The COVID-19 crisis has “heightened the economic imperative to improve recycling,” particularly as countries seek to bring more parts of their supply chains closer to home. Yet, the sorting and disassembly required in order to recycle effectively and safely is not unlike “unscrambling an egg”—in other words, challenging.
Roboticists think that, “computer vision, neural networks and modular robotics can enable a more intelligent, flexible approach to recycling.” For instance, AI-enabled robotics can identify items based on visual cues such as logos or color, and sort or take them apart accordingly.
