Fruit-picking robots closer to reality

It looks like Vision Robotics' would-be fleet of agriculture robots is getting a little closer to reality, with the previous crude 2D sketches of 'em now replaced with slightly less crude 3D models (among other developments). Last we heard from the company, its scout robot was still a long ways from hitting the farm, but Wired News is now reporting that Vision expects to have a prototype of it ready sometime next year, with the larger harvester bot expected to follow two or three years after that. As before, the company plans to have the scout robots plot out the best fruit-picking route, which the harvester would then follow, grabbing hard to reach fruit with the utmost delicacy -- no doubt picking up a few humans' jobs along the way.

[strider_mt2k @ Jun 21st 2007 12:58PM]

Sorry.
These kids, they're smarter nowadays.

They use those LEGO things to make "scout scouts" so that THEIR robots can steal fruit from the orchard before the harvesting robots catch 'em and shoot rock salt at 'em.

Happens every summer.

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 1:04PM]

I would like to be the first to welcome our stale fruit picking robot overlord jokes.

[John B @ Jun 21st 2007 1:08PM]

I would like the first to say "Please keep that 'overlord' crap on Slashdot" because they're now unfunny clichés, not jokes. :P

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 1:38PM]

haha,it looks like i said "stale fruit",when i meant stale as in the stupid overlord jokes,,next time i should preview!!LOL

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 1:22PM]

haha,it looks like i said "stale fruit",when i meant stale as in the stupid overlord jokes,,next time i should preview!!LOL

[John B @ Jun 21st 2007 1:34PM]

Heh. Ah, the problems that are caused by a missing comma that should have been used to separate multiple adjectives. Of course, I missed the "to be" in my sentence ("I would like [to be] the first..."), so I guess that I need to proofread better, too. :D

[John B @ Jun 21st 2007 1:43PM]

Dude! Steady on with the replies there, Penfold! Sometimes Engadget's web server hasn't had enough coffee in the morning and needs some time to post the response! It's okay. Breathe. in the nose, out the mouth. Really! :)

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 1:46PM]

engadget is freaking out on me!!!!!!

[David D @ Jun 21st 2007 1:11PM]

You'd think that this thing would hit CNN and create some discussion on the immigration debate. What are we going to do if a bunch illegal immigrants become citizens without jobs?

[Josh @ Jun 21st 2007 1:50PM]

The same thing we're doing now, of course:

1. Pretend it's not a problem until the public outcry becomes too loud to write off as a fringe sentiment.
2. Campaign on the platform for a couple seasons without intending to really do anything about it, throwing out unrealistic but sentimentally attractive suggestions when your constituents get uppity.
3. Finally realize you can no longer placate the public with those sorts of antics, then draft a bill that will only make the problem worse. Make sure you try to suppress everyone who points this fact out by calling them racist xenophobes.
4. ?????
5. PROFIT, because Americans are too caught up in idiotic partisan politics to do anything about the sorry state of their government.

[Spyvie @ Jun 21st 2007 1:12PM]

This could be part of the answer to our illegal immigration problem!

[paloooz @ Jun 21st 2007 1:24PM]

That's what I was thinking. Now we can ship them all back.

Rank me low, I don't care. What I do care about is not being able to drive down the street without seeing a broken down van on the someones lawn. They come outside and guess who?

... I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.

[StevO @ Jun 21st 2007 1:33PM]

mm..Now how much longer until we have fruit-f**king robots?

[McGinley @ Jun 21st 2007 1:33PM]

Looks like the Wright brothers plane.

[John B @ Jun 21st 2007 1:36PM]

...just after crashing into a Caterpillar bulldozer, maybe.

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 1:41PM]

haha,it looks like i said "stale fruit",when i meant stale as in the stupid overlord jokes,,next time i should preview!!LOL

[Brian @ Jun 21st 2007 1:52PM]

Silly Robots! Humans don't grow on trees!

[DorianGray @ Jun 21st 2007 2:21PM]

@Joe Dirt

Dude! That is hilarious! I'm still chuckling off that sh|t!

"Does this machine piss on your food ?

Classic!

[SigmaProjects.org @ Jun 21st 2007 2:22PM]

Hmm... Sure, it might take jobs away from the fruit pickers, but how many people does it take to produce/maintain these robots? I wonder (hope) it takes more.

[paloooz @ Jun 21st 2007 2:53PM]

haha,it looks like i said "stale fruit",when i meant stale as in the stupid overlord jokes,,next time i should preview!!LOL

[Rick @ Jun 21st 2007 2:59PM]

Not a robot if there is a human driver. Ok, and why is this news? Are the automated fruit picking vehicles of the last 30 years not good enough? (see example of a grape picking machine that has been around since the 60's) http://www.lagramiere.com/blog/images/pict0022.jpg

[john @ Jun 21st 2007 3:24PM]

Just the technology we need to eliminate the jobs waiting for illegal immigrants. Unfortunately the greedy corporations are going to find some other work for these illegals to compete with tax paying citizens.

[uber0ne @ Jun 21st 2007 3:24PM]

Mexicans are about to be out of jobs.

[Universe Man @ Jun 21st 2007 3:26PM]

Agriculture of the scale that necessitates fruit-picking robots has no future. Have these people heard of energy scarcity?

[hot101geek @ Jun 21st 2007 4:36PM]

So would this still count as organic?

[Mr.Dork @ Jun 21st 2007 5:28PM]

the 6 million dollar mexican

[David D @ Jun 21st 2007 6:13PM]

Please tell me there is a follow up automated hotel room cleaner robot. Then real problems can be solved.

[nemi @ Jun 21st 2007 7:27PM]

Penny Arcade has imagined a robot with fruit related duties for quite some time....

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/search?keyword=fruit


:-)

[L @ Jun 21st 2007 7:28PM]

I can't wait for the day when robots take ALL of our jobs. Seriously, no one would have to work anymore. The economy would be sustained by robots and we could all just do whatever we want.

[Mike Klein @ Jun 21st 2007 8:49PM]

Between the hamburger flipping robot mentioned a couple of years back and this thing...we merely accelerate arrival of "armageddon".

Buy your firearms now folks...

[Murc @ Jun 21st 2007 9:11PM]

good, less jobs for the illegals to do...
Translation: All Illegal Immigrants Leave The US!

[MidNight Mapper @ Jun 22nd 2007 2:47PM]

The robot-ization of agriculture is not new. Its sole purpose in the past has been to threaten "labor" to hold wage or piece-work rates down. The idea is this. The robot has a known peformance. Its never as good as "humans" be it picking or thinning or other hand labor in food production. So eveyone knows how much the robot really costs in poor handling, missed processings, and other machine inefficienties. This is a direct cost to the owner of the produce and he will use that threat to manage labor rates.

[Dr. Zaius @ Jun 26th 2007 12:12AM]

now -- when they build a robot that picks up illegals and carries them back to the border....