4 ms·

I'm guesstimating that a human worker plucks an apple every 1-2 seconds, sustained?

by tpmx 6y ago

99_00 6y ago
At least some of the time it seems they just shake the tree and catch the apples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqf3ZY-V-I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqf3ZY-V-I
- tpmx 6y ago
  I can't imagine that working well for apples being sold in supermarkets to consumers? For juice/cider/etc though...
  - hinkley 6y ago
    Things are getting better, but a lot of the fruit you eat is selected for shelf and processing stability. Flavor is a secondary concern, and nutrition isn't considered at all. Some people think the latter is part of the obesity epidemic. We have lots of cravings when we are malnourished, and while hyper palatable food can explain a lot of this, it's not the only culprit. Those peaches you eat are the only ones you can get because the others bruise too easily. If you want a 'better' peach you're going to have to plant a tree. It's one of the 'sales pitches' that gardeners and permaculturists use to try to convert people. If you want more nutritious vegatables, you're going to have to get your hands dirty. Vine-ripened foods can be a profoundly different experience than store bought, as anyone who has ever grown a tomato will be all too quick to tell you.
    - smabie 6y ago
      I used to live in Tanzania and while none of the produce or fruit looks very good, it tastes maybe 10x better than anything in America. When I first moved there I was absolutely shocked by how good the fruits/vegetables and even corn tasted.
CuriouslyC 6y ago
If you're an automated orchard, you put a tarp under the tree then shake it with a big machine and collect everything up. Humans can pick apples pretty quickly in bursts, but constantly repositioning your ladder kills your total throughput.
Pokepokalypse 6y ago
human workers don't work 24x7.
- thechao 6y ago
  Robots don't need VISAs, either.
  - hinkley 6y ago
    And while they do 'talk back' in their own way, they can't organize. Yet.
barbazoo 6y ago
When I was wwoof'ing I picked I'd say an apple every 2 seconds. But only until you have to adjust the ladder or empty your bucket into the big bin, etc. The thing is you have to be quite careful. Apples don't like falling down as that causes them to bruise.
- tpmx 6y ago
  From watching the video, it seems like it's ~7 seconds from apple to apple when stationary. Shouldn't be that hard to improve on though, it looks rather crude compared to cutting edge robot tech in other verticals.

I'm guesstimating that a human worker plucks an apple every 1-2 seconds, sustained?

by tpmx 6y ago

I'm guesstimating that a human worker plucks an apple every 1-2 seconds, sustained?

At least some of the time it seems they just shake the tree and catch the apples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqf3ZY-V-I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqf3ZY-V-I

tpmx 6y ago
I can't imagine that working well for apples being sold in supermarkets to consumers? For juice/cider/etc though...
- hinkley 6y ago
  Things are getting better, but a lot of the fruit you eat is selected for shelf and processing stability. Flavor is a secondary concern, and nutrition isn't considered at all. Some people think the latter is part of the obesity epidemic. We have lots of cravings when we are malnourished, and while hyper palatable food can explain a lot of this, it's not the only culprit. Those peaches you eat are the only ones you can get because the others bruise too easily. If you want a 'better' peach you're going to have to plant a tree. It's one of the 'sales pitches' that gardeners and permaculturists use to try to convert people. If you want more nutritious vegatables, you're going to have to get your hands dirty. Vine-ripened foods can be a profoundly different experience than store bought, as anyone who has ever grown a tomato will be all too quick to tell you.
  - smabie 6y ago
    I used to live in Tanzania and while none of the produce or fruit looks very good, it tastes maybe 10x better than anything in America. When I first moved there I was absolutely shocked by how good the fruits/vegetables and even corn tasted.

CuriouslyC 6y ago

If you're an automated orchard, you put a tarp under the tree then shake it with a big machine and collect everything up. Humans can pick apples pretty quickly in bursts, but constantly repositioning your ladder kills your total throughput.

Pokepokalypse 6y ago

human workers don't work 24x7.

thechao 6y ago
Robots don't need VISAs, either.
- hinkley 6y ago
  And while they do 'talk back' in their own way, they can't organize. Yet.

barbazoo 6y ago

When I was wwoof'ing I picked I'd say an apple every 2 seconds. But only until you have to adjust the ladder or empty your bucket into the big bin, etc. The thing is you have to be quite careful. Apples don't like falling down as that causes them to bruise.

tpmx 6y ago
From watching the video, it seems like it's ~7 seconds from apple to apple when stationary. Shouldn't be that hard to improve on though, it looks rather crude compared to cutting edge robot tech in other verticals.