These Controversial Robots Pick Fruit

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These autonomous robots are picking fruit. They do that by using sensors and 3D cameras to tell if a piece of fruit is ripe based on weight and color settings, then use an arm with a suction cup to carefully pluck the fruit off the tree and bring it over to a cart.

This is a controversial idea. Automating agricultural jobs is a topic that impacts hundreds of thousands of workers just in the US alone - and there are ongoing conversations about the need to improve labor laws for the humans here. Until recently, fruit picking has required the kind of precision and decision-making people are better at than robots. Now? It’s less clear.
If these robots work well, one optimistic case is they could assist picking when conditions are worse for people, and join other automated equipment already in use alongside humans.

This short is part of Huge If True, our optimistic show about science and tech. Subscribe to support us and to see more. #shorts #tech #stem #AI #fruit #animation #science