In collaboration with the Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM), students from the Munich University of Applied Sciences have developed a business case as part of the Co-Innovation Lab to automate the manual cleaning of mobile waste compactors.
Mobile waste compactors have become an indispensable part of German waste management operations. They are used not only at recycling centers but also at major events such as the Oktoberfest. The advantage of these compactors is that waste and recyclables can be compacted more efficiently. The space saved during storage and transport enables economical and environmentally friendly disposal.
As part of the project, the consulting team of the Co-Innovation Lab at Munich University of Applied Sciences cooperated with “Kea Robotics” . The startup from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) specializes in the development of modular robots. Automating the cleaning process would relieve the employees of the waste management service provider AWM, as the robot would take over the manual, repetitive and physically demanding cleaning using a high-pressure cleaner.
Gerald Stutz (Head of Innovations and Projects at AWM) was extremely satisfied with the cooperation with the Co-Innovation Lab and the results of the project: “Technical, organizational and business aspects were intensively examined. As a result, the work result represents a good basis for further planning in this area.“
In collaboration with Gerald Stutz and Roman Hölzl (co-founder & managing director of Kea Robotics), the three student consultants of the Co-Innovation Lab Amel Fazlovic, Philipp Rathke and Florian Zinsbacher – with coaching from Prof. Holger Günzel – prepared a decision document that shows AWM whether the robots are suitable for use in the cleaning process. The decision paper confirmed a basic technical feasibility and shows financial cost advantages that can be achieved by automating the process.