Abhimanyu Chakravorty
Technical Communications Coordinator
The RECLAIM prMRF unit uses modern artificial intelligence systems, like computer vision and deep learning, and cost-effective robotic sorters to achieve efficient sorting of recyclable municipal solid waste. These two technological solutions are seamlessly integrated and operate collaboratively within a container, which can be easily transported to remote areas to undertake material recovery and waste sorting activities.
At the moment, the prMRF achieves an average of 120 picks per minute, but can easily be upgraded with additional robotic sorters to reach even higher productivity.
Following Verde.tec, the prMRF will be deployed in Kefalonia island from the end of March onwards to demonstrate its real-world capability in the material recovery of post-consumer solid waste. During the deployment, the project researchers and engineers will monitor the prMRF’s operations and iteratively improve its working efficiency and troubleshoot any problems on-site.
“The low-cost, portable, robotic material recovery facility (prMRF) is now running long tests daily for hours without human intervention (remote monitoring using web cameras) and producing tangible results that will only improve in the coming months,” said Michalis Maniadakis, Project Coordinator, Forth-Hellas.
Earlier last year, the RECLAIM consortium met in Munich for the project’s fifth plenary session. During this meeting, partners shared their respective work package updates.
For example, KU Leuven is working on the multi-robot grasp planning approach to increase value recovery. In the project, they are combining various gripping technologies to enable multiple robots to work in a complementary fashion.
Similarly, FORTH also has work cut out for them to test the new multi-cup gripper equipped with a vision-based system that selects the most suitable suction cup. What the system does is identify the largest flat surface on an object to determine the optimal gripping points, ensuring the largest possible suction cup is used for a secure grip.
IRIS Technology Solutions, who are working on advanced imaging technologies for better waste identification, made progress too. At the meeting, they showcased results from their new waste categorisation model combining the Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) categories into a single PE category. In doing so, material identification accuracy improved.
Project coordinator FORTH-Hellas works on waste monitoring in the visible and infrared spectrum. In this, they have developed a method for combining the results of processing the Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) and RGB images, to create a single unified output related to the size of the object and its material type, which are then used by the prMRF robots for the physical sorting of waste.
The Recycling Data Game (RDG) also received a few updates.
Antonios Liapis from the University of Malta’s Institute of Digital Games said they have created a mini-game called “Drop”, which is now ready for preliminary tests. Explaining the new addition, Liapis, who is developing the RDG in the consortium in collaboration with other partners, said, “This feature has arcade-style controls where users sort items into bins as they move along a conveyor belt. Players are tested both on how quickly they can complete the challenge and how accurate their picks are (if they drop PET bottles into the PET bin, for example). This version is faster-paced and more entertaining compared to previous versions.”
In the end, the innovations and technologies developed in the project will be implemented inside the prMRF container, which is critical to the project’s success.
Here, Hellenic Recovery and Recycling Corporation (HERRCO), the RECLAIM implementation partner, steps in with a major contribution.
Currently, HERRCO is looking into the installation plan for the prMRF in the waste treatment facility of Kefalonia Island, including the installation of prMRF in a designated position and the finalisation of the installation and operational time plan of the prMRF. This is to ensure that the prMRF can continue to work at the designated site beyond the project timeline.
2025 is a critical year for the European Union. Member states are required to meet the target to prepare at least 55% of municipal waste and 65% of packaging waste for reuse or recycling. Yet, 10 member states are not on track to meet either, including Greece where our prMRF will be first implemented. This means Reclaim has an important role in helping the EU meet its targets. Read our press release here for more details.
From here, we are looking at a uniquely challenging yet exciting phase of implementation, starting with Verde.tec, then Kefalonia, and participation at global events, such as the European Robotics Forum in Stuttgart, and many more.
