Post by TOMRA Recycling

30 years ago, we introduced the first AUTOSORT™. It marked an important step for recycling: automated, sensor-based sorting was becoming a reality. Equipped with optimized optoelectronics, the system used early AI principles to make basic decisions on which materials to eject or reject. Compared with today’s AUTOSORT™, the first generation was still limited. It could perform one dedicated sorting task at a time and worked with fixed rules. Early applications included the sorting of beverage cartons and plastic bottles. But that first step changed the direction of the industry. What began as a dedicated optical sorting system has since evolved into a connected, multi-sensor platform used across a wide range of material streams worldwide. In this series, we’ll look back at the milestones that shaped this journey, from the first AUTOSORT™ in 1996 to today’s intelligent sorting systems. Because the story of AUTOSORT™ is also the story of how AI became part of modern recycling. Read more with the link in the comments. ⬇️