Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why robots will soon be picking soft fruits
and salad
While the world’s population is increasing
rapidly, adding two billion from today’s 7.7 billion just in the next three
decades, young people are getting less interested in laboring in farms. So, how
the 80 million more stomachs in each year will be fed?
The answer seems to be robotics. Just like in
manufacturing factories, agricultural robotics is becoming more popular not only
to harvest wheat and potatoes but also pick up fruits and vegetables, which are
soft and delicate and easily damaged. However, today’s robots use advanced
technologies, such as visual sensors and AI. They can find and judge if the fruit
or vegetable is ready for harvest. Though such agri-robots pick strawberries or
tomatoes not as fast as experienced humans can do for now, they can work nearly
24/7 without breaks. This is especially useful during an intense harvest
period. And as the technologies advance, they’ll work faster and become more
economical. Another benefit of farm robotics is a waste reduction. In fact,
nearly 30% of food rots in the field because they aren’t timely picked by
humans.
Sounds almighty? Not quite. Unlike robots in
indoor factories, some type of farm robots needs to work outside. There are
winds, dust, rains, and lightings, not to mention the heat from the sun. No
wonder young people aren’t so interested in working in such a harsh
environment.
Enjoy reading and learn about farm robotics.
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