If it’s like the ones I’ve read about, each arm is scanning the apple to see if it’s ready to be picked. If it’s not it moves on to the next apple. Also it can note if there is insect or disease damage that prevented picking.
As someone who picked rocks in fields and stacked bales in the top of farms on sunny 86+°F days when I was young, some jobs are really better suited for robots. Nothing like melting close to the roof and the silage truck shows up to fill the container and the funnel it falls into is in there... I'm sure if I cough hard enough, I'd manage to find some 25 years later.
Well ... we need people to design this machine. We need people to code it to know what to do. We need people to do the maintenance on it, to ensure safety in its operation, and to process the haul.
I know it's still statistically way less jobs, and it bars out the people who would normally be taking this job ... but like others said, this one isn't one of the worst jobs we've lost. Kinda like fabric weaving. Imagine the cost of your shirt if ALL of your clothes had to be hand woven ...
Agriculture harvesting is a shitty job. There's a reason that we see so many headlines about undocumented immigrants filling those jobs in the US. It pays shit and involves long days in the heat of physical labor.
Of all the types of jobs to lose to automation, absolutely awful jobs like that are some of the best to see that fate.
Don't bemoan the jobs lost here. Bemoan the poor state of our safety net and general social welfare such that anyone losing those jobs cannot easily shift to better.
Which is great because all that pesticide residue is not exactly healthy for humans. Or at least it would be great if we could get our act together and pay everyone a universal basic income. It'll be inevitable at some point due to increasing automation, but apparently the corporate and billionaire classes won't be convinced without a bloody revolution.
That’s basically what a proper production-groomed tree looks like. It grows all the fruit in easy reach (of robots or people on ladders) for fast harvesting. Unfortunately, just one year of poor maintenance can ruin it. When old farmers die and pass their orchard to their kids who don’t know how to run it? Yep, the whole orchard is ruined. Then the kid complains about how hard farm life is and demands another handout. Meanwhile, minorities who worked the farm never got a chance to buy it intact.
Probably just a camera based on the movement. With smooth, slow movements you can get a pretty good 3D estimate from 2D image streams, and it's easier to classify apples from images than point clouds.
I think it has to be to avoid any kind of damage to the apple, they need to reach out several feet and up down left right a good foot. Then the apple needs to get back to where it needs to be which rules out rolling/dropping/chuting etc.
So when do we get to relax and let robots take over so that we can lead more fulfilling lives pursuing our interest rather than struggling to survive? Any day now right? Right?
Having picked apples as a school holiday job for several years I can tell you this is exceedingly slow, however being a PoC I guess it can only get faster.
It also doesn't have to be fast in order to be faster than humans. We work for 8 hours, it can work for 24 after 24 after 24. It doesn't slow down when it's tired or call out when it is sick or when it's relative dies or for its kids music recital. It doesn't get happy, it doesn't get sad, it just runs programs.
thornofnight
Honestly, I thought this was gonna be some sorta contraption from the next Ninja Warrior.
METROlD
TAKEN EER JEEERBS
TrafficLight
The company in case anyone cares @OP: https://advanced.farm
Nexus297
#1
deetatron
schmau
MrHabs
This is how the robots birthed babies in The Matrix.
DaveSamsonite
Vacuumed them out?
3rdoption
I've never seen a robotic apple.
STGxDante
Apples aren't real! Reeee
foreverinchains
That's because there was no way to harvest them before.
certainlynotaserialkiller
Kahoko
If it’s like the ones I’ve read about, each arm is scanning the apple to see if it’s ready to be picked. If it’s not it moves on to the next apple. Also it can note if there is insect or disease damage that prevented picking.
eiger3970
Fruit picking has to be the worst job I ever had in terms of conditions and pay. Much better with robots.
MapleSyrupMafia
As someone who picked rocks in fields and stacked bales in the top of farms on sunny 86+°F days when I was young, some jobs are really better suited for robots. Nothing like melting close to the roof and the silage truck shows up to fill the container and the funnel it falls into is in there... I'm sure if I cough hard enough, I'd manage to find some 25 years later.
Malsbury
I did not think that that's what an illegal immigrant looked like.
thomasbornemann626
Oh that's terrifying.
wolfspirit21
They took my jerb!
fredhoffman1968
i was like what in tim burton is that contraption
toledontohinope
Nos quitaron los trabajos
Munchman347
Trailer-trash maggats, 'Damn Robot Immigrants stealin' our jobs!'...
Bob122872
Juni0220
MA JERBZ
YippeeKayakOB
oldschool technique might give a few bruises, but very effective
Eomund521
Soooo more people out of work. Yay
Hextant
Well ... we need people to design this machine. We need people to code it to know what to do. We need people to do the maintenance on it, to ensure safety in its operation, and to process the haul.
I know it's still statistically way less jobs, and it bars out the people who would normally be taking this job ... but like others said, this one isn't one of the worst jobs we've lost. Kinda like fabric weaving. Imagine the cost of your shirt if ALL of your clothes had to be hand woven ...
