Design

My recycling robotBy: Linda Bouguila

1st design

(picture)

(picture)

Description (1)

Sorting equipments:My recycling robot will have a slotted drum screen

acting like a filter in order to separate the materials smaller than a tennis ball and throw them in the general waste bag. Anything that will pass through a hole of 5cm in diameter will not be analyzed by the recycling robot.

Anything bigger than that dimension will be analyzed and classified as either metal or glass or paper or plastic or general waste.

Description (2)

Practically, the robot will take the remaining materials (bigger than a tennis ball in size) one by one with his ‘hand’ and analyze them with different sensors in the analyzing box.

The first sensor will be used to determine if the material is metallic. It will be submitted to an ‘Eddy current separator’, which will detect all kind of

metals.

Description (3)

If the Eddy current separator’s test isn’t successful, then the material will undergo further testing. It will be analyzed by a ‘Rear infrared sensor’ that will sort the items based on the way they reflect light. Plastic, glass and paper will be sorted according to their way of reflecting light. If this second test is still not successful, the material will be considered as waste and will be sent to the waste bag.

After each analyzing step, the robot will grab the materials with his ‘hand’ that should be able to grab things that are wet, dry, made from any material and from the size of a tennis ball to the size of a newspaper.

Description (4)

Since my robot will be available everywhere, it must be able to support any weather conditions, it must be made from a material that resists to high and low temperatures, rain/snow and wind. The material should also support shocks.

Description (5)

Analyzing box:

The analyzing box should be constructed from a very resistant material that supports any liquid (oil, water, milk…) and shocks.

Description (6)

Power:This robot will have a solar recharging battery to be

environmentally friendly. At night my robot wouldn’t be able to recharge its battery as well as during cloudy days, therefore the battery should be able to have enough energy for 1 week of usage.

Design-Design specification

My design meet my design specifications, my robot:

Is environmentally friendlyHas a slotted drum screenHas an eddy current separatorHas a rear infrared sensorHas a ‘hand’Is made from a resistant materialIs a solar energy recharging robot

Analysis (1)

Positive statements:1. Having a ‘Filter’ gives the robot less work

because the small parts go automatically to the ‘General waste’ bag. It also reduces the time that the robot will take to empty itself.

2. Having a solar recharging battery also reduces pollution in an other way, by reducing the quantity of electricity used. It makes the robot environmentally friendly.

2nd design