What is smart farming and why it matters in Australia
Smart farming technologies powered by IoT, edge AI, and autonomous drones are reshaping Australian agriculture, driving higher productivity, sustainability, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.
Australia’s farms are vast, stretching across millions of hectares, yet they are operated by comparatively small teams of hardworking producers. At the same time, agriculture remains one of our nation’s major export pillars, with agricultural exports valued at approximately $71.6 billion AUD between 2023 to 2024, representing about 11% of Australia’s goods and services exports. To sustain this level of economic contribution in an era of labour shortages and climate variability, we must turn to smarter, data-driven technologies.
IoT and edge AI: the technologies powering modern agriculture
At the core of “smart farming” is an interconnected network of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. These tiny devices, scattered across paddocks, water channels, and storage facilities, continuously monitor soil moisture, temperature, humidity, nutrient levels and other essential indicators. They transmit this data to cloud systems where AI models analyse trends and trigger precise interventions, such as increasing irrigation the moment a crop zone begins to dry. In this way, data becomes a powerful decision-making tool, improving yields while reducing unnecessary water and energy use.
At Torrens University, we are advancing this capability even further by embedding AI intelligence directly into the sensors themselves, a technology known as edge AI. Rather than sending all information to distant servers, devices can now:
- Make decisions immediately and autonomously in the field
- Respond in real time without waiting for connectivity
- Reduce the need for manual oversight
- Prevent crop loss or resource waste on large farms
Edge AI brings “natural intelligence farming” closer to reality by enabling systems that adapt and respond to conditions with minimal human intervention.
How autonomous drones are transforming Australian farming
Another critical innovation is the use of autonomous drones. These aircraft can scan thousands of hectares in minutes, identifying crop stress, detecting irrigation leaks, tracking livestock, monitoring plant health, and even spotting early signs of bushfires. An intelligent drone fleet has the potential to save governments and growers millions of dollars by preventing damage, improving efficiency, and safeguarding environmental assets.
Research driving intelligent agriculture solutions
Our research community at Torrens University is deeply engaged in this space. We are proud to work alongside globally recognised researchers, ranked in the top 2% worldwide in fields such as AI and image processing, including Dr Amr Adel and Dr Kamran Shaukat. Their work in IoT-enabled water-toxicity monitoring1, environmental risk assessment2, and drone-based vision systems3 has been published in leading Q1 journals, demonstrating both scientific excellence and practical impact.
For example, our collaborative research on water-quality monitoring using federated learning shows how remote communities can use low-cost sensors to detect contamination in real time while preserving data privacy. Similarly, our drone intelligence research offers clear pathways for monitoring large agricultural landscapes efficiently and safely.
Building a unified smart-farming ecosystem for Australia
The Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research & Optimisation (AIRO) at Torrens University is actively integrating IoT, edge AI, and autonomous drone systems into a unified smart-farming ecosystem. By aligning our expertise with Australia’s digital-future priorities, we aim to deliver technologies that improve productivity, strengthen sustainability, support environmental stewardship, and uphold Australia’s position as a global agricultural leader.
Smart farming represents more than a technological shift; it is a national opportunity. And at Torrens University, we are committed to shaping that future through research leadership, innovation, and impact.
1 Shakoor, Isha, Amina Sultan, Kamran Shaukat, Talha Mahboob Alam, and Aisha Nazir. "A Novel Method to Investigate Environmental Risk in Wastewater Toxicity." Agronomy 15, no. 4 (2025): 841.
2 Das, Bhagwan, Amr Adel, Tony Jan, and M. D. Wahiduzzaman. "Water quality management using federated deep learning in developing Southeastern Asian Country." Water Resources Management 39, no. 4 (2025): 1893-1909.
3 Adel, A., Alani, N.H., Whiteside, S.T. and Jan, T., 2024. Who is Watching Whom? Military and Civilian Drone: Vision Intelligence Investigation and Recommendations. IEEE Access
