Answer: Robots like Harvey can make agriculture safer and more efficient. Unlike previous robots, Harvey can sense people, so it does not need to work in isolated areas, as has been one of the limitations of earlier models. Harvey's developers also plan to make it upgradable so that it can take on more basic tasks, like pruning and spaying. Workers could be exposed to far fewer chemicals if a robot were able to carry a plant through a sprayer rather than having the individual plant sprayed by a person. In time, it may also be able to harvest larger fruits, such as watermelon and pumpkins. To date, robots that can take the place of workers in the fields are not yet on the horizon since they will require far more complex programming. Detecting and picking ripe apples from a tree is far more specific than relocating a large, potted plant. However, eliminating some of the manual labor in the fields, which is often hot, backbreaking work, would benefit the agriculture industry. In addition, because machines do not need regular breaks, can work around the clock, and can tolerate weather conditions that people cannot, mechanization, i.e., the use of machines, can make these processes much more efficient.
Explanation: From Lesson 1 of Unit 6 Agriscience