Advancements in Agricultural Robots for Specialty Crops: A Comprehensive Review of Innovations, Challenges, and Prospects

The emergence of robot technology presents opportunity to revolutionize specialty crop production, offering crucial support across various activities such as planting, supporting general traits, and harvesting. These robots play a pivotal role in keeping stakeholders up-to-date of developments in their production fields, while providing them the capability to automate laborious tasks. Then, to elucidate the advancements in this domain, we present a comprehensive review covering from 1988 to 2023, meticulously examining the state-of-the-art in robots for specialty crops. A rigorous search strategy was formulated, leveraging the Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM databases to ensure a thorough investigation. Careful selection of keywords such as "robot" and "specialty crops" was employed to enhance comprehension and comprehensiveness. Only peer-reviewed papers were considered, resulting in the inclusion of 706 papers. Each paper was meticulous evaluated by a panel of reviewers who evaluated various aspects including titles, abstracts, keywords, methods, conclusions, and declarations. Consistency and eligibility were predominant in determining which papers met the stringent inclusion criteria. Any discrepancies or disagreements were resolved through rigorous consensus-building discussions among the reviewers. The primary aim of this review is to contribute scientifically to the understanding of robots for specialty crops within the research landscape, elucidating current limitations and suggesting opportunities for future investigations. Finally, our insights serve to unravel the intricate dynamics of technological advancements within the field, while also supporting the cause of cultivating a more sustainable and resilient agricultural landscape for specialty crops.