Indexing and Sorting Robot Based on Hyperspectral and Reflectance Information for CDW Recycling

Research on construction and demolition waste (CDW) has been identified by the European Commission as a priority due to large volumes generated and high potential for reuse and recycling. Around 750 million tons of CDW are generated yearly in Europe, accounting for 25%-30% of the total waste. The average recovery rate for EU27 is below 50%. RE4 (REuse and REcycling of CDW materials and structures in energy efficient pREfabricated elements for building REfurbishment and construction) is a Horizon 2020 funded project promoting new solutions for the design and development of eco-compatible and cost-effective prefabricated building elements with high degree of recycled materials from CDW (up to 65% in weight). This paper presents preliminary results from the development of a novel CDW robotic sorting system. Data from hyperspectral cameras and reflectance sensors will be combined to produce a 2D heat map for object classification by an algorithm which is under development. A 6 Degrees of Freedom robotic arm will be utilised in handling and sorting the CDW particles. The final goal is to achieve purity higher than 90% for each fraction. Different material classes will be sorted and recycled in prefabricated construction applications. Preliminary results indicate that coupling the hyperspectral information and the robotic technology allow to achieve high-quality sorting of CDW.