Recycling robots debut in Florida

Deployed for healthcare, environmental and even bartending duties around the world, robots have just been enlisted to sort through waste flowing through a Florida recycling plant, where they perform faster and safer than humanly possible. The 14 high-speed, precision robots installed this summer at Single Stream Recyclers (SSR) in Sarasota are guided by an artificial intelligence platform that applies computer vision and machine learning to direct the robots' rapid-fire movements. "The average human can pick 30-40 items per minute. The robots can pick 80 items per minute," said John Hansen, co-owner of SSR, which processes materials from numerous Southwest Florida communities at its nearly 100,000-square-foot recovery facility. Developed by Denver-based AMP Robotics, the robots identify and sort plastics, cartons, paper, cardboard, metals and other materials streaming through their cube-like housing.