Moses Maduka Testimony
South Ural State University (National Research University) Chelyabinsk, Russia
Tazdid Shahriar
South Ural State University (National Research University)
Ndukaku Nwogu
University of Sunderland, Department of Account and Financial Management
Ashraful Alam
Sydney International School of Technology and Commerce
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http://doi.org/10.37648/ijrst.v15i04.002
The integration of robotics, sensors, and automation in agriculture has revolutionized precision farming. This paper explores the application of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and the Delta V method for enhancing agricultural productivity, sustainability, and efficiency. By embedding robotics and sensor-based systems in agricultural environments, real-time data acquisition, process optimization, and adaptive control can be achieved. Furthermore, the implementation of Arduino-based sensor networks alongside industrial PLC systems enables hybrid solutions, bridging research prototypes with scalable industrial deployment. Agriculture is undergoing a step change driven by labor scarcity, climate variability, and sustainability mandates. This work presents a pragmatic architecture and implementation strategy for integrating robotics and multi-modal sensors into agricultural systems using a two-tier control approach: PLCs for discrete/motion control of robots and machinery at the field/cell level, and the DeltaV distributed control system for supervisory control, advanced process control, batch/recipe execution, and plant-wide optimization. We describe an ISA-95-aligned architecture that unifies edge sensing (soil moisture, EC/pH, canopy multispectral imaging, LiDAR, RTK-GNSS, microclimate stations) with robot-centric perception (RGB-D, hyperspectral, force/torque) and actuation (harvesters, sprayers, AGVs, drone swarms). Interoperability is achieved via OPC UA, Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP/PROFINET, and MQTT to enterprise layers and cloud analytics. Closed-loop strategies span PID and MPC for irrigation, fertigation, and greenhouse climate, coupled with S88-compliant batch control for nutrient recipes. We report reference deployments—greenhouse produce and orchard operations—illustrating water-use efficiency gains (20–40%), input reductions (10–30%), and labor reallocation (15–25%), with 12–36 month payback depending on scale. The paper details cybersecurity (IEC 62443), functional safety (ISO 10218, ISO 18497, IEC 61508 as applicable), digital twin-based commissioning, and a staged roadmap from pilot to multi-site rollout. The proposed PLC + DeltaV method delivers resilient, scalable autonomy that improves yield stability, resource efficiency, and traceability while de-risking integration through standards-based engineering.
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