.
Research and
HEU Projects
>Hiro is an innovative
>SME which is turning AI
>and robotics research
>into real solutions for
>automated disassembly
>and circular e-waste
>recycling.
>Through national and European
>research programmes, Hiro
>Robotics collaborates with
>industrial and academic partners to
>develop, prototype, and validate
>innovative robotic solutions for
>circular manufacturing and recycling.
Our R&D and HEU projects
RISBAT
TITLE: Establishment of Novel technologies
in the Batteries Value Chain within the RIS
ABSTRACT: The RISBAT project - Establishment of
novel technologies in the batteries value chain within the RIS- is a European project supported by the EIT RawMaterials and cofunded by the European Union. The mission of the project is to improves the collection, sorting, robotic disassembly and pre‑treatment of end‑of‑life Li‑ion batteries from Electric Vehicles (EV), Light Means of Transport (LMT) and stationary systems to unlock reuse and high‑quality recycling in the RIS region. The project targets a +40% uplift in reusability and up to −50% savings in critical raw materials through second‑life pathways. HIRO develops a robotic station and validates an automated case‑opening arm to safely unscrew and open complex packs,
reducing manual, hazardous steps.
CALL / TOPICKIC – EIT RawMaterials – RIS
Capacity Building - Project Number 24613
J37H24000310004
KEY WORDS: Batteries recycling/reuse, automation
for dismantling, Sorting, recycling, demanufacturing, circular economy, raw materials, life cycle assessment, urban mining
START – END:01/06/2025 - 31/12/2026
PROJECT DURATION: 19 months
REWARD
TITLE: Robotics-Enhanced WEEE Adaptive
Recycling and Disassembly
ABSTRACT: REWARD integrates SOPRANO
technologies to develop a collaborative Multi-Human Multi-Robot System for efficient disassembly of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), focusing on flat panel display (FPDs). Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) presents a compelling alternative, leveraging and enhancing both robots’ and humans’ strengths: robots can be assigned tedious, injury-prone, and repetitive tasks (like unscrewing). REWARD addresses this industrial challenge with a dismantling pipeline suited for demonstrating advanced HRC, exploiting HIRO Robotics' specialised TEIA work cell for display disassembly.
CALL / TOPIC: SOPRANO Open Call (Grant. 101120990) – REWARD Project Number 2538815
KEY WORDS: Human Robot Interaction,
Automation, recycling, demanufacturing, circular economy, life cycle assessment, ergonomic
START – END: 01/08/2025 - 30/11/2026
PROJECT DURATION: 16 months
HERO
TITLE: Heterogeneous E-waste Recycling
Operation
ABSTRACT: The main objective of the project is
to develop a robotic cell for the treatment of electrical and electronic waste which, due to its heterogeneity, complexity and low volumes, does not justify the development of dedicated plants, leading to treatment practices that severely impact operators’ health and the environment. This project therefore aims to develop a prototype robotic cell (TRL 7) that enables the treatment of extremely heterogeneous waste through self-learning algorithms that process 2D and 3D images of the waste to guide an anthropomorphic robot during disassembly operations.
CALL / TOPIC: START 4.0 - Next Generation EU
(PNRR) “M4C2I2.3”– Project Number
J37H24000310004
KEY WORDS: Automation, recycling,
demanufacturing, circular economy,
raw materials, life cycle assessment,
urban mining
START – END: 01/10/2024 - 31/12/2025
PROJECT DURATION: 15 months
AIROBORECYCLING
TITLE: Robotics & AI for WEEE Recycling
ABSTRACT: The main objective of the project is
to develop a robotic cell for the treatment of e-waste and End-of-Life (EoL) products which, due to their complex shapes, variable dimensions and unpredictable configurations, require adaptive inspection and disassembly strategies
beyond conventional automated systems, often resulting in unsafe and inefficient treatment practices that impact operators’ health and the environment. The project therefore aims to develop a prototype robotic cell (TRL 7) enabling
the processing of highly heterogeneous EoL products through self-learning algorithms and multi-sensor fusion, integrating 2D and 3D perception data to guide an anthropomorphic robot during adaptive inspection and disassembly
operations.
CALL / TOPIC:KIC – EIT RawMaterials –
A2F02-HQ-2024 - Project Number A2F02-HQ 2024 – HIRO ROBOTICSBOOSTER1
KEY WORDS: Automation, recycling, demanufacturing, circular economy, raw materials, life cycle assessment, urban mining
START – END:01/01/2024 - 30/11/2025
PROJECT DURATION: 23 months