Wall-E-Like Farming Robots Could Replace Undocumented Workers and Save the US Billions

Gizmoto.com ^ | Andrew Tarantola

[factoryrat]

I considered leasing, as you have suggested. Does leasing the equipment come out cheaper than subsidized slave labor? This was tried in the sixties, and failed miserably because migrant labor could do it cheaper. Robotic crop production would be a boon to agricultural production, except for the fact that the current status quo find it easier and cheaper to employ illegals who are subsidized by the federal government, at the bequest of the big agri-business players.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

...but....but....but...I thought the very minute we rid ourselves of the illegal workforce, that millions upon millions of motivated honest hard working American laborers would be pouring into these positions? So why the need for these gadgets?

Please.

Because the "gadgets" work harder, longer and faster then any human can.

You can harvest a wheat field with a hand scythe or you can harvest it with a John Deere. No matter how low you put the wages and how many illegals you import the John Deere wins in time and money.

Even if you have slaves and pay no wages at all the John Deere wins.

We should have been building these types of machines for the past 30 years but the unions got in the way and the US government backed them.

[buffaloguy]

With the capabilities that we can design into these robots this should much cheaper in the short and long run.

And most of the robots will be programmable for a number of different crops, eliminating the single use robot that has been tried in the past.

This is going to be a huge increase in capability over the manual labor, with the ability to put more acres under cultivation, etc.

[C. Edmund Wright]

You do have a point - to a point - but it doesn’t neuter my point either. And FTR, it is far from clear that the gadgets will ever be more effective with some kinds of harvesting. If it were so do able, all would be mechanized - like cotton and wheat have been for many many years.

[reed13k]

Laying bricks will be replaced by 3d printed concrete from a large gantry - already under development. Replace the drywall with wood paneled compressed foam that is pasted up. I’ll give you the carpet.

[reed13k]

Story of John Henry vs the steam engine all over again - he beat the machine but killed himself in the doing. You can’t stop progress.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

If it were so do able, all would be mechanized - like cotton and wheat have been for many many years.

It would be further along but research into mechanize farm machinery was suppressed by Carter's agriculture secretary, Bob Bergland who say the government would no longer finance research projects intended to replace "an adequate and willing work force with machines."

This was in response to the huge success of the tomato harvesting machines developed by University of California - Davis.

As usual whenever the government gets involved they manage to create a royal mess.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Here is an article that will give you some further insight into the issue.

In Florida Groves, Cheap Labor Means Machines

No matter how cheap human labor becomes, automation still rules when it comes to mindless jobs.

[C. Edmund Wright]

So true about government intervention into what should be market projects. And again, the private market will react now because they know that mechanization is their only hope (and ours for those of us who like fruits and vegetables). The market is saying there just might be something to this little jobs Americans won't do rumor. Shazam.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Jobs Americans won't do? Who drives the machinery?

They can't put the wages low enough to make it profitable to use human labor any more.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Those will be different jobs. Different discussion. Not the same at all. I’m talking about the picking jobs.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The funny thing about the John Henry story is that without machines he would not have had the hammer in the first place. So he was trying to beat the machine with something that was made with the help of machines.

Ironic.

People who want to get rid of "faster, cheaper, more efficient" ways of doing things because we will "lose jobs" should think for a moment about what their ideas would result in if taken to the logical conclusion.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Different jobs? They will still be "picking jobs" just a lot faster then before.

Because they are much faster they will pay a lot better.

Manuel picking jobs used to be done by people who were looking to pick up (no pun intended) some extra cash. It was never a full time job.

When they tried to turn it into a full time job the trouble started.

[C. Edmund Wright]

you’re all over the place, totally missing the point I was making and ignoring where we agree. Bye.

[PLMerite]

I couldn't find a picture of one in a sombrero.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I did not miss your point, you had an argument that was based on a false premise.

Bye.

[Secret Agent Man]

how will we save billions, they won’t be working and will be on welfare!?!

[Amberdawn]

LOL! Illegal immigration post of the year!

[Western Phil]

Who drives the machinery?

Last fall in the east central Illinois Amish country it was a Mexican driving the tractor with the harvester in the pumpkin field. The Amish are tending toward renting out their land and working in furniture factories & other rural industries.

[cradle of freedom]

Harvesting machines can’t vote Democrat.