These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Recycling rates have been stagnant for years. One big reason? Properly sorting crowded conveyor belts covered in a grimy array of glass, metal, and plastic is tricky and labor-intensive. AMP Robotics has a solution: the Cortex-C, a compact and adaptable robot for recycling facilities. Paired with AMP’s AI-backed computer “vision” system, it can correctly identify, say, a specific strawberry company’s plastic clamshell. “What’s powerful about AI is its ability to handle ambiguity and imprecision,” says CEO Matanya Horowitz. The robot’s speed and accuracy could also lower sorting costs.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
