Feasibility analysis of robots in greenhouses. A case study in European Mediterranean countries

• Technical and Economic feasibility analysis for robotics in greenhouses • Social, Legal and Environmental feasibility analysis for robotics in greenhouses • Spraying and harvesting as the top applications for robotics in greenhouses • Robotics in Mediterranean greenhouses • Example of tomato as a long-cycle crop Agriculture plays a key role in the development of today's society. The population is constantly increasing, and increased production is required that is contained and consumes resources sustainably. Automation and robotization are one way to achieve this goal. Intensive agriculture, and in particular greenhouse agriculture, modifies the production environment to improve productivity while optimising the use of resources. This article studies the current feasibility of using robots in greenhouses from five perspectives: technical, economic, social, legal, and environmental. To this end, two representative applications have been selected, spraying and harvesting, in a type of greenhouse that is also representative, the Mediterranean type, which accounts for 92% of the total greenhouse area worldwide. The work can help companies and researchers make technical and economic decisions about the introduction of robotics in greenhouses. It concludes that there are currently gaps in the technical and legal aspects, and that the business model is not profitable at present, however, robotics in agriculture will be fully viable in the future, given the growing trend towards service robots, supported by a strong interest in developing a particular legislative regulation, and a technology that evolves very quickly, reducing its costs and ensuring the sustainability of the processes.