Robotic system for automated disassembly of electronic waste: Unscrewing

The increasing volume of electronic Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) presents significant environmental and economic challenges. Efficient recycling requires the disassembly of electronic devices, a process that is currently labor-intensive and costly. In this paper, we present a robotic system designed to automate the disassembly process, focusing on the task of unscrewing fasteners commonly found in electronic devices. The system integrates a Universal Robots UR10e robotic arm, an Intel RealSense D405 vision camera, and a custom-designed mechatronic screwdriver. The vision system trains several object detection models to assist robotic control and identify four different types of screw heads. The robot employs force-sensing techniques to align the screwdriver tip with the screw head before unscrewing. Validation is carried out on a real recycled hoverboard, demonstrating the system’s efficiency in automating unscrewing processes. The results can be generalized to other unscrewing operations in various industries.