PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a constant image condition to be kept even for a plant body which grows in height and to enable an image analysis to be made for a variety of plant bodies.SOLUTION: An image generation device, which generates an image to extract a predetermined image feature amount by taking the image of a plant body 1 from above, comprises: a table 2 on which a cultivation panel 10 with the plant body 1 planted thereon is placed a camera 3 which is arranged at a position above the table 2 to take the image of the plant body 1 from above a height measuring device 4 which measures a height of the plant body 1 when taking the image of the plant body 1 with the camera 3 a lifting mechanism 5 which moves the camera 3 up and down and a control device 6 which controls lifting performance of the lifting mechanism 5. The control device 6 controls the lifting performance of the lifting mechanism 5 in accordance with a measurement value measured by the height measuring device 4 so as to keep a distance between the camera 3 and the plant body 1 equal to the distance when the height of the camera 3 is initially set to include a predetermined region of the plant body 1 in a field of vision.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】背丈が伸びる植物体であっても撮像条件を同じに保つことを可能とし、種々の植物体についての画像解析に対応できるようにする。【解決手段】画像生成装置は、植物体1を上方より撮像して所定の画像特徴量を抽出するための画像を生成するもので、植物体1が植えられた栽培パネル10を定置するためのテーブル2と、植物体1を上方より撮像するためにテーブル2の上方位置に配置されるカメラ3と、カメラ3による撮像時に植物体1の高さを計測する高さ計測装置4と、カメラ3を昇降動作させる昇降機構5と、昇降機構5の昇降動作を制御する制御装置6とを備えている。制御装置6は、植物体1の決められた範囲が視野内に収まるようにカメラ3の高さが初期設定されたときのカメラ3と植物体1との距離が一定に保たれるように高さ計測装置4による計測値に応じて昇降機構5の動作を制御する。【選択図】図1
