# Assessment of Smart Mechatronics Applications in Agriculture: A Review
## 4 Results and Discussion
### Smart Mechatronics Developments Worldwide  
China is now the leading country in research on mechatronics for the agricultural sector, producing 35% of relevant papers in recent years. Japan led the way previously, with 19% of publications on global mechatronics and agricultural research. The United States and Australia contributed 17% and 15%, respectively, the UK roughly 13%, India and Italy about 12% each, Canada and the Netherlands 10% each, Romania 9%, and Russia 7% (Figure 6). Overall, Asia contributed 66% of the articles in the selected dataset, while North America contributed only 27%. Europe contributed roughly 51%, and Australia 15%. However, these countries have failed to use smart mechatronics intensively so far. These are because Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and PLC modules are not recommended for smart mechatronics applications in agriculture for the following reasons:  
(A) Arduino  
Figure 6: Contribution of research papers on mechatronics and agriculture by country [84; 85; 86]. Limited memory and processing power, limited support for some communication protocols, limited real-time performance, limited security features, limited accuracy, and limited scalability. (B) Raspberry Pi  
It is not a replacement for a computer, and the processor is not that fast either. Downloading and installing software takes time. Complex multitasking is impossible. It is not compatible with other OS, such as Windows. This is suitable for those looking for a device that can be tailored to their needs and preferences. It not for people who just want to get the job done quickly. Entrepreneurs should consider extra effort if it is worth it. This product is not suitable for large companies that already have large servers. So it is not worth it, and it takes a long time to assemble. (C) Programmable logic control (PLC)  
There is too much work required in connecting wires, it has fixed circuit operation, PLCs manufacturers offer only closed-loop architecture, PLC is new technology so that should require training. There is a limitation of working with PLCs under high temperature, vibrations conditions. Some PLCs turn on when the power is restored and may cause an accident. There is a difficulty with changes or replacement, and they need extra security equipment, such as really. Some applications that perform a single function are not efficient in the use of PLC. Limited usage environments, high temperatures, and harsh vibrations can disrupt electronic equipment on the PLC. PLC is not considered necessary when it has been applied to industrial systems that do not need to change the wiring. PLC is designed by semiconductors, which depend on the thermal characteristics. It is always difficult to find an error and requires a skillful workforce. When using PLC, a problem occurs and hold up time is indefinite and usually long. A number of operational modules must be added to maximize flexibility and performance. PLCs are propitiatory, meaning that the software and the use of parts cannot be easily used by one manufacturer in combination with some uses by another manufacturer. The number of publications per year relating to vegetables, fruit, dairy products, and grains is displayed in Figure 7. There are many types of smart farming technologies. For simplicity, it focused only on vegetables, fruit, dairy products, and grains. The peak of production was reached in 2020, and the following year was in 2003. As you can see from Figure 7, there is not much production difference between the years thus far. This demonstrates that the most intelligent mechatronics systems are required for suitable agriculture sectors. Figure 7: Number of published papers per year from 2000–2022 on mechatronics systems in different parts of the agriculture sector. Co-occurrence analysis was performed on paired data from the different publishing groups. To assess the probability of two terms from a text occurring together in a specific order. In this work, co-occurrence acts as a sign of semantic proximity.