Solar-powered agricultural robots: a systematic review of technological synergies, sustainability impacts, and future pathways for autonomous farming

Abstract

The integration of solar energy with agricultural robots presents a revolutionary approach to sustainable and autonomous farming by providing a clean, renewable energy source for field activities. Despite the considerable promise, a thorough understanding of the feasibility, scalability, and synergistic integration of these systems remains insufficiently investigated. This comprehensive study consolidates the existing knowledge on solar-powered agricultural robots, assessing their technological effectiveness, economic viability, and environmental consequences. In accordance with the PRISMA-ScR criteria, we reviewed literature from primary databases up to 2026. Our findings are organized according to a functional taxonomy of robotic platforms, photovoltaic (PV) integration methods, and particular agricultural applications. The assessment highlights significant advancements in energy independence, showcasing successful prototypes that demonstrate operational durability and reduced carbon emissions. Nevertheless, significant obstacles remain, including energy storage constraints, substantial initial capital requirements, performance variability under diverse agronomic conditions, and inadequate recycling mechanisms. There are also still limitations regarding the impact of the weight of solar cells and batteries on the performance of agricultural robots. The future progress of this sector depends on the development of more efficient and adaptable PV technologies, resilient economic models, sophisticated energy management systems, and robots capable of performing intricate tasks in unstructured environments. This assessment positions solar-powered agribots not only as automation tools but as essential facilitators of a resilient, data-driven, and low-carbon agricultural framework.