What does this research mean for the field?

Intelligent technologies in combine harvesters are driving a transition from manual operation to autonomous harvesting, shifting the operator's role to system supervision and improving efficiency, despite ongoing challenges with dynamic disturbances and system integration. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the technological transition from manual combine harvesting to autonomous operation, analyzing perception and control systems, operational challenges, and future development trends.

August 30, 2026Frontiers in Sustainable Food SystemsOpen Access

From manual to autonomous: the role of intelligent technologies in the driving and control of combine harvester

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Authors

YQYiheng QianNanjing Agricultural University YZYu ZhangNanjing Agricultural University SFShuhao FuNanjing Agricultural University

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Implication

Review reveals navigation, perception, and AI technologies transforming combine harvesters into autonomous systems, highlighting pathways to overcome operational challenges in smart agriculture.

Key Points

To examine the technological transition from manual combine harvesting to autonomous operation, analyzing perception and control systems, operational challenges, and future development trends.
Synthesized research on navigation, environmental perception, crop row detection, path planning, dynamic obstacle avoidance, and artificial intelligence in combine harvesters.
Assessed technical bottlenecks including dynamic load disturbances, system latencies, agronomic data integration, and multi-machine communication risks.
Autonomous systems successfully shift the human operator role from continuous manual steering to high-level supervision, emergency intervention, and fleet coordination while minimizing field overlaps.
Performance remains constrained by mechanical disturbances from changing grain tank weights, track slippage on wet fields, and delays between real-time perception and path replanning systems.

Cite This Study

Qian et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a93f00a6c1a8fb52e79c167 https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1906757

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Implication

Review reveals navigation, perception, and AI technologies transforming combine harvesters into autonomous systems, highlighting pathways to overcome operational challenges in smart agriculture.

From manual to autonomous: the role of intelligent technologies in the driving and control of combine harvester

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

From manual to autonomous: the role of intelligent technologies in the driving and control of combine harvester

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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