Smarter robots speed takeover of jobs once done by humans

At a vast greenhouse in the central Danish city of Odense, a squad of robots move thin plastic pots of herbs for shipping without even putting a dent in them. For movie goers used to seeing humanoid machines in action, that might not seem special but in truth, it’s a remarkable feat.

Robots until recently have been limited to precise, pre-programmed and repetitive heavy-duty jobs like automotive manufacturing. Yet, at the Rosborg Food greenhouse, the OnRobot A/S devices adjust on the fly. One pot might be slightly out of position. The next might be a little heavy.