A Thai student who was tired of being sent up trees to help his parents on their farm made this clever machine that harvests the fruit automatically.

Charin Samchum, 22, complained of tired arms and legs from shimmying up the 50ft high Areca palm tress in Trang, southern Thailand.

His father Chatcharin, 49, and mother Charuay, 51, are both too old to collect the betel nuts from the top. While using monkeys - a common way to collect fruits in Asia - is often considered cruel as the animals have been domesticated and trained.

But Charin, who is studying mechanics at university, created a labor-saving robotic pulley machine that climbs the tree like a human then grabs the fruit from the top.

Footage from Monday (January 27) shows Chatcharin using his son's invention pulling a rope to move the machine up and cut the fruit branches before pulling down the harvest.

The machine was made from iron which wraps around the trunk with runners and is then moved up and down by a pulley.

It has two ends connected by a rope with miniature saws attached to the top for cutting branches.

The farmer said they were so proud of their son and hope he will mass-produce the machine.

He said: "It all started with my son's boredom with climbing the trees. He used his knowledge to invent this machine with old pieces of iron. It makes harvesting the fruit much more efficient.

"Other farmers have seen this and asked to buy it, because it means they don't have to pay people to climb the trees to collect the fruit. Sometimes they will also pay companies who use monkeys to collect the fruit.

"We are so proud of my son and his brilliant mind. ''