Various aspects of robotics and intelligent machine systems in agriculture

Agriculture has never faced such increased pressure due to population growth, climate change, and labor shortages, requiring new innovative technological solutions. In this sense, smart agriculture, which is the inclusion of advanced technologies into farming practices, is the key to robust production as well as sound environmental protection behavior. Of course, absolute autonomy would not be possible without the help of robotics and intelligent machine systems. This chapter deals mainly with the merged theme of robotics and artificial intelligence in agricultural areas, with a focus on basic technologies that allow the automatic functioning of robots in complex farm environments. It discusses a wide range of applications, including field operations, crop monitoring, precision resource management, and livestock systems. Along with a detailed analysis of the technical performance of precision sprayers, autonomous harvesters, and robotic milking, it draws attention to superior performance resulting from labor optimization, input reduction, yield improvements, and the increased sustainability of these machines. The tools researched allow for a shift in agriculture’s production mode by offering viable answers to such difficulties as well as the [alternative] farming techniques that could potentially take place in the 21st century.