Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of smart agriculture systems and monitor and identify the technologies which can be used for deriving traditional agriculture system to modern agriculture system. It also provides the reader a broad area to work for the advancement in the field of agriculture and also explains the use of advanced technologies such as spectral imaging, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of agriculture. Design/methodology/approach Smart uses of modern technologies were reviewed in the field of agriculture, which helps to monitor stress levels of plants and perform operations according to requirements. Operations can be irrigation, pests spray, monitoring crops, monitoring yield production, etc. Based on the literature review, a smart agriculture system is suggested. The parameters studied were spectral image processing, AI, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) (fixed and rotatory), water or soil moisture, nutrients and pesticides. Findings The use of autonomous vehicles and AI techniques has been suggested through which the agriculture system becomes much more efficient. The world will switch to the smart agriculture system in the upcoming era completely. The authors conclude that autonomous vehicle in the field of science is time-saving and health efficient for both plants and workers in the fields. The suggested system increases the productivity of crops and saves the assets as well. Originality/value This review paper discusses the various contemporary technologies used in the field of agriculture and it will help future researchers to build on this research. This paper reveals that the UAVs along with multispectral, hyperspectral or red, green and blue camera (depends on the need) and AI are more suitable for the advancement of agriculture and increasing yield rate.