Inside Glacier's mission to modernize recycling

In Episode 223 of The Robot Report Podcast, Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier, discusses her company’s mission to modernize recycling through advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. Glacier focuses on addressing challenges faced by material recovery facilities (MRFs) by developing systems that detect and sort valuable materials efficiently without disrupting existing operations. Their technology enhances safety, reduces human error, and improves the quality of materials recovered from waste streams. Hu-Thrams emphasizes that Glacier’s innovations support the economic viability of MRFs while contributing to sustainability goals by minimizing waste and lowering carbon emissions, positioning the company as a key player in the circular economy. The episode also covers other robotics industry news, including significant funding rounds for companies like Physical Intelligence, which raised $600 million to advance robot foundation models, and Distalmotion, which secured $150 million to accelerate U.S. adoption of its portable DEXTER surgical robot. Additionally, Parallax Worlds raised $4 million to develop hyper-realistic digital