Unmanned airboat technology and applications in environment and agriculture

The rapid development of new technologies such as automatic control technology, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence(AI) has contributed to the development of unmanned airboats(UA) and their applications in recent years. UA has the characteristics of lightness, flexibility, and little environmental interference. It has been significant for accomplishing automatic environmental monitoring and agricultural production tasks, especially when the water environment is complex and challenging for traditional unmanned surface vehicles(USVs). This review focuses on the challenges faced in the development of UA and proposes specific targeted countermeasures and suggestions. The structure of the UA was first presented systematically, then its applications in environmental monitoring and agricultural production were introduced and summarized comprehensively. Finally, the challenges and prospects of UA were examined in detail. This review can provide theoretical and technical support to promote the applications of UA for automated operation.

Automated summary

The rapid development of new technologies such as automatic control, sensors, and AI has greatly contributed to the advancement of unmanned airboats (UA) and their applications in fields like environmental monitoring and agriculture. This review presents the challenges and potential solutions in the development of UA, along with its structure, comprehensive applications, and future prospects. It provides theoretical and technical support for the promotion of UA for automated operations.