  The 0.5\,m Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) were designed for time-domain
optical/infrared astronomy. They are located in Dome~A, Antarctica, where they
can take advantage of the continuous dark time during winter. Since the site is
unattended in winter, everything for the operation, from observing to data
reduction, had to be fully automated. Here, we present a brief overview of the
AST3 project and some of its unique characteristics due to its location in
Antarctica. We summarise the various components of the survey, including the
customized hardware and software, that make complete automation possible.

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics