Recent Trends in Mobile Robotics for 3D Mapping in Agriculture

This article presents trends and future developments in mobile robotics for 3D mapping in agriculture. Recent examples of robotic platforms and sensors are first presented to highlight the technologies adopted for autonomous surveying in the agricultural field. Then, localization and mapping approaches are discussed, as well as path planning algorithms for the navigation of mobile robots in orchards and crops. Finally, insights into applications of artificial intelligence to robotic mapping are given to evaluate the potentiality of neural networks in this field. The results of the survey indicate research directions and suggest future applications of mobile robotics as an efficient tool for smart agriculture.