Smart Human-Robot Collaboration for Maximized Waste Recovery
Smart Human-Robot Collaboration for Maximized Waste Recovery Recovering recyclable materials from post-consumer waste is fundamental to the circular economy, since it reduces reliance on primary resources and prevents valuable materials from being lost at disposal. Waste sorting—an essential step before recycling—has long relied on manual labor in large-scale Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). AI and robotics […]
AI-enabled Robotics Reaches the Frontline of Infrastructure Repair
AI-enabled Robotics Reaches the Frontline of Infrastructure Repair Crane rails in European ports and heavy industry carry some of the highest contact stresses in modern infrastructure. Rolling contact fatigue, plastic deformation, corrosion, and edge wear degrade these assets continuously, yet the repair methods used today have barely changed in decades. Maintenance crews still rely on […]
Don’t Shred It, REVIVE It: Teaching Robots to Harvest Value from End-of-Life E-Mobility
Don’t Shred It, REVIVE It: Teaching Robots to Harvest Value from End-of-Life E-Mobility Europe is falling in love with light electric mobility — and its recycling system is not ready for the breakup. The European e-scooter market is projected to reach USD 60.6 billion by 2030, yet shared-fleet devices often last barely two years. A […]
AGRI-SORT: From seeing waste to intelligent sorting.
AGRI-SORT: From seeing waste to intelligent sorting Traditional municipal waste sorting relies heavily on manual labour combined with established mechanical separation technologies, such as magnetic drums and ballistic separators. In recent years, high-capacity NIR/VIS optical sorting systems have become widely used for the automated separation of plastic fractions. However, while these systems are highly effective […]
From Algorithms to Action: Enabling Intelligent Robotics for Battery Remanufacturing
From Algorithms to Action: Enabling Intelligent Robotics for Battery Remanufacturing Industrial battery repurposing presents a unique challenge for automation: it is not only a physical manipulation problem, but also a decision-making problem under uncertainty. Unlike conventional manufacturing, second-life battery workflows require continuous interpretation of heterogeneous inputs—visual, electrical and contextual—to determine safe and optimal processing strategies. […]
Die Another Day: Robotics and AI for Longer-Lived Heavy Stamping Dies
Die Another Day: Robotics and AI for Longer-Lived Heavy Stamping Dies Heavy stamping dies are among the most valuable tooling assets in metal-forming production. Made from high-alloy tool steels and often weighing several hundred kilograms, they embed substantial material, energy, machining and engineering effort. Yet progressive wear, thermal fatigue cracking and local edge damage can […]
From Recycling by Weight to Recycling by Value
From Recycling by Weight to Recycling by Value The easiest thing to lose in electronic waste is not metal — it is reuse value that no one has identified yet. The EU generates around 5 million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste each year, growing far faster than recycling capacity. Computers sit at the high-value […]
From Textile Deadstock to Intelligent Circular Materials: The FIBROBOT Journey Begins!
From Textile Deadstock to Intelligent Circular Materials: The FIBROBOT Journey Begins! Every year, Europe generates more than 7 million tonnes of textile waste, while large quantities of high-quality fabrics never even reach the market. Among these are industrial textile deadstock rolls, materials discarded due to overproduction, design changes, or production variability rather than poor quality. […]
Why Semiconductor Harvesting Must Become Every Factory’s Standard
Why Semiconductor Harvesting Must Become Every Factory’s Standard Walk down automotive assembly lines, and you will see how cars are rapidly changing: By 2030, electronics are expected to account for roughly 50% of a vehicle’s value. For an automotive Tier 1 supplier like Valeo BRAIN, the relevance is even greater: printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) […]
Uncovering the Inside of Wind Turbine Blades: Automated Ultrasound for Safe Robotic Decommissioning
Uncovering the Inside of Wind Turbine Blades: Automated Ultrasound for Safe Robotic Decommissioning Wind energy is a key pillar of the transition toward a circular and sustainable economy, but the automated dismantling and recycling of wind turbine blades remain a critical bottleneck. Blades are massive, heterogeneous structures made of glass and carbon fiber composites combined […]