VNExpress-Nov 4
A latex-harvesting robot developed by engineer Do Minh Tam can perform hazardous plantation work 50% faster than a skilled tapper. Standing more than six feet tall, the machine glides up to a tree in a plantation in southern Dong Nai Province, extending a cylindrical arm that clamps securely around the trunk. The clamp forms a sturdy guide track as the cutting head pivots smoothly along the curve, slicing a clean groove through the bark. Tam, who founded Tan Y Robot and Rubber, spent four years refining the machine to replicate the work of a seasoned manual tapper. Weighing over half a ton and encased in a rugged metal chassis, the unit operates with a level of cutting force and mechanical precision that exceeds even that of the most skilled human hands. Tam explained that the machine makes a continuous, unbroken cut—something laborers cannot sustain simply due to physical fatigue. Human tappers typically rely on a stop-start rhythm, pulling the blade an inch or so, pausing to reset their momentum, and slicing forward again. This pulsed motion prevents the knife from digging too deep into the vital wood core or skimming too shallowly and losing sap. Yet every stuttering pause inevitably crushes the delicate latex vessels lining the bark, restricting fluid flow compared to a single, uninterrupted groove. That fluid advantage showed up clearly during field trials with Dong Nai Rubber Corporation, where the machine drew more than 50% more latex across a test block of 51 trees than human benchmarks. “Rubber tapping is far better suited to robots than to people,” Tam noted. He first conceived the robot in 2022 after consulting on automation needs with a local rubber company. Harvesting natural latex requires working between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., when internal tree pressure peaks, across slippery, damp, poorly lit hillsides heavy with carbon dioxide. Over time, harvesters frequently suffer from chronic anemia, skin discoloration, latex allergies, and persistent respiratory problems. Because of these conditions, authorities classify the occupation as hazardous and strenuous, qualifying workers for early retirement. Off-the-shelf automation options have largely fallen flat. Most rely on standalone gadgets strapped permanently to individual trunks, an approach that balloons capital costs: replacing a single laborer requires over 2,000 separate units running into billions of dong (VND1 billion = US$38,937). Because these compact devices lack power, they depend on vibrating blades to gnaw through the bark, which bruises the capillary ducts and depresses yields. Drawing on an extensive background in precision machining, Tam and his colleagues set out to design an agile machine that could meaningfully alleviate the severe labor shortages squeezing the sector. Read more at:
