The world's first robot-run farm will harvest 30,000 heads of lettuce daily

Tech Insider ^ | January 27, 2016 | Leanna Garfield

[biff]

The sales moto when they start marketing in the USA:

“Move over Jose, here comes R2D2!”

[BobL]

So just how badly do we need the (illegal) unskilled laborers if something like this exists?

Sure, lettuce will likely cost a bit more (maybe 10% more), but many thousands of people can be sent home - a win for America.

Doesn’t solve everything though...it will take a lot more technology to have robots building homes...so still lots of semi-skilled people needed - ideally guest workers?

[okie01]

Well, there go all those “$15/hr lettuce-picker jobs in the Yuma Valley” that Sen. Juan McPain was so anxious to maintain...

[Mrs. Don-o]

One way to prevent the E. coli contamination, anyhow.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

There are a lot of pre-fab and modular housing designs that can be pre-fabbed room by room, floor by floor, design by design. A great deal of semi-skilled labor can be eliminated from home building but obviously not all of it.

The thing is as more demands are made on labor wages by artificial (Government.) means the more this stuff will come to market and forever change economic sectors where it isn’t now a concern.

[Mastador1]

One thing about robots, they don’t urinate and defecate in the fields while they pick crops.

[familyop]

"So unless robots poop I suppose less E Coli in the lettuce? Chipotle may yet survive."

Manure is present in all farming. Granted, farmers choose as to which method of processing the manure goes through, before they buy it or otherwise use it.

Even human manure is used, especially in east Asia. Today, though, it is properly processed to safeguard against bad germs and parasites if used very soon (e.g. proper composting in the correct temperature range).

Humanure Handbook, 3rd Edition

In most climates, it takes at least two years for human manure simply buried shallowly in earth to be safe enough as fertilizer for vegetables consumed by humans. For cattle manure, it must be in the field for at least six months (earlier in some climates).

[BobL]

I was thinking about that too. There are ways to cut back on the labor required, way back - but the houses won’t be the same as can be built today as you’re limited by what you can ship.

But maybe backing off of McMansions and the wannabes is a good thing for the country?

[familyop]

China is Turning Fecal Sludge Into ‘Black Gold’
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-01/how-the-chinese-are-turning-fecal-sludge-into-black-gold-

[kvanbrunt2]

great movie huey, duey and lewy i believe.

[kvanbrunt2]

cool its hydroponic i’ve got a garden in my attic tomatoes mostly now and i have lettuce towers being built. the sub zero killed the beans and cucs.

[Freedom56v2]

cool its hydroponic i’ve got a garden in my attic tomatoes mostly now and i have lettuce towers being built. the sub zero killed the beans and cucs.

---

Garden in your attic? Wow! Impressive!! Do you have some amazing grow lights or just great skylites!

Sorry about losing your beans and cucs, but wow...tomatoes and lettuce?! I am impressed. What type of towers are you making? Hydroponic?

[kvanbrunt2]

Manure is present in all farming. Granted, farmers choose as to which method of processing the manure goes through, before they buy it or otherwise use it.>>>> read the article these are hydroponic farms no dirt manure etc.

[Rebelbase]

Vertical indoor farming. I wonder what the power, maintenance and tech costs + high tech labor are compared to field grown and manual labor.

Might be good for Japan where land is scarce and no cheap labor but here in the US?

[roadcat]

Exactly what I was thinking, this technology would be great for use in space habitats. Although I would hope more than lettuce would be on the menu.

[kvanbrunt2]

have 2 1000w ballasts. i usually run 1 metal halide. and sodium for flowers. i have done seeds in the basement for the last two years. it’s great when there is 1000 feet to snow outside and i can sit under the 1000w metal halides.
https://www.facebook.com/k2reme/posts/817785224949942
but decided to use the space and grow food year around. i have one little tomato so far. i am running plumbing up to the attic so i don’t have to lug 5 gallon pails of water and nutrient up from the bathroom

[kvanbrunt2]

What type of towers are you making? Hydroponic?>>>
sorry didn’t answer this question. yes the towers are aeroponic. i’m trying to get them set up but i have to move the insulation bags i have up there. the system is built with 4” pvc and small 2” elbows. the problem is they leak so i need to glue them up. i was hoping not to do that. the reservoir is a sump pump bucket from home depot about 30 gallons. i can chain many columns using two pumps and that is the key. internally i have spray emitters. i will publish this but i may try to patent the design.

[MasterGunner01]

There are a lot of jobs that are being done by low skilled workers (as example, agriculture) or semi-skilled workers (as example, construction). Automation will virtually eliminate such jobs. As anyone come up with ideas how these uneducated and lowskilled/semi-skilled workers can find employment? Deporting all the welfare leeches from Mexico and the Middle East would be a good start, but the American education system produces dumber graduates every year that are unemployable.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

DANG!

[Jimmy Valentine]

Had a client who grows lettuce on a hydroponic farm. The only people he needs are part time workers to pick and package his product. He is coining money.