as predictive behaviours of a given set of data, and
can combine multiple characteristics, making it supe-
rior to human reasoning. This is the concept of ML
as the basis of Software 2.0 and differs from the cur-
rent standard in an important way: it is cantered on
weights of neural networks
4
, not explicit algorithms.
According to (Andrej Karpathy, 2018), neural net-
works are not just another classifier, they represent the
beginning of a fundamental shift in how we write soft-
ware. They are Software 2.0. The same author states
that Software 2.0 platforms, must have a great devel-
opment in the coming years, since their goal is not to
replace but improve processes that the human being
develops, or processes of analysis where the human
being can’t perceive the result, in cause of their com-
plexity.
The author (Andrej Karpathy, 2018) says that, per-
haps it is this human inability to understand some of
the results made available by this Software 2.0 tech-
nology, which is its main disadvantage, according to
the author, because in the event of system failure, it
is presented as a ”silent failure” that may also not be
noticeable to the human being and to provoke a catas-
trophe without culprits.
According to (Domingos, 2015), we live in the
age of algorithms. Few years ago, mentioning the
word algorithm would have drawn a blank from most
people. The same thing would happen to AI
5
, who
scarcely a few years ago frightened the citizen and
the businessmen, with the presumption that AI would
put the machines in command of the Earth.
According to the same author, it is necessary for
people to be aware of ML, so that this learning of the
computers will serve them, for me to decide and not
others to decide for me.
The authors (Wilson et al., 2019), say that the re-
cycling industry has been slow to adopt automated
methods of sorting such metallic scraps. How-
ever, with the advent of hyper-spectral cameras and
robotic-based picking and sorting methods, such pro-
cedures can now be performed automatically, reliev-
ing workers of laborious tasks while at the same time
improving the efficiency of sorting metallic alloys.
Since the automation process is more effective, scrap
providers can produce more recycled material thus in-
crease their profitability. According to the same au-
thors, using automated systems, 40-50% of the steel
that comes from recycled material and 30% of other
metals can be sorted by magnetic drums or induction
4
Artificial neural networks (ANN) are computing sys-
tems inspired by the biological neural networks that consti-
tute human brains.
5
AI, in computer science is artificial intelligence.
or Eddy current separators
6
, respectively. One of the
greatest challenges in developing more sophisticated
systems is sorting various non-ferrous metals such as
aluminum, copper, silver, brass, lead, stainless steel,
silver and gold.
A project that implement this concepts, was de-
scribed by (Barnab
´
e et al., 2015). The project uses
spectral imaging to scrap classification and was ref-
erenced to the conception of a prototype combining
two hyper spectral cameras, one ranging from vis-
ible to near-infra-red and the other covering short-
wave infra-red, is presented. The prototype aims at
the characterization of millimetre sized metallic al-
loys particles, originating from end-of-life vehicles
and waste electrical and electronic equipment recy-
cling.
Another work was published in a paper by (Ku-
tila et al., 2005) and presents a novel automatic scrap
metal sorting system which employs a colour vision
based optical sensing system and an inductive sensor
array sensor array.
Recently in 2017, the work in PICK-IT project,
about Hyper spectral imaging in the VNIR
7
, devel-
oped by a team, and described by (Braibant et al.,
2017), has nevertheless proven to be an efficient tech-
nique to identify aluminum, zinc, copper, brass al-
loys and stainless steel. The same authors, describes
an Hyper-spectral imaging in the VNIR has never-
theless proven to be an efficient technique to iden-
tify aluminum, zinc, copper, brass alloys and stainless
steel (e.g., Barnab
´
e et al., 2015, Kutila et al., 2005).
The efficiency of hyper-spectral classification how-
ever depends on the surface conditions of the alloy
fragments.
At USA, (Paul, Torek; Benjamin, Aubuchon;
Kalyani, 2016) patented in 2016 a system and a
method of sorting scrap particles, which includes
imaging a moving conveyor containing scrap particles
using a vision system to create an image. A computer
analyzes the image as a matrix of cells, identifies cells
in the matrix containing a particle, and calculates a
color input for the particle from a color model by de-
termining color components for each cell associated
with the particle.
6
Eddy current separator, it’s a parasitic chain separa-
tor uses a powerful magnetic field to separate non-ferrous
metals from the waste after all ferrous metals have been re-
moved earlier by some magnet arrangement.
7
The visible and near-infrared (VNIR) portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum has wavelengths between ap-
proximately 400 and 1400 nanometers (nm).
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