Finland-based robotic recycling technology provider ZenRobotics Oy, a Terex Corporation company, has launched ZenRobotics 4.0, its fourth generation of waste sorting robots that have new features and upgraded Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimise and improve the efficiency of waste sorting operations.
Founded in 2007, ZenRobotics is committed to automating the waste industry, enabling operators to upgrade their recycling infrastructure to meet modern requirements and lead the way toward a more efficient, circular future.
Our commitment has always been to work with forward-thinking recycling companies to automate their waste management processes and make outdated, inefficient, and unsafe manual sorting a thing of the past. Our AI-powered robots enable companies to take in new high-quality recyclables to meet modern recycling requirements and sell high-purity materials in the aftermarkets, said Dr Jarmo Ruohonen, General Manager, ZenRobotics.
In 2022, the company became part of the US-headed Terex Corporation, a global manufacturer of materials processing machinery.
Pickers 4.0
ZenRobotics 4.0 is now available on the Heavy Picker 4.0—a multipurpose waste sorting robot for bulky material and the Fast Picker 4.0—a high-speed robot ideal for lightweight material.
ZenRobotics 4.0 is our latest iteration of waste sorting robots with improvements that we believe revolutionise waste sorting technology and are more than just an upgrade to waste management operations—they are ‘efficiency perfected’, Dr Jarmo Ruohonen said.
Heavy Picker 4.0
The Heavy Picker 4.0 robot now has a compact individual recognition system (ZenBrain) to enhance precision and increase efficiency by 60-100 percent compared to ZenRobotics’ previous system.
It also benefits from upgraded AI technology with an advanced global recognition database that empowers the robots to identify over 500 waste categories. This significantly reduces commissioning times as the Heavy Picker 4.0 will come pre-trained to recognize various types of waste.
Upgraded AI has also improved motion control and given the Heavy Picker 4.0 the ability to prioritize picking the resource that has the most value to the customer.
The Heavy Picker 4.0 also has reduced power consumption improving the cost effectiveness of the customer’s operations.
Finally, the gripper and manipulator have now been improved with 90 percent new or redesigned components. Customers will benefit from less robot downtime, improved efficiency and reliability, and more cost-effective and faster maintenance with fewer wear parts.
Fast Picker 4.0
ZenRobotics Fast Picker robot couples AI software with high-speed picking, with a rate of up to 80 picks per minute. The upgraded AI on the 4.0 robot leverages higher rates of purity, accuracy, and recovery and like the Heavy Picker 4.0, can recognize over 500 waste categories.
One of the key differences with the Fast Picker 4.0 is the customization it offers to customers with adjustable widths and gantry design for seamless integration into various picking stations.
The Fast Picker 4.0 reaches the full width of the whole conveyor belt, providing superior picking performance.
Furthermore, it can now also be added at the end of a line of Heavy Pickers, incorporating into waste streams such as construction and demolition (C&D) waste, construction and industry (C&I) waste, wood waste, scraps, rigid plastics, and sort smaller material pieces weighing up to 1 kg, once the Heavy Pickers have removed the bulkier material.
The Fast Picker can also be easily integrated into side streams, reject recovery lines, and quality control lines.
In essence, when applied to our Heavy Picker and Fast Picker robots, ZenRobotics 4.0 brings higher standards to waste sorting technology. With heightened safety, efficiency, and vast customization, ZenRobotics 4.0 is set to redefine the very essence of waste management, ended Dr Jarmo Ruohonen.
