Autonomous Agricultural Machinery: The Next Frontier in Smart Farming

2020-01-10

Abstract

Four Key Application Scenarios of Smart Agriculture
Smart agriculture centers on intelligent production, supported by IoT, cloud computing, and big data technologies. Currently, China’s smart agriculture focuses on four primary applications: data platform services, drone-based crop protection, autonomous agricultural machinery, and precision livestock farming.

The sector is experiencing rapid growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.12% from 2015 to 2025. Key technologies driving this growth include smart sensor systems, intelligent agricultural equipment, drones, robotics, and cloud-based software solutions.

Background: Autonomous Agricultural Machinery
Traditional farming relies heavily on operators’ skills, resulting in inconsistent precision and poor nighttime performance. As experienced operators age and younger generations show less interest in agricultural work, the demand for automated solutions has surged in China, a global agricultural powerhouse.

With the commercialization of 5G in 2019 and the global deployment of navigation systems like BeiDou-3 and Galileo, integrated GNSS technologies are advancing rapidly. The relatively controlled environment of agricultural operations makes autonomous machinery likely to achieve widespread adoption earlier than road vehicles, ushering in a new era of smart farming.

Autonomous Agricultural Machinery Solutions
These solutions integrate radar sensors, BeiDou navigation, electro-hydraulic controls, and computer technologies to enable precise, preset route automation. They address critical challenges in traditional farming:

Replacing manual labor

Extending operational hours

Improving accuracy and efficiency

Optimizing land use

Advantages of Autonomous Machinery

Standardized Operations:

Ensures straight lines and uniform spacing, improving crop ventilation and fertilizer distribution while preventing damage during planting.

Increased Land Utilization:

Accurate row alignment boosts land use efficiency by 3%–5%.

Enhanced Operational Efficiency:

Enables 24/7 operation, maximizing productivity during critical farming seasons.

Reduced Skill Requirements: