By Stephanie Bray
Massachusetts-based company Jodone patents robots and software to use in waste recovery facilities in place of workers to recycle trash.
Today, workers at municipal waste facilities pick out recyclables by hand. Oftentimes, this includes sorting through everything from packaging to dead animals.
Jodone hopes to change this task into one that’s more tolerable.
Enter the robot arm.
The company envisions workers sitting in an office with a tablet while the robot stands next to the conveyor belt. Cameras will relay images to the worker. The worker will be able to “sort” the material they see on the screen.
What are the benefits of using robots?
- It lessens the effects of climate change.
- Cities can make money, because they can take on new customers.
- It’s safer for workers since they won’t be in a factory environment.
- Robots can sort about six times faster than humans.
The next step
Jodone currently has a pilot program in place at the Pope/Douglas Waste-to-Energy plant in Minnesota. Here, the company is working to calibrate its software, the speed of the conveyor belt and other factors so that the facility runs smoothly.
Aren’t impressed by the idea yet? Take a look at their video about the project.
