Possibly curb illegal immigration using Robots for farming/agriculture?

Its definitely a good thing IMO if it helps curb the illegal immigration issue upto certain extent if not eliminate the problem. Certainly Robotics has evolved and advanced to a great extent since its inception/invention. Certainly there are pros and cons to any change in the traditional/conventional vs modern methods of farming/agriculture but if we can use them to replace many of the manufacturing sector jobs then why not agriculture where the illegal workers (not all) are usually exploited for the cheap labor? Hopefully this might discourage some of the illegal border crossings IMO.

The engineers were testing the Lettuce Bot, a machine that can "thin" a field of lettuce in the time it takes about 20 workers to do the job by hand.

The thinner is part of a new generation of machines that target the last frontier of agricultural mechanization - fruits and vegetables destined for the fresh market, not processing, which have thus far resisted mechanization because they're sensitive to bruising.

Researchers are now designing robots for these most delicate crops by integrating advanced sensors, powerful computing, electronics, computer vision, robotic hardware and algorithms, as well as networking and high precision GPS localization technologies. Most ag robots won't be commercially available for at least a few years.

In this region known as America's Salad Bowl, where for a century fruits and vegetables have been planted, thinned and harvested by an army of migrant workers, the machines could prove revolutionary.

Farmers say farm robots could provide relief from recent labor shortages, lessen the unknowns of immigration reform, even reduce costs, increase quality and yield a more consistent product.

"There aren't enough workers to take the available jobs, so the robots can come and alleviate some of that problem," said Ron Yokota, a farming operations manager at Tanimura & Antle, the Salinas-based fresh produce company that owns the field where the Lettuce Bot was being tested.

SOURCE

And I know a lot of illegals that could fix those robots when they break down.

Juan and Raul are master mechanics. They work for cheep too.

Not sure if you have ever been on a construction site, but many are dominated by immigrant workers. They don't just do farm work, and I am certain that this would only drive them into other jobs rather than discourage them from coming here.

Complex issue trying to be tied with an tech advance...


Won't do much for immigration, look at the last paragraph you posted shows that even with the availability of jobs there is not enough people to fill them.


Article: not enough people coming to get job so robots may help... Meaning job demand is not attracting people including illegals to this field.

You: take away the jobs with tech and illegals won't come...

The issue of immigration is far more complex than simple one field of labor that uses illegals, there's still massive amounts of jobs in food service and other Manual low income jobs.

Simplest solution enforce employment laws against employers.

Most importantly robots would add yet more ridiculous farming equipment which would further the gap between giant corporate farmers and privately owned farms.

Being a farm worker is a respectable job although it is made out not to be.
I doubt those robots could spot a sick plant in a field.

Those are not the illegals that chap my hide. The ones that come here to bilk the system are the ones I dislike.

Originally posted by Frankenchrist
And I know a lot of illegals that could fix those robots when they break down.

Juan and Raul are master mechanics. They work for cheep too.

edit on 16-7-2013 by Frankenchrist because: (no reason given)

unless they're made in Japan and not US ?

Originally posted by SpaDe_
Not sure if you have ever been on a construction site, but many are dominated by immigrant workers. They don't just do farm work, and I am certain that this would only drive them into other jobs rather than discourage them from coming here.

Agree. They're into many sectors of the industry (landscaping, lawn and garden care, construction, restaurants, farming etc).

Originally posted by VforVendetteaBeing a farm worker is a respectable job although it is made out not to be. I doubt those robots could spot a sick plant in a field.

Well thats being perfected as we type with special equipment.

Originally posted by benrl
Complex issue trying to be tied with an tech advance...
The issue of immigration is far more complex than simple one field of labor that uses illegals, there's still massive amounts of jobs in food service and other Manual low income jobs.
Simplest solution enforce employment laws against employers.

Well because there are other areas of the economy where the illegals would rather go as it is easier then working on a farm so thus the less number of illegals in the farming/agricultural sector ? I agree completely that there should be laws against employers. However why do employers hire illegal immigrants? Cheap labor and no benefits. f the technology is perfected and made affordable, it could lead to a small scale industry where several aspects of the economy can rely on the robots to do the dirty work with possibly cheaper cost of operation and no benefits though maintenance would be optimistically required lets say every 5 to 10 years? We would have small companies and businesses supporting these robots such as the automobile mechanics. Already there is a significant presence of robots in the automobile industry. As the manufacturing sector has shrunk, so will some of the cheap labor sector. Imagine a dish washing robot or a waiter at a fancy restaurant. The construction and landscaping segments are a bit difficult but never know. We've seen it all in sci-fi movies but upto certain extent, it would make sense and possibly help some if not all.

