AMP Robotics Deploys Additional Recycling Robots for SSR

AMP Robotics Corp. (AMP), a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for the recycling industry, just announced the further expansion of AI-guided robots for recycling municipal solid waste at Single Stream Recyclers (SSR). This follows SSR’s recent unveiling of its first installation of AMP systems at its materials recovery facility (MRF) in Florida.

SSR currently operates six AMP Cortex single-robot systems at its 100,000-square-foot facility in Sarasota, Fla. This latest announcement adds another four AMP Cortex dual-robot systems (DRS), bringing the total deployment to 14 robots. The AMP Cortex DRS uses two high-speed precision robots that sort, pick and place materials. The robots are installed on a number of different sorting lines throughout the facility and will process plastics, cartons, paper, cardboard, metals and other materials.

“Robots are the future of the recycling industry. Our investment with AMP is vital to our goal of creating the most efficient recycling operation possible, while producing the highest value commodities for resale,” said John Hansen, co-owner of SSR, in a statement.

“AMP’s robots are highly reliable and can consistently pick 70 to 80 items a minute as needed, twice as fast as humanly possible and with greater accuracy. This will help us lower cost, remove contamination, increase the purity of our commodity bales, divert waste from the landfill and increase overall recycling rates,” said Eric Konik, co-owner of SSR, in a statement.

The AMP Cortex robots are guided by the AMP Neuron AI platform to perform tasks. AMP Neuron applies computer vision and machine learning to recognize different colors, textures, shapes, sizes and patterns to identify material characteristics. Exact down to what brand a package is, the system transforms millions of images into data, directing the robots to pick and place targeted material for recycling. The AI platform digitizes the material stream, capturing data on what goes in and out, so informed decisions can be made about operations.

“SSR has built a world-class facility that sets the bar for modern recycling. John, Eric and their team are at the forefront of their industry, and we are grateful to be a part of their plans,” said Matanya Horowitz, CEO of AMP, in a statement. “SSR represents the most comprehensive application of AI and robotics in the recycling industry, a major milestone not only for us but for the advancement of the circular economy.”

The new systems will be installed this summer. In addition to Florida, AMP has installations at numerous facilities across the country including California, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin; with more planned. Earlier this spring, AMP expanded globally by partnering with Ryohshin Ltd. to bring robotic recycling to Japan.