A Systematic Review for Reducing Risky, Demanding and Repetitive Labor in Agriculture Through Digital and Automated Technologies
系统综述探讨数字与自动化技术减少农业高风险、高要求、重复劳动，对农业可持续发展有参考价值，但时效性较低。
【基于 Scopus 单库系统综述(PRISMA 2020),纳入 2020—2026 同行评议文献】针对农业劳动力老龄化、劳动力短缺与高工伤率的多维危机,系统综述智能农业技术在职业安全、人机工效与工人健康方面的最新证据与可持续采纳障碍。综述表明无人车辆、外骨骼与协作机器人等创新显著降低化学暴露与肌肉骨骼损伤风险,并有助于减少资源浪费;但研究-落地鸿沟仍持续存在,受成本、可靠性与人机工效问题制约。文章呼吁同步弥合技术、人机工效与社会经济三层关键差距,以实现可持续的农业技术转型。
Next Article in Journal
Previous Article in Journal
Journals
Active JournalsFind a JournalJournal ProposalProceedings Series
Topics
Information
For AuthorsFor ReviewersFor EditorsFor LibrariansFor PublishersFor SocietiesFor Conference Organizers
Open Access PolicyInstitutional Open Access ProgramSpecial Issues GuidelinesEditorial ProcessResearch and Publication EthicsArticle Processing ChargesAwardsTestimonials
Author Services
Initiatives
SciforumMDPI BooksPreprints.orgScilitSciProfilesEncyclopediaJAMSProceedings Series
About
OverviewContactCareersNewsPressBlog
Notice
You can make submissions to other journals here.
Notice
You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.
All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess.
Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.
Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.
Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.
Original Submission Date Received: .
-
Journals
*
* Active Journals
* Find a Journal
* Journal Proposal
* Proceedings Series -
Information
*
* For Authors
* For Reviewers
* For Editors
* For Librarians
* For Publishers
* For Societies
* For Conference Organizers* [Open Access Policy](https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess) * [Institutional Open Access Program](https://www.mdpi.com/ioap) * [Special Issues Guidelines](https://www.mdpi.com/special_issues_guidelines) * [Editorial Process](https://www.mdpi.com/editorial_process) * [Research and Publication Ethics](https://www.mdpi.com/ethics) * [Article Processing Charges](https://www.mdpi.com/apc) * [Awards](https://www.mdpi.com/awards) * [Testimonials](https://www.mdpi.com/testimonials) -
Initiatives
*
* Sciforum
* MDPI Books
* Preprints.org
* Scilit
* SciProfiles
* Encyclopedia
* JAMS
* Proceedings Series -
About
*
* Overview
* Contact
* Careers
* News
* Press
* Blog
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
Logical Operator Operator
Search Text
Search Type
add_circle_outline
remove_circle_outline
Submit to this JournalReview for this JournalPropose a Special Issue
Article Menu
Izabela Jonek-KowalskaAltmetricshare Shareannouncement Help[format_quote Cite](javascript:void(0);)question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
Need Help?
Support
Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.
Feedback
Please let us know what you think of our products and services.
Information
Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.
JSmol Viewer
first_page
settings
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open Access Systematic Review
A Systematic Review for Reducing Risky, Demanding and Repetitive Labor in Agriculture Through Digital and Automated Technologies
by
Nefeli K. Galaziou
Nefeli K. Galaziou
SciProfilesScilitPreprints.orgGoogle Scholar
Evripidis P. Kechagias
Evripidis P. Kechagias
SciProfilesScilitPreprints.orgGoogle Scholar
Nikolaos A. Panayiotou
Nikolaos A. Panayiotou
SciProfilesScilitPreprints.orgGoogle Scholar
Sotiris P. Gayialis
Sotiris P. Gayialis
SciProfilesScilitPreprints.orgGoogle Scholar
Georgios A. Papadopoulos
Georgios A. Papadopoulos
SciProfilesScilitPreprints.orgGoogle Scholar
Sector of Industrial Management and Operational Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability2026, 18(16), 8358; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18168358
Submission received: 14 July 2026 / Revised: 7 August 2026 / Accepted: 11 August 2026 / Published: 14 August 2026
[Download Supplementary Material](javascript:void(0);)
Abstract
The modern agricultural sector faces a multidimensional crisis, mainly consisting of an aging workforce, labor shortages, exhausting working conditions, and high rates of work-related accidents. In response, the authors carried out a systematic literature review (SLR), to explore the latest research on smart agricultural technologies, their effects on occupational safety, ergonomics, and worker health, and pinpoint obstacles to sustainable adoption. A thorough search was performed solely in the Scopus database, covering peer-reviewed publications from 2020 to 2026, strictly following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Based solely on Scopus, this study provides a focused synthesis, with the results suggesting that hazards such as chemical exposure and musculoskeletal strain are significantly reduced with the use of innovations such as unmanned vehicles, exoskeletons, and collaborative robots. These technologies also show great promise in cutting down resource waste, helping farmers practice sustainable agriculture. However, a recurring gap between research and real-life deployment exists, as adoption is hindered by cost considerations, reliability issues, and ergonomic problems. To achieve a sustainable technological transition in agriculture, it is necessary to simultaneously bridge three critical gaps: technological (ensuring robust field performance), ergonomic (design and testing processes based on real end-users and their needs), and socio-economic (addressing adoption barriers).
**Keywords:**agriculture 4.0; occupational safety; agricultural ergonomics; technology acceptance; sustainable agriculture; smart farming; human–robot collaboration; automation;