If this makes it easier and faster to sort garbage, we could probably improve the efficiency of recycling 100x. I know there are some places that do that already, but there are so many menial tasks that could be done by robots to improve the world.
Sorting garbage is a terrible job for humans, but it's a terrible one for robots too. Those fancy mechanical actuators etc are not going to stand up well to garbage that's regularly saturated with liquids, oil, grease, vomit, feces, dead animals, etc.
[1] https://loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=96-P13-00022&s...
An example: A friend worked on accurate built-in weighing machines for trucks, which could measure axle weight and load balance to meet compliance for bridges and other purposes. He found it almost impossible to make units which could withstand the torrents of chemical and biological wet materials which regularly leak into a truck. You would think "potting" electronics understands this problem but even that turns out to have severe limits. It's just hard to find materials which function well subjected to a range of chemicals. Stuff which is flexible is especially prone to risks here: the way you make things flex is to use softeners, which in turn make the material for other reasons have other properties like porosity, or being subject to attack by some combinations of acid and alkalai.
These units had NO MOVING PARTS because they were force tranducers. They still routinely failed in service.
Rubbish includes bleaches, acids, complex organics, grease, petrochemicals, waxes, catalyst materials, electricity, reactive surfaces, abrasives, sharp edges..
They are not saying "dont try" they are saying "don't be surprised if it doesn't work at scale, over time"
It's necessary to follow things to their logical conclusion.
Humans can generally stand this without an issue.
In fact you wouldn’t replace a lot of jobs that involves this : doctors, nurses, emergency workers, caregivers…
It just happens to be difficult. But people love doing difficult things as long as it’s : a) rewarding, b) respected, and c) sufficiently paid
Does the graph of that pay scale cross the cost graph of this robot?
Maybe just paying a living wage is a simpler answer than most AI enthusiasts want to admit.
Why's everything gotta have arms and graspers it's so inefficient.
Robots aren't climbing trees or chasing food. They don't need tails, either.
We have designed a lot of processes and workplaces around the assumption that the 'machine' working there will be be around 160-190 cm tall, with two arms with graspers on the end and equipped with stereo colour vision cameras. The closer you make your new machine match that spec the less changes you have to make to your current setup. It also makes it easier to partially swap in robots over time, rather than ripping everything out and building something completely new.
Having worked at a company close to this field, the real answer through is that both approaches are being done right now. People building new facilities from scratch are building entirely automated system where the 'robot' is the whole machine. People with existing facilities are more interested in finding ways to add robots to their current workflow with minimal changes.
do you have a picture of a facility where they would have to replace humans with humanoid robots and a conveyor would not work?
I believe a short drop and hydraulically actuated metal plates are the more typical solution. That offers a high level of precision.
Just had cameras, visual detection, some compressed air nozzles, and millisecond (nanosecond?) reaction time to separate the non-recyclable materials.
The mapping between sensor signals and material types is usually hardcoded from laboratory test results.
For long time the term "artificial intelligence" has just gone out of favour, but I do remember the days where a good AI research lab had a bunch of symbolics lisp machines
Laser interferometry and DCT image distance, primarily.
Lead to nothing. At least not at the time. AFAIK the initial garbage stream is still manually inspected and separated at most sites.
And the people doing that have a much higher risk of getting sick, because of all sorts of bacteria, mold, spores, chemicals, VOC, whatever.
Not to mention the stink.
They used AI to identify and sort
One issue was just the sheer muck of trash, if someone dropped an open smoothie, all sorts of sensors got covered, etc
Really cool idea I thought though
The Gemini robot tech is cool as heck, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't seem particularly well suited to industrial automation.
1. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/plastic-wars/
You can just send explosives into both those things, and it's cheaper and more effective.
This is because if it becomes easy then it won’t matter and all the marketing, non profit orgs and everything goes away, making it a non problem.
While I am sure you will find people who will like these ideas and want them, they will have zero control.