Originally posted by hp1229

Originally posted by benrl
Complex issue trying to be tied with an tech advance...
The issue of immigration is far more complex than simple one field of labor that uses illegals, there's still massive amounts of jobs in food service and other Manual low income jobs.
Simplest solution enforce employment laws against employers.

Well because there are other areas of the economy where the illegals would rather go as it is easier then working on a farm so thus the less number of illegals in the farming/agricultural sector ? I agree completely that there should be laws against employers. However why do employers hire illegal immigrants? Cheap labor and no benefits. f the technology is perfected and made affordable, it could lead to a small scale industry where several aspects of the economy can rely on the robots to do the dirty work with possibly cheaper cost of operation and no benefits though maintenance would be optimistically required lets say every 5 to 10 years? We would have small companies and businesses supporting these robots such as the automobile mechanics. Already there is a significant presence of robots in the automobile industry. As the manufacturing sector has shrunk, so will some of the cheap labor sector. Imagine a dish washing robot or a waiter at a fancy restaurant. The construction and landscaping segments are a bit difficult but never know. We've seen it all in sci-fi movies but upto certain extent, it would make sense and possibly help some if not all.

First their are stringent labor laws, and Immigration raids industries where Illegals are known to work all the time.

The problem is, the Cost of BREAKING the law using cheep labor does not out weight the benefits of said cheap labor.

Robots will never solve that as the initial cost of said robot vs long term savings is far to much for business that already BREAK THE LAW to get cheep labor.

Hell there's still industries that have yet to go paperless, that still use dot matrix printers even, you think that Robots which by their very nature would have to be the height of mans technology (in order to replace a humans range of job functions) will ever be so cheep as paying an undocumented day laborer?

On top of all that there is something that has always been Americas problem, its better here than there, Which frankly is not a bad problem to have.

So all of your Suggestions do not address the core "problem"

reply to post by benrl

Robots will never solve that as the initial cost of said robot vs long term savings is far to much for business that already BREAK THE LAW to get cheep labor.

A dishwashing machine or a laundry machine is still a machine if not a robot. Businesses often use them as well. A automated unmanned tractor with GPS is a different form of Robot which works the field guided by GPS system in many parts of the world. Similarly the Drones are yet another example of unmanned aerial technology used routinely. It has helped with just one of the daily/weekly chores be it a family or a restaurant or a farm or a government entity.

Hell there's still industries that have yet to go paperless, that still use dot matrix printers even, you think that Robots which by their very nature would have to be the height of mans technology (in order to replace a humans range of job functions) will ever be so cheep as paying an undocumented day laborer?

Well they even adopted to 'dot matrix' is a progress. Who's to say they might not adopt or advance their use of better technology as the standards are raised by other sectors of the industry? Also the percentage of such sectors utilizing primitive technology and standards in our terms is very small compared to vast majority. There will never be a definitive height in human technology as it constantly evolves. Japan has made a huge progress with their prototypes of robots.

On top of all that there is something that has always been Americas problem, its better here than there, Which frankly is not a bad problem to have.

True however this mindset seems to be declining a bit.

reply to post by hp1229


At the same time making all legal residents who work on farms unemployed?

Not such a great idea.

A better idea would be for immigration departments to actually do their jobs properly and police the borders, and have regular, unscheduled checks on farms and farm workers to determine who is illegal and who isn't.

Originally posted by MysterX
reply to post by hp1229

 

At the same time making all legal residents who work on farms unemployed?
Not such a great idea.
A better idea would be for immigration departments to actually do their jobs properly and police the borders, and have regular, unscheduled checks on farms and farm workers to determine who is illegal and who isn't.

Legal residents comparatively are very small. However not all jobs can be replaced but only the laborious and physically demanding jobs. Wish things worked ideally then we wouldn't have this problem now would we ?