Fact of the Day: 22/11/2022

Have you ever sorted trash before? If you have, you know how long it can take. Luckily, engineers have created an AI robot to help with the tedious task. This robot works in factories to separate different types of waste. According to BBC.com, “It works by scanning rubbish on a belt before deciding which items to pick – the robot then has an ‘in-belt brain’ of information which it retains through training” (par. 6). ZenRobotics is the company behind the machine; once it completes the necessary trials, its robot will be able to distinguish between  materials like steel and aluminum  and, hopefully, paper and cardboard. Ed Fagan, who works with a company that has invested in the robot, pointed out  that the machine will be especially useful when sorting objects that may be dangerous for humans. For example, it can sort contaminated waste or hazardous materials without being hurt, whereas humans could get extremely sick if they attempt this task (par. 11-12). There is still some more work that needs to go into the testing and development of the robot, but if everything goes as planned, this ZenRobotics machine could be the future of waste processing.  

Reference(s): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-63502444  

Fact Author: Bailey W.

Fact Editor: Ace

We Hope to See You Again Next Year!