At this point recycling is a marketing thing. And it’s more important that people think about the cause than solve the problem.
That’s about 25% by weight of all that gets recycled in the country.
Metals, industrial scrap, and other sources are 75% of what gets recycled in the US.
We are blue collar businesses, with high labor costs. Many are exploring robotics actively for repetitive tasks. We have some robots in our process, looking for more when the ROI makes sense.
It may not be 100x, but there will be value in robots in recycling.
Get everyone to dump their crap into one pile and actually invest in industrial processes to sort the crap out.
Huge con: this is a complex problem with possibly poisonous/explosive ramifications if it goes wrong.
Huge Pro: If we can solve this issue, that is a society changing capability, forevermore.
Or until armageddon/robot overlords/singularity/zombie plague at least.
We are asked to do hundreds of little things that mildly inconvenience us in order to maintain some social contract. Sure they could be made easier/nonexistent with better technology, but I:
1) don't see why asking people to do their part is silly
2) don't see why this particular problem would be more frustrating than e.g. the others I've mentioned. I feel like they are all similar on the "effort" scale.
Although I guess I'd admit that asking people to sort recycling properly is very different than relying on them to.
But I don't think this is a good system of caring for our environment. If we cared properly, rather than half-arsing it we'd have a proper industrial system with known outputs that we could improve upon. Instead we seem to have a "feel good you did your part, now forget about it" process. I guess it is shambling it's way to something more but it doesn't seem like it's in a rush - kinda the same way the world agrees on acting on climate change but no one is in a rush.
If 10% of people don't put their cart away, then 90% of carts still get put away. If 10% put things into the recycling bin that shouldn't go there, then 100% of that batch of material becomes unsuitable for recycling process unless expensive remediation is done first.
If plastic recycling was actually being done and was profitable I don't think there'd be a Pacific garbage patch and pfas in my heart right now.
# The Reality of Plastic Recycling:
- Low recycling rates: Only 9% of all plastic worldwide is actually recycled[1][2]. In the United States, the recycling rate for plastic waste is even lower, at just 5-6%[5].
- Limited recyclability: Most types of single-use plastic cannot be recycled in the United States. Only plastic #1 and #2 bottles and jugs meet the minimum legal standard to be labeled recyclable[1].
- Downcycling: The majority of recycled plastic is of inferior quality, resulting in downcycling rather than true recycling[2].
- Economic challenges: Recycling plastic is often not economically viable compared to producing new plastic[4].
# Industry Deception:
The myth of plastic recycling has been perpetuated by the plastic and oil industries for decades:
- Misleading labeling: The Resin Identification Codes (RICs) on plastic products were created by the industry to give the impression of a vast and viable recycling system[3].
- Disinformation campaigns: The fossil fuel industry has benefited financially from promoting the idea that plastic could be recycled, despite knowing since 1974 that it was not economically viable for most plastics[3].
- Lack of commitment: In 1994, an Exxon chemical executive stated, "We are committed to the activities, but not committed to the results," regarding industry support for plastics recycling[5].
#Environmental and Health Impacts
- Pollution: Most plastic items labeled as recyclable often end up in landfills, incinerators, or polluting the environment[1].
- Health hazards: Plastic waste contamination affects soil, water, and air quality, potentially impacting human health[4].
Conclusion
The concept of widespread plastic recycling is largely a myth propagated by the plastic industry to distract from the real issues of plastic pollution and to avoid regulation. While some plastic can be recycled, the current system is far from effective or sustainable. To address the plastic crisis, focus needs to shift from recycling to reducing plastic production and consumption.
[1] https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/the-myth-of-single-use-plasti...
[2] https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/nl/blog/recycling-myth
[3] https://www.earthday.org/plastic-recycling-is-a-lie/
[4] https://kosmorebi.com/en/plastique-le-mythe-du-recyclage/
[5] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-plastic-industry-knowi...