Emerging Technologies for Automation in Environmental Sensing: Review

This article explores the impact of automation on environmental sensing, focusing on advanced technologies that revolutionize data collection analysis and monitoring. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defines automation as integrating hardware and software components into modern analytical systems. Advancements in electronics, computer science, and robotics drive the evolution of automated sensing systems, overcoming traditional limitations in manual data collection. Environmental sensor networks (ESNs) address challenges in weather constraints and cost considerations, providing high-quality time-series data, although issues in interoperability, calibration, communication, and longevity persist. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), particularly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), play an important role in environmental monitoring due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness. Despite challenges in regulatory compliance and technical limitations, UAVs offer detailed spatial and temporal information. Pollution monitoring faces challenges related to high costs and maintenance requirements, prompting the exploration of cost-efficient alternatives. Smart agriculture encounters hurdle in data integration, interoperability, device durability in adverse weather conditions, and cybersecurity threats, necessitating privacy-preserving techniques and federated learning approaches. Financial barriers, including hardware costs and ongoing maintenance, impede the widespread adoption of smart technology in agriculture. Integrating robotics, notably underwater vehicles, proves indispensable in various environmental monitoring applications, providing accurate data in challenging conditions. This review details the significant role of transfer learning and edge computing, which are integral components of robotics and wireless monitoring frameworks. These advancements aid in overcoming challenges in environmental sensing, underscoring the ongoing necessity for research and innovation to enhance monitoring solutions. Some state-of-the-art frameworks and datasets are analyzed to provide a comprehensive review on the basic steps involved in the automation of environmental sensing applications.