The U.S. recycling industry depends on material recovery facilities to process materials collected through single stream recycling. A growing global population and recently imposed higher material purity standards require more efficient waste-sorting methods. This project contributes to research on automated solutions to this problem. A modular cartesian robot with a closed-loop linkage arm and 3-pronged gripper was designed and built to assist in sorting cardboard. Additionally, a conveyor belt for testing was designed and built, and a preliminary machine vision program to detect cardboard was developed. This work provides a basis for further research and development of waste sorting technologies.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Chan, Isabelle A.
• Cotto, Nicole
• Sun, Maya A.
• Bunger, Laura E.

Subject

• Environment

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 17226
• E-project-040621-160624

Advisor

• Wodin-Schwartz, Sarah Jane
• Calli, Berk

Year

• 2021

Date created

• 2021-04-06

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright