Introduction

Abstract

Following their invention, engine-powered machines were not immediately embraced by the agricultural community; some time was required for further technical developments to be made and for users to accept this new technology. One hundred years on from that breakthrough, field robotics and vehicle automation represent a second leap in agricultural technology. However, despite the fact that this technology is still in its infancy, it has already borne significant fruit, such as substantial applications relating to the novel concept of precision agriculture. Several developments have contributed to the birth and subsequent growth over time of the field of intelligent vehicles: the rapid increase in computing power (in terms of speed and storage capacity) in recent years; the availability of a rich assortment of sensors and electronic devices, most of which are relatively inexpensive; and the popularization of global localization systems such as GPS. A close look at the cabin of a modern tractor or harvesterwill reveal a large number of electronic controls, signaling lights, and even flat touch screens. Intelligent vehicles can already be seen as agricultural and forestry robots, and they constitute the new generation of off-road equipment aimed at delivering power with intelligence.