This summer, a self-driving tractor was spotted working rows of vines in Napa valley. Described as resembling a “souped-up golf cart,” the tractor runs on an electric battery and can be operated remotely with an app. Complete with wheels, clipper-tipped arms, and a catchment tray, its maker claims the machine can pick almost as many berries as a human with 95% accuracy. In California, where much of this technology is being developed and tested, that’s raised complex questions for the state’s farm workers. Not all workers view automation as a bad thing, advocates say, because it has the potential to alleviate difficult aspects of the job.

Source: The Guardian September 09, 2022 20:21 UTC