Partners involved: University of Salford
Dr Juan A. Ferriz-Papi presenting the RECONMATIC Project at the symposium
A Joint Symposium between Future Robotics, Engineering and Transport Systems Research and Innovation Centre, (FRETS) and the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) took place on the 7th October, 2022 in Salford. This event presented several collaboration projects from a number of disciplines and the Salford University Robotics Department, showing the outcomes and developments achieved in different fields and sectors, such as food handling and manufacturing. Different University departments participated and presented their work to a mixed audience with industry guests and researchers from Greater Manchester.
The RECONMATIC project was presented (see the presentation pdf) in the symposium as one of these current interdisciplinary collaborations in Robotics. Juan A. Ferriz-Papi, Jason Underwood and Theo Theodoridis are the main researchers involved in the project. The contribution from the University of Salford to RECONMATIC is in cooperation between the Built Environment and Robotics departments. Technologies such as IoT, big data or AI are being analyzed to be integrated into BIM applications for waste management improvement, waste traceability and stakeholders' collaboration, with the intention to minimize waste generation and increase waste recovery value, therefore stepping towards real solutions for zero avoidable waste goals in construction.
NERIC is a £16m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Research England-funded facility for digital and robotics innovation for England Northwest region. This Robotics Centre is a focal point of the University’s commitment to industry collaboration, innovation, and skills training around the established and continually expanding area of robotics and automation expertise. The focus areas for the NERIC will include robotics for intelligent infrastructure, which will be used both for assisting SMEs in developing innovative solutions, as well as for research projects similar to RECONMATIC. The Research Centre is equipped with a fleet of industrial robots and industrial automation equipment that can be used for applications relevant to construction waste segregation and decommissioning.