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2025 Vol.7, Issue 3 Preview Page

Review Article

Advancing precision agriculture: A review of cooperative robotic systems for site-specific crop management
Dong hyeon Kang1
,
Jayeong Paek2
,
Ho-seung Jang2
,
Sangho Lee2
,
Seong-Woo Jeon2*
1Department of Liberal Arts, Korean National University of Agriculture and Fisheries, JeonJu 54874, Republic of Korea
2Department of Agricultural Engineering, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, JeonJu 54875, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding Author
30 September 2025. pp. 216-227
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Abstract

The agricultural sector is increasingly facing challenges such as labor shortages and workforce aging, accelerating the adoption of automation and robotics in precision agriculture. Among emerging technologies, cooperative robots have garnered significant attention as a promising solution to enhance operational efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability in complex and unstructured farming environments. This review classifies cooperative robotics in agriculture into three categories—human–robot collaboration (HRC), multi-robot cooperation, and multi-arm robot collaboration—and systematically examines recent studies and technological developments within each domain. HRC systems focus on integrating human cognitive decision-making with robotic autonomy through shared control interfaces, activity recognition, and collaborative support systems for harvesting. Multi-robot cooperation emphasizes efficient task allocation, collision avoidance, and optimal path planning through techniques such as leader–follower control, neural network-based adaptive algorithms, and multi-task scheduling frameworks. In multi-arm robot systems, dual-manipulator configurations are utilized to improve productivity in tasks such as fruit harvesting, employing advanced trajectory planning, workspace segmentation, and role-based coordination between arms. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the technical mechanisms and implementation strategies behind each cooperative mode, offering a foundation for the development and deployment of agricultural robotic systems. Finally, the paper identifies key research directions required for practical deployment, including structural reorganization of agricultural environments, high-precision autonomous navigation, and intelligent multi-robot task planning. The continued advancement of cooperative robotic technologies is expected to play a vital role in transitioning agriculture toward a more efficient and resilient data-driven industry.

Keywords
Agricultural robot
Cooperative robot
Multi-robot
Farming automation
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Society of Precision Agriculture
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국정밀농업학회
  • Journal Title :Precision Agriculture Science and Technology
  • Journal Title(Ko) :정밀농업과학기술
  • Volume : 7
  • No :3
  • Pages :216-227
  • Received Date : 2025-08-25
  • Revised Date : 2025-09-12
  • Accepted Date : 2025-09-15
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.22765/pastj.20250016
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