[Paper Review] Agricultural Robotics: The Future of Robotic Agriculture

Tom Duckett, Simon Pearson+28 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 18, 2018

Smart Agriculture and AI36 citations

TL;DR

This white paper reviews the state of the art in agricultural robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) to address global challenges in food production, including population growth, climate change, and rural depopulation. It proposes a strategic research and innovation roadmap to accelerate RAS adoption in agri-food systems, emphasizing digital technologies to transform farming from farm to fork.

ABSTRACT

Agri-Food is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. It supports a food chain that generates over £108bn p.a., with 3.9m employees in a truly international industry and exports £20bn of UK manufactured goods. However, the global food chain is under pressure from population growth, climate change, political pressures affecting migration, population drift from rural to urban regions and the demographics of an aging global population. These challenges are recognised in the UK Industrial Strategy white paper and backed by significant investment via a Wave 2 Industrial Challenge Fund Investment ("Transforming Food Production: from Farm to Fork"). Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) and associated digital technologies are now seen as enablers of this critical food chain transformation. To meet these challenges, this white paper reviews the state of the art in the application of RAS in Agri-Food production and explores research and innovation needs to ensure these technologies reach their full potential and deliver the necessary impacts in the Agri-Food sector.

Motivation & Objective

• Address the growing pressure on the global food chain due to population growth, climate change, and rural depopulation.
• Identify critical gaps in robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) application within the agri-food sector.
• Provide a strategic research and innovation roadmap to accelerate RAS adoption in UK and global agriculture.
• Support the UK Industrial Strategy's 'Transforming Food Production' challenge by aligning RAS development with national and international food security goals.
• Foster collaboration across academia, industry, and government to scale robotic solutions in farming.

Proposed method

• Conduct a comprehensive review of current RAS technologies in agri-food production, including sensing, autonomy, and control systems.
• Map existing research and innovation activities across the UK and international landscape to identify underdeveloped or high-impact application areas.
• Engage stakeholders from industry, research, and policy to define key technology needs and barriers to adoption.
• Propose a structured innovation pipeline integrating robotics, AI, and digital farming technologies for scalable deployment.
• Use a white paper format to synthesize findings and recommend targeted R&D investments and policy actions.
• Align recommendations with the UK's Wave 2 Industrial Challenge Fund for 'Transforming Food Production: from Farm to Fork'.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the current capabilities and limitations of robotics and autonomous systems in agricultural applications?
• RQ2 Which RAS technologies offer the highest potential for transforming food production systems sustainably?
• RQ3 What are the key technical, economic, and regulatory barriers to scaling robotic agriculture?
• RQ4 How can research and innovation be strategically directed to maximize impact across the agri-food value chain?
• RQ5 What policy and investment frameworks are needed to accelerate the adoption of RAS in farming?

Key findings

• Agri-Food is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, contributing over £108bn annually and employing 3.9 million people.
• The sector faces mounting pressure from climate change, aging populations, urbanization, and migration challenges.
• Robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) are identified as critical enablers for transforming food production from farm to fork.
• Significant investment is being directed through the UK’s Wave 2 Industrial Challenge Fund to support RAS innovation in agriculture.
• A strategic roadmap is proposed to align research, industry, and policy efforts for scalable RAS deployment.
• Collaboration across academia, industry, and government is essential to overcome technical and adoption barriers in robotic agriculture.