AI-enabled robot introduces Industrial 4.0 waste management Despite being seemingly ideal for dirty and sometimes dangerous tasks like waste management, robots have so far not always proven up to the task. WEXOBOT applies Industrial 4.0 techniques to, quite literally, sort it out. Digital Economy © AlexLMX, Shutterstock Robotics offers the waste management industry a proven, efficient and relatively cheap technology. Despite the mechanical movement of robotic arms being flexible enough for most waste removal, robots have not yet been embraced. This is largely due to the complexity of the environment in which they would have to operate. But with artificial intelligence (AI) and sensors becoming ever more powerful and affordable, robotic technology is now within the grasp of the waste management industry. The EU-supported project, WEXOBOT, blended AI with telepresence for a unique robotic waste management solution. The modular software solution has been integrated into a platform called OCELLUS, which can drive a range of robotic innovations. “This is a revolutionary Industry 4.0 approach, where we incorporate the best of many concepts, giving robots the capabilities they need to solve complicated tasks,” says Haris Hadzic, project coordinator from Byte Motion, the project host.. “WEXOBOT is more flexible than specially dedicated waste management machines, as robotic capabilities based on complicated human movements can be improved over time.” Leveraging Industry 4.0 Owing to their specialist AI expertise, the WEXOBOT team was asked by Robot Norway to provide an AI-based robotic waste solution. This incorporates camera/sensor integration for simple tasks such as Tetra Pak, plastic bottle and glass bottle removal from a mixed waste conveyor belt. Norway was interesting for the WEXOBOT team, as they don’t typically separate waste at home, but rather in sorting centres. “That opens a lot of opportunities for waste separation at facilities which, despite being some of the most modern in the world, still only sort 40-50 % of the rubbish for recycling,” explains Hadzic. “So we partnered with Robot Norway, a known robot integrator, and together had the knowledge needed.” In terms of hardware, WEXOBOT decided to use industrial ABB robots. Tried and tested over decades, these mass-produced robots are suitably robust, with straightforward maintenance options. The WEXOBOT-designed robotic software platform was split between an internal system and an external one. The internal one controls traditional safety features, such as obstacle avoidance, and movement generation to complete tasks. The external system introduces more powerful smart gaming technology which visualises datapoints generated by cameras/sensors, enabling both telepresence for remote operators and AI processing. The system has already been introduced in the new IVAR recycling facility, in Sandnes, Norway, responsible for the Stavanger region. Here it is focused mainly on battery removal from the mixed metal conveyor. Since instalment earlier this year, it is constantly monitored for ongoing improvements. “We are currently at an 80 % pick-up rate, where the system not only recognises batteries but also determines if it can pick them up safely,” notes Hadzic. “We are also about to start two more pilot projects, one on general waste and the other on brown carton separation.” Increasing recycling WEXOBOT’s innovation can help adopters increase recycling rates, as well as creating safer environments for people working in sorting centres. More generally, it helps propel us further towards Industry 4.0 with all the economic benefits for innovation, business and employment. The team currently have seven food industry and waste management customer-involved projects ongoing, as well as one EU-funded research project. The team will test the technology in more scenarios later this year before a further roll-out early next year. “As integration doesn’t require substantial redesign of current production lines, we plan to replicate the solution for other waste facilities in Norway. There’s no doubt, smart robots with AI are the next big thing,” says Hadzic. Keywords WEXOBOT, robot, artificial intelligence, waste management, recycling, Industry 4.0, telepresence, camera, sensor, glass, plastic, Tetra Pak
