Japanese robot can peel bananas cleanly, most of the time

FILE PHOTO:A dual-armed robot picks up a banana and peels it without squashing the fruit inside during a demonstration in this handout image taken December 2, 2021 and released by ISI (Kuniyoshi) Lab., School of Info. Sci & Tech., The University of Tokyo, Japan. Handout via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Robots in Japan are found on factory floors carrying out simple tasks or delivering food to restaurant patrons but researchers have now unveiled a robot capable of executing the delicate task of peeling a banana without squashing the fruit inside.

While the dual-armed machine is only successful 57% of the time, banana peeling points to a future where machines undertake more subtle operations than moving metal parts or delivering coffee.