Intelligent Robotic and Mechatronic Systems in Agricultural and Environmental Education

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, technology has aimed to find solutions in order to tackle intense problems, like the increased nutritional needs of the population on Earth, the depletion of natural resources, the lack of human labor, and the harsh working and living environment. Modern disciplines like robotics and mechatronics, integrating elements including, but not limited to, mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering, control, measurement, networking, and computer science, are amongst the most promising technological pillars of the abovementioned efforts. Indeed, machines are tireless workers able to perform repetitive tasks at a constantly high quality. Furthermore, they become smarter and capable of more composite interaction with the environment and humans. Consequently, the emerging progress in the area is further raising the need for well-educated personnel to be involved in constructing, parameterizing, servicing, or utilizing the corresponding robotic and mechatronic systems.

At the other end of the spectrum, one of the greatest challenges for educational institutions is that modern students should be prepared for jobs that, in many cases, have not yet been invented, combining a lot of diverse disciplines. Unfortunately, multidisciplinary capabilities are not among the strengths of teachers nor professors, while the selection of the right mixture of hardware and software components and teaching methods is not an easy task. In order to bridge this gap, modern robotic and mechatronic systems can be compiled to create educationally beneficial examples to better prepare students for the digital era. Indeed, these systems, even in simplified trimmed-down versions, constitute multi-perspective cases of innovation that can drastically facilitate the understanding of a wider set of cutting-edge technologies already transforming our way of living and working. Beyond this, the study of their idiosyncrasies provides inspiration for a more efficient exploitation of technology for the common good, like making agriculture more efficient and environmentally friendly or increasing the performance of renewable resource management systems.

This Special Issue encourages submissions that are willing to offer guidelines, experiences, or prototype exemplification in line with the abovementioned directions. Review works, as well as novel research findings, drawing a paradigm from secondary to postgraduate education and vocational training, that discuss intelligent robotic and mechatronic systems, preferably of an agricultural or environmental character, are welcome to be submitted to this Special Issue.

Dr. Dimitrios Loukatos
Dr. Konstantinos G. Arvanitis
Prof. Dr. Georgios Papadakis
Guest Editors

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• intelligent robotics
• mechatronic systems
• agricultural robotics