Main findings for robotics in agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Australia’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector will grow in the future due to global population growth and Australia’s reputation as a trusted food source. However, agricultural activity currently includes high levels of waste in the value chain, and places significant demands on large portions of environmentally sensitive land and water of the Australian continent and continental shelf. The low population density, ageing population, remote location and vast distances involved in agricultural production present numerous challenges in service delivery, freight distribution and telecommunications. This makes innovation and the development of new agricultural technologies an area where robotics can play an important role in the form of autonomous vehicles, cloud computing (and cloud robotics), UAVs, IoT and precision agriculture. The application of robotic technologies can optimise yield, increase efficiency, and ensure sustainability in the sector.