At the moment garbage collection is still largely done by human beings. This is because sometimes the garbage isn’t always packed properly, meaning that we still need humans to sort and pack it properly in trucks before moving onto the next destination. However Volvo envisions a future in which robots will be doing that job for us.
Now this isn’t to say that robots will replace these jobs entirely. Humans will still be required to drive the truck and oversee the robots, but as far as picking up the trash cans and emptying them, robots could be tasked to do that. This project by Volvo is dubbed ROAR which is short of Robot-based Autonomous Refuse handling.
This could potentially be a lot more efficient as robots don’t need breaks, not to mention they are also able to lift heavier objects with ease, thus reducing the risk of injury to human workers where they might hurt their back in the long-run. This is also Volvo’s way of envisioning a future where automation will play a bigger role in society.
According to Per-Lage Götvall, project leader for the Volvo Group, “Within Volvo Group we foresee a future with more automation. This project provides a way to stretch the imagination and test new concepts to shape transport solutions for tomorrow.” Of course this is just a concept for now, but at the same time we wouldn’t be surprised if it would be our reality one day.
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