System analysis of agricultural robots in agricultural production

Abstract

The implementation of such technological operations as soil preparation, sowing, crop care, harvesting, primary cleaning of the harvested crop, storage and processing of products requires mechanization and automation tools that would ensure the quality and uninterrupted operation of agricultural enterprises. Throughout the history of agriculture, farming has evolved from simple hand tools and animal-drawn machines to sophisticated automated equipment. However, it should be noted that even today, manual tools and animal power are still used in developing countries. The use of primitive tools together with manual labor reduces its productivity and reduces the profitability of production. Thus, the growing level of mechanization and automation of the technological process of growing crops, the desire to reduce hard work and facilitate the most difficult work during peak periods (soil preparation, inter-row cultivation, harvesting, transportation, etc.). The purpose of this article is to systematically analyze new technological solutions for replacing manual labor in various technological operations in agricultural production with agricultural robots. Methods. The research materials used were scientific papers on the history of the development of robotic units for use in various sectors of agriculture. A systematic analysis of the functionality of agricultural robots for agricultural production was carried out and they were divided into groups according to their functionality and technological processes – for monitoring crops, for interrow cultivation and weed control, for performing specific operations and for harvesting crops. Results. Today, there are many different robots for agriculture on the market, as emerging technological needs require the performance of as many technological operations for which robots can be used in agriculture. There are robots for soil preparation, seed sowing, pest control, and crop harvesting. It should be noted that we live in an era of change. What was considered a "fairy tale" yesterday is now being realized. The achievement of agricultural automation is driven by enabling existing machines to work autonomously without human intervention. The level of complexity of work that can be performed by agricultural robots is increasing. The use of agro-robots for complex technological operations that require a lot of manual labor is one of the primary tasks of adapting and improving the technological links of the entire technological process of growing both field crops and berries, vegetables and fruits. Conclusions. Agrobots, as the latest technology for agricultural production, not only saves labor costs, but should also improve quality control and increase the ability to withstand natural risks. Agrobots are able to adapt to the changing environment in which they operate. Therefore, the adaptation and adaptation of technological links to the automated performance of agricultural robots is an important element of changing and improving the technological process of growing crops.