Robot Farmers to Take Over Ageing Farmers in Japan

Robotics is Japan's specialty not only at the level of inter-collegiate robot contests but in industrial scenes where robots are providing "manpower". Further, in the area of agriculture and fisheries varieties of robots are being introduced to aid ageing farmers and fishermen. 
Ageing aside, Japan is fast running short of manpower in farming and fisheries, and universities and research institutes across the nation are devoting much of their time and resources for the development of robots in such primary industries. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries allotted approximately 1.2 billion yen this spring to fund robot research projects in universities and institutes targeting primarily development of farm-aiding robots, reported Yomiuri August 20.

Professor Eiichi Yagi (robotics) of Wakayama University heads a research group to develop, in collaboration with the prefecture's Industrial Technology Center, a unique "Farmers' Assist Suit". The suit weighs 7 kilograms and provides "muscle" to lift twice as heavy objects. Sensors mounted on fingertips (gloves) and toes (socks) feel out pressure applied on the joints and body and activate the motors attached on the chest and the calves. The suit has been tested in orange orchards in Wakayama and also in five other prefectures across the nation.

An orange farmer in Wakayama Morihito Ozawa, 41, said after a trial that the suit gives a firm grip around the waist and the calves provides "muscle" and balance to work with. "It's pretty good", he added.

The researchers report merchandizing is only a step away now and expect to reduce its weight down to 5 kg when marketed.
As of October, 2010, Japan's farming population is 2.60 million or a little short of 3% of the national population, and the average age of farmers stands at 65.8 years old. Farmers under 35 years old number only 5% of the total and an arable land roughly the size of Saitama Prefecture is left uncultivated.