2025/06/06 by Thien Hoang Nguyen, Nguyen, Thien Hoang, E. Müller +10
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Emerging Technologies (cs.ET) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Robotics (cs.RO) #Smart Agriculture and AI #Soil Geostatistics and Mapping #Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2506.05653
openalex publication_date 2025/06/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Traditional soil sampling and analysis methods are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and limited in spatial resolution, making them unsuitable for large-scale precision agriculture. To address these limitations, we present a robotic solution for real-time sampling, analysis and mapping of key soil properties. Our system consists of two main sub-systems: a Sample Acquisition System (SAS) for precise, automated in-field soil sampling; and a Sample Analysis Lab (Lab) for real-time soil property analysis. The system's performance was validated through extensive field trials at a large-scale Australian farm. Experimental results show that the SAS can consistently acquire soil samples with a mass of 50g at a depth of 200mm, while the Lab can process each sample within 10 minutes to accurately measure pH and macronutrients. These results demonstrate the potential of the system to provide farmers with timely, data-driven insights for more efficient and sustainable soil management and fertilizer application.