Miniature robots could cut pesticide use on farms in future

Robots could also reduce food waste and help harvest crops, but they may not be commercially available for some years to come, say expertsMiniature robot farmers may be the answer to concerns over chemical use on farms and cutting down on food waste, as well as easing labour shortages, academic farming experts have said.The drawback is that the machines in question, while developed in laboratories to an advanced stage, are not yet commercially available in the UK. In an optimistic scenario, they could become available in as little as three years, but that would be likely to take large investment and a high degree of entrepreneurialism in the private sector, the experts said on Monday. Continue reading...