A robot that picks apples?

[GURPS]

A robot that picks apples? Replacing humans worries some

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Harvesting Washington state's vast fruit orchards each year requires thousands of farmworkers, and many of them work illegally in the United States.

That system eventually could change dramatically as at least two companies are rushing to get robotic fruit-picking machines to market.

The robotic pickers don't get tired and can work 24 hours a day.

"Human pickers are getting scarce," said Gad Kober, a co-founder of Israel-based FFRobotics. "Young people do not want to work in farms, and elderly pickers are slowly retiring."

FFRobotics and Abundant Robotics, of Hayward, California, are racing to get their mechanical pickers to market within the next couple of years.

Harvest has long been mechanized for large portions of the agriculture industry, such as wheat, corn, green beans, tomatoes and many other crops. But for more fragile commodities like apples, berries, table grapes and lettuce — where the crop's appearance is especially important — harvest is still done by hand.

 

[Larry Gude]

Point?

 

[GURPS]

Point?

the article is the point ....... next up, apple picking robots taking JOBS from illegal migrant workers


its in the 1st sentence man, open your eyes

 

[Larry Gude]

the article is the point ....... next up, apple picking robots taking JOBS from illegal migrant workers


its in the 1st sentence man, open your eyes

I read what you wrote and looked for your point. Usually, you have a sentence in your posts that imply or say "...and here is why this is interesting..."


What I read is more reinforcing of the simple fact that our entire concept of jobs and income are as outdated as 15th century medicine. Most people will not work and won't be needed to. We gotta start dealing with that sooner rather than later.

 

[Wishbone]

Another IA job bites the dust...

http://www.curbed.com/2017/4/18/15331814/robot-lawn-mower

 

[Wishbone]

If someone creates Rosie... It'll be all but over...

 

[Larry Gude]

If?

 

[Wishbone]

That $15k robot doesn't do house work.

 

[Larry Gude]

That $15k robot doesn't do house work.

Yet.


Apple mechanization has been held up for decades by the need for enough touch and feel to handle the apples without harming them. Same with a lot of field crops, grapes, etc. All of that is changing as robotics and processor speed and capability is solving the problem.
Buddy of mine has a machine now that handles small in rooted cuttings. It chooses a good one, manipulates it and sticks them into a tray, at the proper depth at a rate of something over 800 per hour. A job a fast human could do at about the same speed...just not 24 hours a day.

House work, dusting, handling dishes, doing windows, interacting with the house, the blinds, the cat, us, all of that, is a LOT closer I think than people realize.

 

[GURPS]

I read what you wrote and looked for your point. Usually, you have a sentence in your posts that imply or say "...and here is why this is interesting..."

My Apologies ...
I figured you would see the 1st sentence ....



yes, my point - technology moves on, next up to lose their jobs, and I am not crying any tears for illegal migrant workers

 

[GURPS]

Yet.

House work, dusting, handling dishes, doing windows, interacting with the house, the blinds, the cat, us, all of that, is a LOT closer I think than people realize.

After that - Real women replaced with SEX Bots that never have a headache .... or bitch you haven't taken out the trash yet

 

[preselector]

In the robot economy, a lot of folks will do nothing except watch the tube, get high, and screw. Sexbots will be required to prevent the expected population explosion.

 

[Lurk]

Point?

As the illegal Latinos self-deport, the farmers who were totally dependent on them now have a cheaper alternative.

 

[Larry Gude]

As the illegal Latinos self-deport, the farmers who were totally dependent on them now have a cheaper alternative.

Agreed. Then what? The cost of apples will go down even further and more and more small farms will not be able to sustain and the Too Big To Fail model continues. Fewer bigger kings and lots and lots of surfs.

And what happens to Mexico when all that dough from immigrants stops flowing home? And we have more people without jobs as services and goods immigrants spend money on here goes away?

An apple today costs, what, at the store about a $1? Just say it does. Do you think apples at retail will become cheaper or do you think that labor component, typically about 1/3 the wholesale cost, goes away? Regardless of what you think will happen to it, it's not going to mean lower prices for you and me and the difference is NOT going to go to all the little guys along the way who used to get their pittance.

 

[Lurk]

Agreed. Then what? The cost of apples will go down even further and more and more small farms will not be able to sustain and the Too Big To Fail model continues. Fewer bigger kings and lots and lots of surfs. .

Lots of serfs, right? I've not gone through that so I'll bow to your more recent experience.