ML-Implode News - Robots Step Into New Planting, Harvesting Roles

Farmers of corn and other commodity crops decades ago replaced most of their workers with giant combines and other machines that can quickly cut and gather grain used for animal feed, food ingredients and ethanol. But growers of produce and plants have largely stuck with human pickers--partly to avoid maladroit machines marring the blemish-free appearance of items that consumers see on store shelves.
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With workers in short supply [of late], "the only way to get more out of the sunshine we have is to elevate the technology," said Soren Bjorn, Americas unit head for Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., the country's largest berry brand. Driscoll's largest berry grower, Reiter Affiliated Companies LLC, is partly financing the development of Mr. Bravo's Agrobot. (Photos: A new way to pick strawberries)
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Harnessing high-powered computing, color sensors and small metal baskets attached to the robotic arms, the machine gently plucked ripe strawberries from below deep-green leaves, while mostly ignoring unripe fruit nearby... The Agrobot costs about $100,000 and Mr. Bravo has a second, larger prototype in development. Other devices similarly are starting to assume delicate tasks in different parts of the fresh-produce industry, from planting vegetable seedlings to harvesting lettuce to transplanting roses.

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Robots Step Into New Planting, Harvesting Roles