If a robot can pick strawberries, one can be built to pick tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus and just about any other crop.
They’ll be able to work 24 hours a day, meaning an entire crop can be brought to market in 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of time required for human labor, plus they won’t call in sick or go to the bathroom in the fields causing the crops to be contaminated with E Coli or other pathogens.
I forsee similar robots able to plant crops, pick weeds, apply fertilizers, insecticides and water very selectively to minimize the amount of chemicals and water required and creating a much more consistent crop.
Commercial farmers will be fools not to invest in this technology.
Hey IF I had the money, I would buy me a couple that could not only pick the produce but process it as well. BUT meanwhile I am left to do the best I can do. My left thumb and right shoulder hate me after this spring/summer/autumn's workout.