Shared Autonomy for the Dull, Dirty, and Dangerous: Exploring Division of Labor Between Humans and Robots and Transforming the Recycling Sorting Industry

During a four-year research project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), an interdisciplinary team of researchers will examine whether a collaboration between humans and robots can improve the quality of these recyclables and the profitability of this vital yet struggling sector. At the same time, they will evaluate opportunities to create new human jobs that complement these automated systems.