Ask HN: What unusual areas would benefit from automation?

1 points by ajessup 9 years ago | 3 comments

What uncommon tasks that are largely performed manually today could benefit from automation?

I don't know if it counts as unusual, but I want a robotic gardener that identifies weeds and zaps them with a laser (or otherwise kills them).

https://www.google.com/#q=infrared+plant+identification

...and it seems like there could be quite a sizable market for such a device that automatically helps grow your food.

airbreather 9 years ago | |

Broad scale agriculture already uses similar technology to selectively identify and spray weeds in grain fields.

airbreather 9 years ago |

Fruit picking, it has already started but could really take off.

Also, talking to a guy at work whose in-laws own a super popular Chinese restaurant where I live, manufacture of some dumplings. But this one is super hard when you look at how long it takes a person to learn to do it just right, mostly by feel, as all flour is different and changes day to day with humidity.