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Robots To Replace Migrant Fruit Pickers

Vicissidude sends us to Wired for a look at a fruit-harvesting robot being developed in California. Its development has been funded entirely by agricultural associations, concerned by the uncertainty surrounding migrant immigrant labor. Quoting: "As if the debate over immigration and guest worker programs wasn't complicated enough, now a couple of robots are rolling into the middle of it. Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit picking that currently employs thousands of migrant workers each season."

6 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by lionheart1327 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Really? How much exactly do these robots cost?
    Is it more than about $3 an hour, including maintenance?

    And do they reproduce themselves?

    Cuz, you've got some strong competition there.

    1. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Look, these robots are doing the jobs illegal immigrants won't do.

      This is 2007. Your robophobia will not be tolerated.

    2. Re:Really? by melikamp · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's too bad that these fruit-picking robots will soon be displaced by cheap, illegally smuggled Mexican knock-offs.

  2. well we already by slurry47 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We already have fruit f*cker robots, why not fruit pluckers too.

    http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/search?keyword=f ruit+fucker

    --


    Dirt doesn't need luck.
  3. Que!?!?! by The+Orange+Mage · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tomaron nuestros trabajos!

  4. It will never work by niceone · · Score: 5, Funny

    It will never work - those robots are huge, they will never make it across the border undetected.