Researchers in Japan have been conducting experiments using robotics and artificial intelligence to alleviate fruit farmers' reliance on scarce labor while supporting those who are aging and have no successor.
Trials are underway in Chiba Prefecture, a major production area for Japanese pears, and Yamanashi Prefecture, the country's main grape-growing region.
In spring this year, a consortium made up of the Chiba Prefectural Government, agricultural cooperatives, and other concerns launched a two-year experimental project at pear-growing properties in the cities of Ichikawa and Narita in the prefecture.