Machine sorts batteries by using artificial intelligence
Research at Gothenburg University and Chalmers University of Technology, both in Sweden, has resulted in a new type of machine that sorts used batteries by means of artificial intelligence (AI).
‘I got the idea at home when I was sorting rubbish,’ said Claes Strannegård, an AI researcher at Gothenburg University and Chalmers University of Technology. ‘I thought it should be possible to do it automatically with AI.’
The sorting of up to 10 batteries a second is made possible by the machine’s so-called neural network, which was trained to recognise about 2,000 different types of batteries by taking pictures of them from all possible angles.
As the batteries are fed into the machine via a conveyor belt, they are visually inspected by the machine via a camera.
The neural network identifies the batteries in just a few milliseconds by comparing the picture taken with pictures taken earlier.
The network is self-learning and robust, making it possible to recognise batteries even if they are dirty or damaged.
Once the batteries have been identified, compressed air separates them into different containers according to chemical content, such as nickel-cadmium or lithium.
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