Vision Robotics’ future fleet of agricultural robots is another step closer to reality with a prototype in the works for next year.

These robotic devices would glide through orchards picking the fruit.

Previous mechanical harvesters were too inefficient because it looked for one piece of fruit at a time. Then engineers actually went into the orchards and had an idea.

"Once you know where all the fruit is, then it becomes an easy job to calculate the most efficient way to pick it all," says Vision Robotics CEO Derek Morikawa.

A working model might have been in the fields right now, Cesar Chavez, the leader of the United Farm Workers, began a campaign against mechanization back in 1978. He wanted federal funding for displaced farm workers.

I hope we are smart enough to realize that this kind of thinking would have kept us in stone-age caves.

Nothing this cute could have possibly survived rampaging hordes of Raptors. They’ll do fine with five-year-olds, though, and so their survival amidst Homo Sapiens is likely assured. That is, if otherwise intelligent people can decide to shell out $349 for one. Maybe they’ll do well in the Neanderthal market, for whom robots remain a novelty and dinosaurs have a strange, almost genetic familiarity.

Someone obviously has a crush on a shiny silver humanoid robot.

Oh, right, she did. Or, at least, something like it. Opened up a can of alien whoopass, too, as I remember. But, if you don’t work for the Company and find yourself in need of some extra help with your own alien infestation, you might want to consider Matsushita Electric’s Power Pedal robotic legs. Not only will you move faster and, presumably, kick more strongly, but you’ll gain some fear factor as well. Pick up a pair–they’re only $127,000 US

What is this fascination with robots? One of the engineers who designed "Tiro" is having his creation host his wedding. He is smiling at that robot in the picture!

This could well be one of those events that the bride will look back on and say, "The warning signs were there. I should have paid attention."

Personally, I prefer live humans.