Farms Fund Robots to Replace Migrant Fruit Pickers

As if the debate over immigration and guest worker programs wasn't complicated enough, now a couple of robots are rolling into the middle of it. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact wiredlabs@wired.com to report an issue. Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit picking that currently employs thousands of migrant workers each season.