The apple industry in Japan has been faced with problems of shortage of skilled labor, aging workforce, and limitations in improving efficiency due to the small size and steep topography of most apple orchards. Further, about 70 to 80% of the work in tending to fruit trees is aerial. Thus, the development of a mobile work platform equipped with a lift that can be commercialized for use in orchards was sought. The first prototype was developed and tested around 1965 in Nagano Prefecture, and although the performance was very good, the cost of around 2 million yen at the time prevented its wider application. In 1980, apple growers in northern Gunma sparked further development in line with the following requirements for the mobile work platform: usable in both aligned and irregularly spaced orchards and having a working range between less than 1m above the ground to about 2m in the extended position, usable on slopes by use of stabilizers, mounted on a tracked crawler base, self starter engine that can easily be controlled from the working platform in the extended position, a top speed of 1km/h or less, and stabilized for safety. A machine meeting all of these requirements was ready for testing about one year later. Through a series of improvements, stability when working on slopes was improved by the use of jacks, the platform sides could be lowered through 90? to form a larger work platform, which could be further extended by a set of three sliding extension on each side, and a faster forward gear (3.3km/h) for use only when the platform is fully retracted was included. In a trial carried out at an apple orchard, productivity (measured by apple yield) was increased 40%, despite the inexperience with using the machine. Using the mobile work platform reduces worker fatigue, is safer, and is expected to approximately double the productivity for experienced workers while minimizing damage during harvest. The tracked crawler base has good maneuverability in tight spaces and low soil compaction. The ease of control from the work platform and safety features makes this machine ideal for a variety of orchard work year round. Development of the mobile work platform has had an effect on technological progress, industrial development, cultural advancement, and the national welfare.

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