Geistbar
Agriculture harvesting is a shitty job. There's a reason that we see so many headlines about undocumented immigrants filling those jobs in the US. It pays shit and involves long days in the heat of physical labor.
Of all the types of jobs to lose to automation, absolutely awful jobs like that are some of the best to see that fate.
Don't bemoan the jobs lost here. Bemoan the poor state of our safety net and general social welfare such that anyone losing those jobs cannot easily shift to better.
kanybal
Look, I've done this job. I hate robots taking jobs away from artists, graphic designers, translators, you name it. THIS jon though? Go get it tiger.
FiftyShadesOfBroccoli
Which is great because all that pesticide residue is not exactly healthy for humans. Or at least it would be great if we could get our act together and pay everyone a universal basic income. It'll be inevitable at some point due to increasing automation, but apparently the corporate and billionaire classes won't be convinced without a bloody revolution.
alwaysfeedingme
I have never seen apple trees that looked like that
SwissScars
thems Robotic Apple Trees.
Tarmaccian
That’s basically what a proper production-groomed tree looks like. It grows all the fruit in easy reach (of robots or people on ladders) for fast harvesting. Unfortunately, just one year of poor maintenance can ruin it. When old farmers die and pass their orchard to their kids who don’t know how to run it? Yep, the whole orchard is ruined. Then the kid complains about how hard farm life is and demands another handout. Meanwhile, minorities who worked the farm never got a chance to buy it intact.
AncientTerror
General Kenobi
criggie
DURNED AI!!!11 TAKING AWAY OUR JERBS !!!!!
SuicidalThots666
De terk er jerbs!!
PicassoCT
De jeerk de herbs!
moxiefoxxy
Dirk ke der!
PicassoCT
Dook our UBI!
Johnsky
That seems like an awful lot of articulation.
BlkDragon96
I imagine there’s a camera/lidar on each picking head.
potshot
Probably just a camera based on the movement. With smooth, slow movements you can get a pretty good 3D estimate from 2D image streams, and it's easier to classify apples from images than point clouds.
anothergingerbeardman
The actuator is connected to the actuator. The actuator is connected to the actuator. The actuator is.....
green110
I think it has to be to avoid any kind of damage to the apple, they need to reach out several feet and up down left right a good foot. Then the apple needs to get back to where it needs to be which rules out rolling/dropping/chuting etc.
SerialSeb
Shit I thought you were about to insert the Konami code in your comment... Bit disappointed.
KilliK69
yeah, if the apple gets hit in a hard surface, it's done.
astrangehop
Do you want robotic apples or not?
Malcondrion
I’d rather pay migrant workers well frankly.
paradidnt
I didn't know anyone else could speak robot.
DaveSamsonite
C3PO spoke everything
TricksForDays
littlecoatfatguy
[QUERY] HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES [/QUERY]
NeverConfusedForNaught
Klaatu barada nikto!
Hammertulski
IF object=window THEN function:slap.phonenumber ELSE pickarray ‘apples’
TakuanSoho
DavidNightingale
Well, hello there.
Watersample
The one on the top left looks confused.
SkynetWithAPoopKnife
Remember left shark from Katy Perry's Superbowl? This is his job now
TheElderBowls
might be their first d(a.i)y on the job. cut them some slack.
BigRedTX
The left ones are always a Kevin
wowbaggerthethird
"Look busy, just look busy." That's the clever one.
cyberstormtrooper
Don't even think about it. You'll rip your dick off, kid.
HandoB4Javert
HandoB4Javert
EvilBrainSlug
In 20 years, after the AI revolution, that will be its job.
eetsumkaus
nono, after the AI revolution, that will be YOUR job
CakeIsALie227
The DICK-RIPPER 9000
cyberstormtrooper
It's not worth the risk.... unless you got yourself a 9800 series
fightkostka6
The old dick twist
IliveIdyeIliveagain
Challenge accepted
BobaFettApproves
Just …. Practice on a hot dog first
WalkItOutLikeTheFlash
TakuanSoho
Sound on
eetsumkaus
he doesn't get paid enough to deal with that shit
cyberstormtrooper
OW
deetatron
eetsumkaus
you didn't say anything about my balls or my butthole, so brb
happygrumpydad
chewtoy9696
So when do we get to relax and let robots take over so that we can lead more fulfilling lives pursuing our interest rather than struggling to survive? Any day now right? Right?
Nikolai5
Exactly. Automation MUST come with a welfare state, if it doesn't only anarchy will follow.
tarquinious
Having picked apples as a school holiday job for several years I can tell you this is exceedingly slow, however being a PoC I guess it can only get faster.
FoxxoniusAugustus
It also doesn't have to be fast in order to be faster than humans. We work for 8 hours, it can work for 24 after 24 after 24. It doesn't slow down when it's tired or call out when it is sick or when it's relative dies or for its kids music recital. It doesn't get happy, it doesn't get sad, it just runs programs.
rotzverpopelt
I have a coworker going through his divorce that meets all those criteria
tarquinious
*Proof of Concept
airbreather
I first read that as "Person of color" and was like, dang, that is a pretty hot take.
tarquinious
Apologies for the confusion. Added a reply to explain.