly above). Is installed. The beam light scanning device 7 is configured to scan the beam light in the longitudinal direction of the slit light to form the slit light. Specifically, a laser device for generating the beam light and the beam light thereof are configured. Is composed of a scanning galvanometer for scanning within a predetermined angle range, and the controller 6 controls the operation start and stop of the laser device and the galvanometer. The output of the CCD camera S is input to the controller 6.

A structure for changing the irradiation position of the slit light on the planting surface to a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light will be described with reference to FIG. Rails 31 are provided along the intersecting direction, and the detection unit 4 is slidably supported on the rails 31. A rack gear 31a is formed along the longitudinal direction of the rail 31, and a pinion gear 41 that meshes with the rack gear 31a is formed on the detection unit 4 side.
And a drive motor 42 whose operation is controlled by the controller 6 so as to rotate and drive the pinion gear 41. By rotating the drive motor 42 in the forward and reverse directions, the detection unit 4 detects the slit light. It is designed to move in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. From the above, rack gear 3
1a, the pinion gear 41, the drive motor 42, and the like constitute a moving unit M that relatively moves the planting surface and the light beam scanning device 7. Further, while the fixed electrode portion 31b is formed along the longitudinal direction of the rail 31, a sliding brush 43 that slides on the fixed electrode portion 31b is provided on the detection portion 4 side. The movement position of the detection unit 4 in the longitudinal direction of the rail 31 is detected by the potentiometer S1 including the brush 43 and the like.

Then, using the controller 6,
The moving means M relatively moves the planting surface and the beam light scanning device 7 by a set distance (pitch), that is, the beam light scanning device 7 with respect to the planting surface in a stopped state.
Each time the robot moves, based on the image pickup information of the CCD camera S, a predicted position on the planting surface to which the slit light is irradiated (straight line b shown in FIGS. 2 and 7A).
From the above, the extraction means 100 for extracting the crop existence corresponding portion irradiated with the slit light by being displaced in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light (left direction in the drawing) is configured. The crop existence corresponding portion is configured to be extracted from the predicted position at a distance that is more than a set distance (distance Δh shown in FIG. 7A) in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. still,
The set distance when the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means 7 are relatively moved by the moving means M is set to be substantially equal to the irradiation width of the slit light in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction thereof.

Further, using the controller 6, based on the extraction information of the extracting means 100, image data creating means 101 for creating image data in which the crop existence corresponding portion is associated with the position on the planting surface. In the image data created by the image data creating means 101, a crop whose area is equal to or larger than a set area among the areas corresponding to the crop existence corresponding area is determined as a true crop existence area. The existence determining means 102 is configured.

The supplementary planting mechanism 5 captures defective seedlings on the tip side in order to remove defective seedlings at locations where there is no seedling or the seedlings are judged to be poorly grown according to the detection result of the detection unit 4. An arm 51 provided with a substitute seedling holding portion 51a for holding a substitute seedling, and a drive portion 52 for moving the arm 51 forward and backward and leftward and rightward so as to move toward and away from the seedling portion on the seedling raising tray are provided. The drive unit 52 is
The operation is controlled by the controller 6.

Next, the control operation of the controller 6 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, the moving body 3 is moved and stopped while the detection unit 4 is located above the seedling raising tray 1 to be inspected and the irradiation position of the slit light is located at the front end of the inspection tray 1. Then, while the scanning of the slit light is started and the detection unit 4 is moved from the front end of the inspection tray 1 at a predetermined pitch, the irradiation position is displaced in the direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the slit light, so that Distance image forming processing is performed to form data of an image (hereinafter, referred to as a distance image) indicating the existence of the seedlings. When the distance image is formed up to the opposite end of the inspection tray 1, the scanning of the slit light is stopped, and seedling presence / absence detection processing for detecting the presence / absence of seedlings based on the distance image data is performed. Then, according to the result of the seedling presence / absence detection processing, a substitute seedling is supplemented at the location where the missing strain is detected. As shown in FIG. 1, this supplementary planting operation is performed with the moving body 3 moved so that the detecting unit 4 is located above the seedling raising tray 1 to be inspected next. This is done for tray 1.

In the distance image forming process (FIG. 5), first, C
A captured image as shown in FIG. 7A is input from the CD camera S. Here, the image information is given as pixel data configured with a predetermined resolution on the upper, lower, left and right sides of the screen, and the pixels at the spot where the slit light hits the seedling leaves are on the tray surface made of soil or urethane mat. The position is deviated from the predicted position b, which indicates the pixel position where the slit light hits, in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light (on the left side in the drawing). Then, this amount of positional deviation, that is, the distance h between the pixel forming the crop existing portion and the predicted position b in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light corresponds to the height of the seedling leaves there. It becomes information. Next, the captured image from the CCD camera S is filtered, binarized at a predetermined signal level, noise removal is performed, and thinning processing is performed to obtain a 1-bit image for each horizontal scanning line. I do.

Next, in the thinned image, in order to leave only the spot where the light beam hits the above-mentioned seedling leaves, leave the pixels whose separation distance h is larger than Δh in FIG. A mask process is performed (data 1 remains as it is) and pixels smaller than this Δh are erased (data 0) to obtain an image of FIG. 7B. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the image data after the masking process is stored in a predetermined row (from the front end of the inspection tray 1 of the two-dimensional image memory 6a for the distance image formed in the controller 6). Projection transfer to i columns numbered as i = 1, 2, 3, and so on. Next, the detection unit 4 (irradiation position of slit light) is advanced by a predetermined pitch, and the processing from the camera input is repeated at that position, and the length from the front end of the inspection tray 1 to the opposite end is determined by the predetermined pitch. 6 is performed for a predetermined number of columns (for example, 512 times), and finally, the entire distance image of the inspection tray 1 is shown in FIG.
Is obtained as.

