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This paper introduces a robotic system for automated disassembly of air conditioner outdoor units, tackling challenges of unit variation and degradation in recycling plants. They employ a two-stage screw detection method combined with a lattice-based local calibration to achieve high detection recall (99.8%) and manipulation accuracy (+/-0.75mm). Real-world validation demonstrated a 78.3% disassembly success rate with a 193-second average cycle time, indicating practical industrial viability.
Automating disassembly of complex, degraded appliances in recycling plants is now feasible, achieving high accuracy without pre-programmed coordinates.
As the amount of used home appliances is expected to increase despite the decreasing labor force in Japan, there is a need to automate disassembling processes at recycling plants. The automation of disassembling air conditioner outdoor units, however, remains a challenge due to unit size variations and exposure to dirt and rust. To address these challenges, this study proposes an automated system that integrates a task-specific two-stage detection method and a lattice-based local calibration strategy. This approach achieved a screw detection recall of 99.8% despite severe degradation and ensured a manipulation accuracy of +/-0.75 mm without pre-programmed coordinates. In real-world validation with 120 units, the system attained a disassembly success rate of 78.3% and an average cycle time of 193 seconds, confirming its feasibility for industrial application.
