Waste Robotics integrates advanced waste handling processes, computer vision, deep learning algorithms and state-of-the-art robotic technologies to enable smaller, more precise, safer and more profitable waste recycling facilities. The company also adapts their technology and engineering to customer’s needs. Waste Robotics has a catalog of custom grippers and for each project and they do a brand-new engineering to adapt to customer’s layout (retrofit).
Interview with Katherine Diamond, Marketing Director at Waste Robotics.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Katherine Diamond: Waste Robotics develop tailored sorting solution for construction & demolition debris, recyclables, bags, polystyrene. What compare us to competition, we use heavy duty robots. We can lift charges up to 45 pounds.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
K.D: We have many different projects that I can’t talk about now, but I can say that we are putting a lot of energy into improving our C&D (construction and demolition) AI.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
K.D: Robots are from 150k. Since we design tailored solutions, we don’t have a fix price for an installation.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
K.D: Market is actually early adopters. Robotic sorting in waste industry is a very young technology. Our competitors and us are still in early/mid stage development. Waste sorting can be very complicated, because each packaging is different and continuously change. There’s a continuous learning in AI to do that makes it challenging.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
K.D: There’s a major labor problem worldwide. In North America, you can earn more money working at Mc Donald’s than to sort waste. It’s a degrading and difficult job. There are major health and safety issues in the industry. Business owners need to find an alternative solution to labor problem, so this is where the robot came in. In a couple years from now, every sorting center will be fully automated.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
K.D: We also have lots of unique features, as belt speed control, destacking mode, but I would say the hyperspectral is one of the best, especially in plastic sorting. We can read the chemistry in materials and see the difference between plastic types. That allow up to sort the plastic in the appropriate bin.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
K.D: We have robotic installations in North America and Europe and we are planning to expand worldwide. We double our staff this year and are ready for waste war!