Robots now automating the harvesting of cucumbers in Germany

As part of an international effort to revitalize cucumber farming, a European team presented a prototype robot that could replace human workers, stated a ScienceDaily article.

The dual-arm robot falls under the European Union’s CATCH project. It’s considered a major step in automating and preserving the practice of crop cultivation in Germany.

Cucumbers are serious business in Germany. They’re harvested by hand by seasonal workers who lie prone on the wing-like side extensions of an odd-looking vehicle called a “cucumber flyer”.