AMP Robotics Improves Hazard Detection through Collaboration with Denver-based Recycler

DENVER—AMP Robotics Corp. (“AMP”), a pioneer in AI, robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry, is working with The Happy Beetle, a door-to-door recycling subscription service, to improve detection and diversion of hazardous materials found in the waste stream. 

When not properly recycled or disposed of, items like propane tanks, pressurized containers, batteries, and other electronics can cause serious safety issues including fires, explosions, worker injuries, and damage to processing equipment at recycling facilities. The Happy Beetle collects these and other difficult-to-recycle materials that cannot be placed in curbside recycling bins and works with other community businesses and nonprofits to repurpose or recycle them. 

The artificial neural network of AMP’s AI platform, AMP Neuron™, encompasses the largest known real-world dataset of recyclable materials for machine learning. The company can classify more than 100 different categories and characteristics of recyclables across single-stream recycling, e-scrap, and construction and demolition debris. As part of the ongoing enrichment of its AI capabilities, AMP is improving its identification of hazards before they cause damage to recycling infrastructure. 

“Health and safety risks have been a longstanding challenge for the industry, and our commitment to modernizing recycling involves mitigating these issues,” said Amanda Marrs, senior director of product, AMP Robotics. “Partnering with a local recycler like The Happy Beetle who shares our commitment to a circular economy enables us to source samples of rare hazardous materials to train and improve our neural network so we can stay ahead of the potential danger they pose to the operating environments of our materials recovery facility (MRF) customers.” 

Trained with millions of examples of materials found in recycling facilities, AMP’s AI enables its robotic sorting systems to identify individual pieces of material like a person does. It learns logos, shapes, textures, and more; it can recognize and pick a full array of materials found in the recycling stream—even those, like hazards, that do not belong. AMP’s AI uses a simple camera that can handle different belts, lighting conditions, burden depths, and more. Using deep learning, the platform gets smarter and more accurate in its identification over time, and its intelligence compounds as it learns from the company’s fleet of hundreds of deployed systems. This means all facilities with an AMP Cortex™ system benefit from an improving hazard detection capability.  

“As we aim to expand beyond the Denver metropolitan area, loaning potentially hazardous items collected from our subscribers enables AMP to better identify and remove these objects from recycling streams around the world, helping us work toward our mission of a more sustainable, circular economy on a truly global scale,” said Dave Kiefner, founder, The Happy Beetle.

About AMP Robotics™ Corp.

AMP Robotics is modernizing the world’s recycling infrastructure by applying AI and automation to increase recycling rates and economically recover recyclables reclaimed as raw materials for the global supply chain. The AMP Cortex™ high-speed robotics system automates the identification and sorting of recyclables from mixed material streams. The AMP Neuron™ AI platform continuously trains itself by recognizing different colors, textures, shapes, sizes, patterns, and even brand labels to identify materials and their recyclability. Neuron then guides robots to pick and place the material to be recycled. Designed to run 24/7, all of this happens at superhuman speed with extremely high accuracy. AMP Clarity™ provides data and material characterization on what recyclables are captured and missed, helping recycling businesses and producers maximize recovery. With deployments across North America, Asia, and Europe, AMP’s technology recovers recyclables from municipal collection, precious commodities from electronic scrap, and high-value materials from construction and demolition debris.

About The Happy Beetle 

The Happy Beetle provides a “4th bin” solution for material that cannot be placed in municipal recycling bins and should not be placed in the trash bin, either due to being potentially hazardous or because the item’s useful life can be extended. From plastic bags to baby food pouches, electronics or house paint, textiles and books, and much more, The Happy Beetle provides recurring pick-ups from residences and businesses to divert material from the landfill for reuse, recycling, or responsible disposal. Founded in Denver in 2021, The Happy Beetle partners with existing local organizations that possess the expertise and certifications to properly handle these materials. Through these efforts, The Happy Beetle strives to emulate nature’s circular ecosystem and enable the transformation from the current “take, make, waste” linear model of consumption.

Media Contact
Carling Spelhaug
carling@amprobotics.com