If you spend a moment on YT to see the latest projects, there are quadcopters that pick apples, and many awesome fruit picking demonstrations. AI is fanning out into many fields.

Technologies can come late because they have been missed: electronic cigarettes could have existed since the 1930's when propylene glycol was used for medicines.

For the grit, yes it's tricky, the robot can ask for a brush down every week, there can be teflon coatings, agri-alloys, a brush so the robot can tidy tools, a stethoscope audio sensor.