Robotics: “Winemakers are unlikely to be out of a job anytime soon”

In the wine industry, there is very little robotics or robot-related technology being used in commercial application, the only exception being bottling plants and associated warehouses which are highly automated. An increasing number of research projects are testing various mobile systems in vineyards.
In general, Australia is among the most advanced countries, although in the wine industry there aren’t sufficient worldwide use cases to make a comparison.
USA, Japan, Germany and China
It will take a few more years for widespread adoption of robotics, due to the inability to demonstrate benefit to farmers, training of operators and service providers for maintenance, need for improved robustness to environmental conditions (dust, rain, spiders, snakes, …), and to some extent the capital cost. As they become more widespread, issues such as liability, autonomy and trust will need to be dealt with.
In vineyards: mowing/mulching/slashing, crop monitoring, variable rate spraying
In wineries: oak barrel refilling, logistics
Yes, as mechanisation of the winery processes according to common manufacturing process improvement is readily available. This doesn’t necessitate the use of robots, or what are traditionally thought of as robotic systems. The large amount of vineyard passes on traditional machinery is a logical target for automation, hence effort has focussed on this.
It is focussed on logistics, moving cartons and bottles around and filling them.
No, only where they are needed.
Improved sensing and control systems may improve the quality of the wine, but it is quite subjective anyway, so winemakers are unlikely to be out of a job anytime soon. Robots are more likely to help in reducing monotonous jobs.
There is substantial research going into the horticulture industry which is readily applicable in viticulture. As the uptake of autonomous cars increases, similarly equipped farm vehicles will rapidly become the norm.
At UNSW we develop algorithms and software systems for sensing in viticulture and horticulture from a robotics perspective. For industry we have provided solutions for variable rate spraying, low-cost mapping of canopies, an app for measuring vine water stress, yield estimation (shoot and flowering stages), microscope image based stomate processing and image stitching. We collaborate with other research institutions to provide image based solutions for berry counting, bunch architecture detection, disease detection, hyperspectral spray deposition analysis, non-destructive maturity estimation and automated sample naming. Furthermore we have developed a proof of concept autonomous concrete cutting robot and support a student-led project to develop a team of cooperative UAVs and UGVs.
We have demonstrated the possibility of estimating yield visually at the shoot and flower stages; developed and beta-tested an app for measuring vine water stress; developed robust algorithms for stomate detection; and we will be continuing development on all aspects of vine and tree sensing and modelling to provide actionable insight for farmers in a cost-effective manner.