Why the low adoption of robotics in the farms? Challenges for the establishment of commercial agricultural robots

Abstract

In a world that requires sustainable agricultural practices, quantitative plant-by-plant and field status monitoring can be advantageous to all farmers by optimizing their farm management. Autonomous robots, sensing technologies, and automated data analysis will play a key role. In the present article, we discuss three critical aspects of the incorporation of field robots in agriculture: 1) the main design specifications and economic aspects for Commercial Agricultural Robots (CARs) in terms of autonomous navigation (perception, localization, and kinematics); 2) the business models of agricultural robotics companies, which are compared to successful business models of robotic companies on the medical field; 3) the possibilities that CARs could bring, including the generation of big data about local food production and its impact on the local environment. Our analysis highlights the reasons that explain the low adoption of CARs in the current agricultural market. Finally, we reflect on the current distorted costs that consumers pay for food while the ecological footprints of food production and food delivery are neglected, and we encourage the discussion to promote sustainable food policies that support the establishment of robotic agricultural companies.