Editor, Times-Union: Thanks to Experiencible Program Units and robots, farmers won’t need to physically be outside. That will be great when it’s 3 in the morning and a couple feet of snow has fallen that needs to be cleared from the drive. Also, if the temperature is -10 and windchill is -30, farmers would rather have robots brave the elements so that they could be in EPU chambers to control them. With artificial intelligence, many robots will do work automatically so that farmers won’t need to wake before dawn or work late into the night. No 18-hour days on a tractor to hurt backs. I remember on the farm that Dad had to go out into the cornfield and shoot raccoons that tried to feed on the corn. In the future, drones with heat sensors will fly overhead to spot animal intruders and either kill them with high-energy weapons or discharge electrical bursts that will drive them away. Any carcasses will be gathered by robots and processed into fertilizer. Robots also will save lives. If a farmer is pinned by a piece of equipment, a robot will pull the piece away and even administer medical help if needed. Flying crafts that may replace cars and trucks will fly injured farmers to hospitals, if their injuries are serious. Minutes saved will mean lives saved. Robots will do dangerous jobs. If a tree needs to be felled, robotic equipment will do it. The robots will be able to climb the tree to top it off before cutting down the rest. Also, robotic equipment will remove the tree so it can be handled elsewhere. If a farmer has a sawmill, robots could cut the lumber, have it dried, and even deliver it to lumber yards. Robots will handle aggressive animals quite well. If a rattlesnake nest needs to be removed, a robot could be bitten over and over with no effect. If a bear out west attacks a robot, I think 100,000 volts of energy could drive the beast away. If a pig or cow becomes obstinate, a robot will be able to carry the animal if needed. Robots and EPUs will be expensive. But in the future, if they make farming easier and safer, farmers will have them. They may become indispensable. Also, it will be nice to sleep in and go to bed at a reasonable time as long as robots are doing the job. Rick Badman Warsaw
