I'd also be curious to find out if someone has to stay glued to a controller and prompt the vineyard robot, or will Wall-Ye handle decisions independently? Was Millot checking email on that iPad or manoeuvring the machine? What's more tedious, really? Taking soil samples and pruning vines - or watching a slow little robot taking soil samples and pruning vines? Just how much does one have to pay a teckie to operate a vineyard robot in the event it requires an iPadded sidekick to fully function? When you consider the price tag on this seemingly slow little fellow, it makes me wonder if it might be more cost-effective to simply pay a little more for speedier traditional labour?
What if someone hacked into Wall-Ye? Could they go rogue and destroy a vineyard or do some serious damage elsewhere? What if something shorted out on this little fellow? Would he just sit there all day or sound the alarm?
Even better. What if a ship comes down from outer space and Wall-Ye hooks up with an EVE? You know, one of those saucy little Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluators. She might swoop in on some sort of a recognizance mission, and the next thing you know it, Wall-Ye's hitching a ride on the mothership. What would you make of your little vineyard robot then, huh? I saw Wall-E, people. I know he had a mind of his own.
To tech,
Heather
Photo source: YouTube