An efficient transplanting device with an automatic seedling pick-up and supplementation function includes a seedling pick-up device, a seedling discharging device, and a seedling supplementation device. The seedling discharging device is used to discharge plug seedlings for transplantation; the seedling pick-up device is used to transfer the plug seedlings and the seedling supplementation device is used to supplement the plug seeding. A seedling pick-up photoelectric sensor, a detection camera, and a controller are provided for the operations of plug seedling pick-up, supplementation and discharge of the plug seedlings.

An apparatus having a support frame supports a tray actuation means, a pick up means and a conveyor assembly for feeding a transplanter with viable plants from a multi-celled tray. The tray actuation means is configured to move the multi-celled tray along the support frame. The pick up means is configured to pick up the viable plants by their foliage from the multi-celled tray and leaving non-viable plants therein. The conveyor assembly includes receptacles for receiving one viable plant from the pick up means, and at least one sensor for detecting empty receptacles. A controller cooperatively operates the tray actuation means, the pick up means, and the conveyor assembly in order to skip empty receptacles for ensuring continuous feeding of the transplanter with viable plants. A gripper for picking up plants by their foliage. A method for continuously feeding the transplanter with viable plants.

A plant transplanter is comprised of a pair of blades connected to one another by a pair of chains that allow the varying of the distance between the two blades. Each blade has a vertically upwardly directed shaft such that the two shafts are joined by a horizontally disposed horizontal bar that has a centrally disposed tension rod allowing the length of the horizontal bar to vary between its attachment points with the two shafts. A compass is attached to one of the shafts. Horizontally disposed transverse lift bars are attached to each shaft for heavy lifts.

A transplanter including a frame structure that is configured to support a tray, an operating handle structure, and a base structure including a chute. The frame structure can include a furrower to from a furrow in soil and the transplanter can also include a furrow closing structure configured to close the furrow at a location beyond an end of the chute. The operating handle structure can enable one or more attributes of the operating handle to be selectively reconfigured. The base structure can be fabricated from one or more injection molded parts.

An operation device includes a stop button that is provided on a front surface of a main body of the operation device and receives, from a user, an instruction to cause a rice transplanter to perform a stop action of autonomous travel and includes partial protruding portions that are provided near the stop button on the front surface of the main body and protrude forward from the front surface of the main body.

A traveling processing portion causes a work vehicle including a work machine movable between a non-work position and a work position to travel in an automated manner along a target path. An elevation processing portion moves the work machine from the non-work position to the work position at a position before a work start position only by a first predetermined distance on the target path. A car-speed control processing portion reduces the car speed of the work vehicle to a car speed slower than a set car-speed at a position before the work start position only by a second predetermined distance. A drive processing portion starts driving of the work machine at the work start position or a position on an advancing direction side of the work start position.

This autonomous traveling system is provided with a path preparation unit, a forward movement control unit, a backward movement control unit, and a turn control unit. The path preparation unit prepares a plurality of straight line paths. The forward movement control unit causes a machine to execute work and simultaneously causes the machine to travel along a straight line path by at least autonomous steering. After an operator has stopped the machine traveling toward an edge of a field, the backward movement control unit causes the machine to travel backward autonomously or operationally by the operator, without executing any work. After the machine moving backward has stopped, and an instruction for forward movement has been provided by the operator, the turn control unit causes the machine to turn toward a predetermined straight line path by performing at least autonomous steering without executing any work.

Attachment including a base plate and three guiding plates disposed on the base plate is attached to a pot seedling guide portion. The guiding plates are arranged alternately on right and left sides along a reference line L, and resistance imparting portions are arranged on the reference line L. This allows a tensile force to be generated between individual pots and linked by a link piece, and a corrective effect on a posture of the individual pots in contact with guiding surfaces of the guiding plates can be enhanced.

Systems and methods for forming holes in a ground cover material as a vehicle travels over terrain. The methods comprise: detecting when a mobility mechanism of the vehicle or a machine coupled to the vehicle has moved in a direction by a certain amount; generating a control signal by a controller responsive to said detecting; communicating the control signal from the controller to a heat source; producing heat by the heat source in response to the control signal; and using the heat to form a hole in the ground cover material as the vehicle travels at a speed over the terrain.

A reaping control device executes a process of controlling a height of a harvesting unit based on a height of a ground or a crop in a work area during automatic travel of a combine, and a process of switching a harvest height control function that controls the height of the harvesting unit from disabled to enabled when the harvesting unit reaches a first position on a work path away from a target start position of work on the work path by a first predetermined distance in a work direction.