PLANTBOT: AI AND ROBOTICS FOR AUTOMATED FLORICULTURE

Floriculture is undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to address rising global demand, labor shortages, and sustainability challenges. This paper presents PlantBot, a fully automated robotic nursery system designed to optimize the cultivation of high-value ornamental and edible plants in controlled environments. The system combines robotic arms, autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), machine vision, IoT-based sensors, and cloud-based AI algorithms to automate the entire plant production cycle—from substrate preparation and sowing to harvesting and distribution. PlantBot enables real-time environmental monitoring, plant health diagnostics, and adaptive resource management, significantly increasing productivity, improving product consistency, and reducing labor costs and environmental impact. Through pilot implementation in a semi-industrial greenhouse, the system demonstrated its potential to revolutionize nursery operations and set a scalable model for future sustainable floriculture and edible plant production.