The Wall-Ye robot, the invention of Guy Julien and Christophe Millot, can travel freely around a vineyard and collect and record information about vines, including their location and health, courtesy of artificial intelligence. The robot also can replace humans for the labor-intensive tasks of pruning vines and de-suckering grapes. (Source: Wall-Ye)
Some how the juxtaposition of the the beautiful, tranquil vineyards with a high-tech looking robot is a bit jarring. However, I'll take whatever innovation possible to make sure that glass of wine is ready for dinner. On a serious note, it really seems like the robotics industry is turning a corner. You can't read anything these days (even mainstream news sites) without happening upon some new robotics invention that isn't aimed at high-tech applications like aerospace or the military, but rather plain old worker tasks like this one. Pretty exciting times.
Beth, this could have lots of other applications in agriculture as well. In many parts of the world it is harder to find workers who want to do this type of thing. With all the other mechanziation on the farm, I would expect farmers would welcome it.
This harvesting robot is good and bad. Good in that it allows harvesting in most any kind of weather and/or conditions without risking humans. Bad in that it may take the place of people who could/would do that kind of work.
Elizabeth, what is the expected cost of this robot?
This is a great use of technology to help with a manual labor task. With the advances of tractor designs, a single farmer can harvest 100 acres in a few hours. This was unheard of in recent past. The ability of the robot to navigate rough terrain and harvest may bring this speed of harvest to vineyards as well.
it is pretty confirmed fact that ultimately robotos with advancement in AI techniques would take care of almost every field. helping the agri field is jus one of the example of it. but as far as robotic development is concern the high cost of the advanced sensory systems and power back up for a long run is a really a constrin.
I would consider the artificial intelligence involved in this robot to be quite advanced. It was my notion that a human would be needed for pruning and de-suckering a vine, as this is somewhat subjective to a vintner's experience. If this is accomplished robotically, I am impressed.
This continues to affirm my belief that automation and robots will continue to take over more and more of our repetitive manual labor tasks. Today, it is commonplace to use machines to check out at the grocery store or perform our ATM banking (displacing many grocery store clerks and bank tellers). Articles like this one and the robotic lawn mower point to the next generation of automation trends.
Computer-robotic technology is finally reaching the point where most repetitive and menial tasks no longer need human labor. Problem is - we do not have even an inkling of how to deal with it. Where are the social, political, educational and economic institutions that can make these incredible technological advances benefit the human race? So far, the vast riches that these advances have generated have simply mushroomed the divide between rich and poor, and now between rich and poor-middle class.
So far, those of us with good jobs are feeling great about technology, but there will come a time in the near future when we won't have to be doing our work either, and unless the democratic process and the free market system can adapt to this new reality, I see an unpleasant dystopian future.
Enabling the Future is designing prosthetic appendages modeled more like superhero arms and hands than your average static artificial limbs. And they’re doing it through a website and grassroots movement inspired by two men’s design and creation in 2012 of a metal prosthetic for a child in South Africa.
In order to keep an enterprise truly safe from hackers, cyber security has to go all the way down to the device level. Icon Labs is making the point that security has to be built into device components.
Three days after NASA's MAVEN probe reached Mars, India's Mangalyaan probe went into orbit around the red planet. India's first interplanetary mission, and the first successful Mars probe launched by an Asian nation, has a total project cost of nearly $600 million less than MAVEN's.
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