It's a real prototype, but not ready for prime time.[1] Too much duct tape. Too slow. Not enough reach. Vision system isn't dynamic enough; it looks, targets, and then grabs, rather than looking while grabbing. Getting close, though. A few more years.
Lower consumer prices == more consumer spending on new product classes which creates new jobs and/or fewer labour hours needed per person to meet a standard of living they consider sufficient.
Automation is never a bad thing from a macroeconomic standpoint.
Changing the shape of fruit bearing crops may be one of the keys to automated "intelligent" harvesting.
For example, modern olive culture. Regular olives come from a full size tree, people used to (and maybe still do) beat the trees with sticks to get the olives off. But now many olives are grown in low rows that a machine can straddle.
“It’s no secret we’re facing a serious labor shortage in agriculture so seeing companies devote time and funding to new technology is welcomed.”
I didn't realize there was a labor shortage. The way people talk (at least in the northwestern United States)—and our current president—it sounded like there were plenty of people doing this kind of work, many of which from Mexico.
Why do Trump-haters pretend to not know the difference between legal and illegal immigration?
Is there a labor shortage that can be filled by bringing in immigrant workers? Then push for new laws that makes bringing in foreign workers easy like many rich middle eastern countries and many European countries have done.
Why do you want people to break the laws instead? How is it better in any way?
Farm work, like other work, will get automated and people will be automated out of a job. I am unsure the pickers will be able to go to school to become higher value add workers. It's like the cotton picker, or the wheat reaper. Not ever coming back.
As the population ages and farmers' children seek out other non farm industries (US, Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia, etc. for example) this becomes a necessity.
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[ 5.1 ms ] story [ 45.6 ms ] thread[1] http://www.goodfruit.com/growers-get-peek-at-automatic-picki...
Hopefully lower prices for consumers, but man will this put alot of immigrants out of jobs.
Automation is never a bad thing from a macroeconomic standpoint.
For example, modern olive culture. Regular olives come from a full size tree, people used to (and maybe still do) beat the trees with sticks to get the olives off. But now many olives are grown in low rows that a machine can straddle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0glTpuK8SY
Guessing similar or else some type of espalier is the future of stone fruit culture.
I didn't realize there was a labor shortage. The way people talk (at least in the northwestern United States)—and our current president—it sounded like there were plenty of people doing this kind of work, many of which from Mexico.
Hell trumps own hotels are still applying for immigrant visas to staff them.
Is there a labor shortage that can be filled by bringing in immigrant workers? Then push for new laws that makes bringing in foreign workers easy like many rich middle eastern countries and many European countries have done.
Why do you want people to break the laws instead? How is it better in any way?
labor: you have a wage shortfall
Same happens in lots of sectors.
As the population ages and farmers' children seek out other non farm industries (US, Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia, etc. for example) this becomes a necessity.