ROVIMATICA is currently working on the development of an AI based camera system that can distinguish between rigid and flexible plastic waste. The company is also working on robotic solution to collect the sorted materials from the conveyor line, at the recycling plant.

Concerning the visual sorting of the materials, ROVIMATICA is developing an inline solution that has the capacity of classifying the material in two categories: flexible and rigid. The first impression one can get is that it is relatively easy to differentiate between this two categories, but when both materials come from waste the differences between them are, in reality, very subtle. Since it is not possible to achieve this objective by applying traditional computer vision techniques,the solution suggested is based on Artificial Intelligence. Once acquired from the linear camera, the image is processed using a Mask R-CNN (Mask R-CNN is a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and state-of-the-art in terms of image segmentation and instance segmentation) to extract object position information and then send the obtained information to the robotic system.

As for the robotic system, ROVIMATICA is developing the gripping system for the different types of material and the entire automation system for picking the selected material.

About ROVIMATICA

ROVIMATICA is a technological SME based in the south of Spain expert in tailor made engineering solutions. The expertise of ROVIMATICA is based on:

  • Customised turnkey industrial services in robotics (standard, collaborative, mobile and sensitive);
  • Computer vision systems (2D, 3D, hyperspectral and Artificial Intelligence for image processing);
  • Drones;
  • Mechatronics, pneumatics;
  • Automation and control (factories and industrial plants, nationally and internationally);
  • Machinery and special solutions;
  • Robotization and automation of vehicles (urban, agricultural, mining and industrial ones);
  • Development of R&D projects for its clients;
  • Industrial maintenance and training.

The company operates in most of the sectors from manufacturing, assembling, environment, water, aeronautic, automotive, metal, energy to agricultural implementing disruptive solutions. ROVIMATICA has developed high-tech projects around the world in countries such as Portugal, UK, Norway, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Russia, USA, China, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Panama, Uruguay, etc.

ROVIMATICA works for high quality standards companies, such as:

  • Automotive sector: Valeo, Renault, Fujitsu, Ford, Nissan, Jaguar;
  • Aerospace sector: Airbus, Altran, Aciturri, Sofitec, Elimco Aerospace, Alter Technology Group TUV Nord, GMV;
  • Energy/Water sector: Repsol, Schott, ABB-Hitachi, Abengoa, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Degremont, Ferrovial, Acciona;
  • Manufacturing sector: Coemac Corporation, Mondragon Group, Suntory, Thielmann Portinox;
  • Agri-food sector: Mahou-San Miguel Group, Syngenta, Hojiblanca, Verdifresh, Ines Rosales.

Therefore, ROVIMATICA’s participation in MERLIN strengthens and broadens the company’s knowledge and portfolio by adding AI tools that will contribute to make it  grow in the recycling sector.