Automation

Tesla told investors it can reduce costs by 50%, by expanding on the modular, parallel manufacturing innovations it developed for the Model Y. Tesla's next-gen vehicles will be built and tested in chunks that won't come together until the final line.

According to Japanese robotics firm Agrist, there's a shortage of farm workers in that country. The company is offering a partial solution to the problem, though, in the form of a pepper-picking robot.

Three years ago we heard about SwitchBot Curtain, that allows users to open their curtains either on a programmed schedule or by remote control. Well, the SwitchBot company is now back with Blind Tilt, which does the same thing for Venetian blinds.

As part of a research effort looking into hands-free charging solutions for EV drivers and autonomous vehicles, Ford has started testing a prototype robot charging station aimed at making the top-up process easier for folks with limited mobility.

Opening a pizzeria could soon be as simple as leasing a small business space, then sticking a robot in there. That's the idea behind the Pizzaiola system, which takes human cooks and other kitchen staff out of the equation.

Many indoor growing systems aimed at supplying users with a steady supply of year-round greens have started life as startup dreams on Kickstarter. But the latest is a freestanding appliance from consumer electronics giant LG called the Tiiun.

The Plantee indoor greenhouse was developed for folks who have brought a colorful plant home from a shopping trip, only to watch it wither and die. The all-in-one, plug-and-play solution takes the guesswork out of caring for plants in the home.

Ordinarily, airliners have to run their engines in order to taxi along the runway – this uses a lot of fuel, plus it generates a lot of CO2. A new in-ground towing system, however, offers what could be a more efficient and eco-friendly alternative.

According to Pennsylvania State University's Asst. Prof. Long He, the mushroom-farming industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. His team has thus set about addressing that problem, by developing a mushroom-picking robot.

The liquid-carrying tanks on tanker ships have to regularly be inspected for cracks – a task which is typically performed by humans. A new drone, however, is claimed to do the job much quicker and more thoroughly.

Although we've been hearing about various agricultural robots that are still in development, there's at least one which is already commercially available. It's called the Slopehelper, and it's made mainly for use in vineyards.

Last month we reported that a huge vertical farming operation near Copenhagen in Denmark recently completed its first harvest. That setup uses hydroponics, but the veggies grown in Vertical Field urban farming pods take root in real soil.