The machinery which is used in agriculture and farming is known as agricultural machinery. There has been a gradual shift in the recent years to introduce technology in order to automate these machines and minimize human intervention. A few examples of the different tasks, which are being automated are monitoring moisture in the soil, seeding and harvesting. There are various software and hardware components involved in these processes. The software components are aimed at managing soil, seeds, irrigation and fertilizers to make predictions and provide information to maximize yield. The hardware components are sensors, drones, harvesting robots and seeders. The topics included in this book on agricultural automation are of utmost significance and bound to provide incredible insights to readers. It elucidates new techniques and their applications in a multidisciplinary approach. This book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.

Over the past century, mechanization has been an important means for optimizing resource utilization, improving worker health and safety and reducing labor requirements in farming while increasing productivity and quality of 4F (Food, Fuel, Fiber, Feed). Recognizing this contribution, agricultural mechanization was considered as one of the top ten engineering achievements of 20th century by the National Academy of Engineering. Accordingly farming communities have adopted increasing level of automation and robotics to further improve the precision management of crops (including input resources), increase productivity and reduce farm labor beyond what has been possible with conventional mechanization technologies. It is more important than ever to continue to develop and adopt novel automation and robotic solutions into farming so that some of the most complex agricultural tasks, which require huge amount of seasonal labor such as fruit and vegetable harvesting, could be automated while meeting the rapidly increasing need for 4F. In addition, continual innovation in and adoption of agricultural automation and robotic technologies is essential to minimize the use of depleting resources including water, minerals and other chemicals so that sufficient amount of safe and healthy food can be produced for current generation while not compromising the potential for the future generation. This book aims at presenting the fundamental principles of various aspects of automation and robotics as they relate to production agriculture (the branch of agriculture dealing with farming operations from field preparation to seeding, to harvesting and field logistics). The building blocks of agricultural automation and robotics that are discussed in the book include sensing and machine vision, control, guidance, manipulation and end-effector technologies. The fundamentals and operating principles of these technologies are explained with examples from cutting-edge research and development currently going on around the word. This book brings together scientists, engineers, students and professionals working in these and related technologies to present their latest examples of agricultural automation and robotics research, innovation and development while explaining the fundamentals of the technology. The book, therefore, benefits those who wish to develop novel agricultural engineering solutions and/or to adopt them in the future. .

Agricultural automation is the core technology for computer-aided agricultural production management and implementation. An integration of equipment, infotronics, and precision farming technologies, it creates viable solutions for challenges facing the food, fiber, feed, and fuel needs of the human race now and into the future. Agricultural Automat

Over the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted on the applications of agricultural robots and automation to a variety of field and greenhouse operations, and technical fundamentals and their feasibility have also been widely demonstrated. Due to the unstructured environment, adverse interference and complicated and diversified operation process are the key of blocking its commercialization in robotic agricultural operations. Because of the development of automation techniques, smart sensors, and information techniques, some types of agricultural robots have achieved considerable success in recent years. This book intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in agricultural robots, fundamentals, and applications in robotic agricultural operations.

This book addresses the challenges for developing and emerging trends in Internet-of-Things (IoT) for smart agriculture platforms. It also describes data analytics & machine learning, cloud architecture, automation & robotics and aims to overcome existing barriers for smart agriculture with commercial viability. It discusses IoT-based monitoring systems for analyzing the crop environment, and methods for improving the efficiency of decision-making based on the analysis of harvest statistics. The book explores a range of applications including intelligent field monitoring, intelligent data processing and sensor technologies, predictive analysis systems, crop monitoring, and weather data-enabled analysis in IoT agro-systems. This volume will be helpful for engineering and technology experts and researchers, as well as for policy-makers.

Agricultural automation is the emerging technologies which heavily rely on computer-integrated management and advanced control systems. The tedious farming tasks had been taken over by agricultural machines in last century, in new millennium, computer-aided systems, automation, and robotics has been applied to precisely manage agricultural production system. With agricultural automation technologies, sustainable agriculture is being developed based on efficient use of land, increased conservation of water, fertilizer and energy resources. The agricultural automation technologies refer to related areas in sensing & perception, reasoning & learning, data communication, and task planning & execution. Since the literature on this diverse subject is widely scattered, it is necessary to review current status and capture the future challenges through a comprehensive monograph. In this book we focus on agricultural automation and provide critical reviews of advanced control technologies, their merits and limitations, application areas and research opportunities for further development. This collection thus serves as an authoritative treatise that can help researchers, engineers, educators, and students in the field of sensing, control, and automation technologies for production agriculture.