Japanese researchers have unveiled a robot suit designed to help reduce the heavy burden of harvesting as the nation's farm industry faces an ageing,
shrinking workforce. Researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology demonstrated a prototype wearable assistance machine equipped with
eight motors and 16 sensors. The 25-kilogram device is designed to assist elderly farmers who need support for their leg muscles and joints when they
keep a crouching position or lift their arms high. In a demonstration, a person wearing the suit pulled radishes from the ground and picked oranges
from high branches like a robot. The researchers said they were looking to commercial use of the suit in two to three years at an initial price
ranging from 500,000 yen to 1 million yen ($7,800 to $15,600). "Human robotic technology is being applied to various industries but it has great
potential in the agricultural industry, in which people have to bear a heavy burden," said Professor Shigeki Toyama. "That's especially obvious in
Japan, where the industry is rapidly ageing and its population is shrinking." He expected robotics would increasingly be put to use in farming in
Japan and smaller European countries, where there is not enough space for large-scale agriculture and manual labour is costly. Japan has been
developing robots to serve in a growing number of jobs including office receptionists and security guards. -AFP
www.abc.net.au...
I say bring it on..... my achin back
Oh the pain.... the pain (Dr Smith)
Cheers
Mungo
Mod Note: Quote Reference-Please Review This Link.
[edit on Fri Jan 9 2009 by Jbird]
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Nice for Japan...
But in the states we hire illegals to pick our crops so we can pay them under minimum wage...
Not sure guys who pay Mexicans 3.00 an hr to pick fruit will be investing in robot legs for the migrant workers anytime soon at 12,000 a pop
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