A Comprehensive Review of Current Robot- Based Pollinators in Greenhouse Farming

TL;DR

This paper reviews current robotic pollination systems in greenhouses, highlighting their categories, technological integration, benefits, challenges, and future prospects for sustainable agriculture.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive categorization and analysis of robotic pollinators, emphasizing technological advancements and integration in greenhouse farming.

Findings

Robotic pollinators are categorized into air-jet, water-jet, linear actuator, ultrasonic, and spray technologies.

Integration of automation reduces labor costs and enhances crop pollination efficiency.

Challenges include crop-specific design limitations and technological complexity.

Abstract

The decline of bee and wind-based pollination systems in greenhouses due to controlled environments and limited access has boost the importance of finding alternative pollination methods. Robotic based pollination systems have emerged as a promising solution, ensuring adequate crop yield even in challenging pollination scenarios. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the current robotic-based pollinators employed in greenhouses. The review categorizes pollinator technologies into major categories such as air-jet, water-jet, linear actuator, ultrasonic wave, and air-liquid spray, each suitable for specific crop pollination requirements. However, these technologies are often tailored to particular crops, limiting their versatility. The advancement of science and technology has led to the integration of automated pollination technology, encompassing information technology, automatic perception, detection, control, and operation. This integration not only reduces labor costs but also fosters the ongoing progress of modern agriculture by refining technology, enhancing automation, and promoting intelligence in agricultural practices. Finally, the challenges encountered in design of pollinator are addressed, and a forward-looking perspective is taken towards future developments, aiming to contribute to the sustainable advancement of this technology.