Robots Toil From Farm to Fork

Initially tasked with pick-and-place jobs at the end of a food or beverage packaging line, robots are expanding their grasp throughout the food chain—from agricultural fields and food preparation to cooking and food delivery.

Robots can work in harsh (i.e., hot, humid or cold) environments, perform repetitive tasks that humans dislike, and they typically don’t harbor bacteria or pathogens that can contaminate food. Collaborative robots (called co-bots) can work together with humans t…