Centre for Automation and Robotics
🇪🇸 ES
Papers
443
Total Citations
12,045
H-Index
56
Researchers
314
About
The Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR) stands as one of Europe's most dynamic research institutions at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. With a distinctly applied orientation, CAR has carved out a globally recognized niche in agricultural robotics, aerial systems, and intelligent automation — areas where its contributions have fundamentally reshaped how researchers and practitioners approach real-world challenges. CAR's most transformative work centers on precision agriculture, where the institution has pioneered robotic systems capable of autonomous harvesting, targeted pest control, and site-specific weed management. Landmark publications on soft grippers for crop harvesting, fleet-based pest control, and dual-arm aubergine harvesting have collectively accumulated hundreds of citations, reflecting the field's reliance on CAR's innovations. The centre's deep engagement with "Agriculture 4.0" — integrating AI, IoT, and robotics into farming — positions it at the forefront of sustainable food production research. Beyond agriculture, CAR has made significant strides in unmanned aerial vehicles, with highly cited reviews on deep learning for UAVs and pioneering work on autonomous landing and search-and-rescue applications. Their exploration of natural human-drone interaction further demonstrates a commitment to human-centered design principles. Complementing these strengths are contributions in soft robotics for rehabilitation, bio-inspired locomotion using shape memory alloys, modular robot design, and Industry 4.0 training systems. With over 3,000 cumulative citations across its top publications and research spanning rehabilitation technology, aerial autonomy, and intelligent field robots, CAR offers prospective students and collaborators a richly interdisciplinary environment where foundational science meets urgent societal need. The centre represents an exceptional platform for those seeking to advance robotics where it matters most.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Automatic segmentation of relevant textures in agricultural images379 citations · 2010
- 2A Review of Deep Learning Methods and Applications for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles363 citations · 2017
- 3Soft Grippers for Automatic Crop Harvesting: A Review226 citations · 2021
- 4Fleets of robots for environmentally-safe pest control in agriculture222 citations · 2016
- 5
- 6Advances in site‐specific weed management in agriculture—A review214 citations · 2022
- 7
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- 9Natural user interfaces for human-drone multi-modal interaction176 citations · 2016
- 10
Faculty & Researchers
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