Microelectronics Dismantling Robot developed by Talented First-year INRTU Students
A first-year students team is designing an automatic line dismantling from electronic circuit boards. INRTU students apply for the grant of the ‘Student Startup’ program, which is implemented within the federal University Technology Entrepreneurship Platform project.
The development team includes eight member of the Quantum Scientific Student Society, the future mechatronics and robotics of the Institute of Aircraft Engineering and Transport.
The initiator of the project is Egor Zykov who entered the INRTU with a high exam score (252 out of 310 points).
“I have been interested in robotics since childhood, studying various electronic devices. The idea to create a dismantling robot appeared in high school. Then I found out about the activities of Sibex Company. This business specializes in the collection of hazardous waste on the territory of Irkutsk Region, as well as unusable household appliances. It is not always possible for service centers to repair a malfunctioning device, and it goes to waste. However, the device may also contain working components. With the help of dismantling robot we intend to extract valuable materials from such units,” - says Egor Zykov.The authors note that the dismantling robot is planned to be equipped with machine vision in order to recognize and solder the necessary components solder from circuit boards without damage. The parts will then be placed in a testing device to analyze their performance. Major target customers of seized operating components can be service centers and developers of electronic devices.
“Our robotic complex will solve the existing problems related to finding original components, long waiting and high costs. The project is also interesting from the environmental point of view,” - added Egor.In the beginning INRTU students analyzed the the competitors' market. Similar robotic complexes are created by Apple. Apple’s Liam dismantles 15 major components of the IPhone 6. In 2018, the company introduced the Apple Daisy robot which recycles nine models of smartphones.
The advantage of the robot will be its versatility. The unit will work on various boards and components, which will significantly increase the number of customers.
As Egor Zykov said, the experience of Apple confirms the urgency of creating such systems and proves that the repeated use of valuable components can have a great economic effect.
For the time being, students develop manipulators for clamping boards; design the complex in a 3D program. To run the project, the students need grant funds to purchase the parts. The size of the future dismantling robot is comparable to an industrial 3D printer.
Roman Kononenko, head of the Hardware and Software Computing Lab and scientific director of the Quantum Scientific Student Society said that the talented first-year students team is also working on the design of a robotic submarine:
“Hopefully, we will manage to develop this device before September to take part in the international tournament in China”.