In the seedling presence / absence detection processing (FIG. 6), as shown in FIG. 8, the image is divided into screen areas including the area k corresponding to the crop presence corresponding portion which is the image of the seedling in the distance image, and each of the divided areas. In the screen area, the area of the area k corresponding to the crop existence corresponding portion is calculated, and when the area ratio of the area k to the screen area is less than or equal to a predetermined value, there is no seedling (stock loss) and exceeds the predetermined value. When it is determined that seedlings exist. Then, the area calculation and the stock-out determination process are performed for all the regions k. By the way, in FIG. 8, the second area k from the top on the left side has only dot-like seedlings and its area is almost 0, and the area k from the top on the right side has no image of seedlings. The area is 0 and both are determined to be missing strains, but the other areas k are determined to have seedlings because the area is larger than the predetermined value.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the extraction means 100 is separated from the predicted position b by a set distance Δh or more in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light as the crop existence corresponding portion. Is configured to be extracted, that is, the pixel data indicating whether or not there is an image portion corresponding to a crop is configured to be extracted.
Is configured to obtain a separation position h of each pixel forming the crop existence corresponding portion and the predicted position b in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light, and further, the image data creating unit 101. May be configured to create image data including the separation distance h for each of the pixels forming the crop existence corresponding portion. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, in the flow of FIG. 5, instead of the masking process, the separation distance h of a plurality of stages (256 stages) given by digital data of a predetermined number of bits (8 bits or the like) is calculated. Processing is performed. Thereby, the pixel data including the height information is created for the image portion corresponding to the crop, and based on the pixel data including the height information, for example, by comparing with the crop height under the standard growing condition, the crop It is possible to determine the quality of the growing condition of.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the crop detecting device of the present invention is applied to a seedling raising plant for growing seedlings such as vegetables and flowers as a crop has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the seedling raising plant. Also, it can be applied to various crops.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the slit light irradiating means 7 irradiates the slit light toward the planting surface obliquely from above, but it may also irradiate it from directly above rather than obliquely above. Good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the slit light irradiation means is constituted by the beam light scanning device 7 which scans the beam light in the longitudinal direction of the slit light to form the slit light. Instead, for example, light from a light source such as a fluorescent lamp may be formed into the slit light through a slit plate having a linear opening.

In the above embodiment, the image pickup means is composed of the black and white CCD camera S, but other than this, for example,
Various image pickup means such as a color CCD camera and an electron tube type television camera can be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the moving means M is constituted so that the slit light irradiating means 7 is moved in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light with respect to the planting surface in a fixed state. However, conversely, the planting surface may be moved in the above-mentioned direction with respect to the fixed slit light irradiating means 7, or both the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means 7 may be moved. You may

Further, in the above embodiment, when the moving means M relatively moves the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means 7 by the set distance, the set distance and the irradiation width of the slit light are made substantially equal. However, this condition is not always necessary. For example, the irradiation width of the slit light can be made larger than the set distance so that the crop presence corresponding portion can be reliably extracted from the captured image.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the specific distance Δh when extracting the distance from the predicted position b in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light by the distance Δh or more as the crop existence corresponding portion is concrete. The condition is changed and set to an appropriate value by judging the growing condition of the crop.

It should be noted that although reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial side view showing a seedling raising plant equipped with a crop detection device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a crop detection device.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing moving means.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of control operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of control operation.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing image processing for crop detection.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing image processing for crop detection.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of control operation showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Slit Light Irradiating Means S Imaging Means M Moving Means 100 Extracting Means 101 Image Data Creating Means 102 Crop Presence Discriminating Means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A slit light irradiation means (7) for irradiating a straight slit light from above toward a planting surface on which a crop is planted, and the planting surface irradiated with the slit light with respect to the slit light. And an image pickup means (S) for obliquely picking up images, and the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means (7) so that the irradiation position of the slit light on the planting surface is changed to a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. ) Relative to the imaging means (S) each time the moving surface (M) relatively moves the planting surface and the slit light irradiating means (7) by a set distance. Based on the imaging information, the slit light illuminates in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light from the predicted position on the planting surface where the slit light is radiated. Extraction means (100) for extracting the projected crop existence corresponding portion, and image data in which the crop existence corresponding portion is associated with the position on the planting surface based on the extraction information of the extraction means (100). A crop detection device provided with an image data creating means (101) to be created. 2. The crop detection device according to claim 1, wherein the slit light irradiation means (7) is configured to irradiate the slit light toward the planting surface from obliquely above. 3. The extracting means (100) is configured to extract, as the crop presence corresponding portion, a portion which is apart from the predicted position by a set distance or more in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. The crop detection device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The extracting means (100) is configured to obtain a separation position between each pixel forming the crop existence corresponding portion and the predicted position in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the slit light. The image data creating means (101) is configured to create image data including the separation distance for each of the pixels forming the crop existence corresponding portion. Crop detection device. 5. In the image data created by the image data creating means (101), among the areas corresponding to the crop existence corresponding portions, the area having an area equal to or larger than a set area is a true crop existence. The crop presence determining means (102) for determining a part is provided.
The crop detection device described. 6. The slit light irradiating means (7) is configured to scan the beam light in the longitudinal direction of the slit light to form the slit light.
The crop detection device according to 3, 4, or 5.