Abstract: Agricultural robotics is widely acknowledged as one of the most promising emerging technologies in the agricultural sector. A profound knowledge of its research directions and new developments across the world, therefore, can be conducive to China's strategy and plan-making. This study is carried out through consultation with experts, as well as qualitative and quantitative methods. It first looks back upon the history and development of agricultural robotics both at home and abroad and singles out its cutting edge and key research, including machine vision, positioning and navigation, and robots used for harvesting and picking, fishing and milking. It then analyzes China's strategic needs and major development directions in agricultural robotics for years to come and argues that robot technology is now at its early stage of development. It also predicts that in the coming decade, this technology will be mature and more readily accessible; more and more types of agricultural robots will be commercialized; these robots will get smarter; and they will have great market potential. In the light of China's programme for basic research, technological research and development, and the industrial landscape of agricultural robots, this paper finally suggests that China further the industrial strategy, enhance the capability of agricultural equipment manufacturing, raise the quality of basic research, improve patent portfolio planning and drive industry innovation in agricultural robots with enterprises playing a bigger role.

Key words: agriculture robots, R & D layout, econometric analysis, technical hotspots, research frontier, trend forecast