RaapWaste: Robot- and Application-Agnostic Planning for Efficient Construction and Demolition Waste Sorting

Konstantinos Kokkalis (), Fotios K. Konstantinidis, Maria Koskinopoulou, Georgios Tsimiklis, Angelos Amditis and Panayiotis Frangos
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Konstantinos Kokkalis: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece
Fotios K. Konstantinidis: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece
Maria Koskinopoulou: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece
Georgios Tsimiklis: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece
Angelos Amditis: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece
Panayiotis Frangos: School of Electrical and Computing Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon. Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-23

Abstract: Robotic waste sorting systems offer a scalable and consistent alternative to manual sorting for Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) by reducing labor-intensive tasks and exposure to hazardous conditions, while enabling the extraction of high-purity materials (e.g., polymers) from the waste streams. Despite advancements in perception systems, manipulation and planning remain significant bottlenecks, limiting widespread adoption due to high complexity and cost. This paper introduces RaapWaste, a robot- and application-agnostic planning framework specifically designed for waste sorting, addressing challenges in motion planning, scheduling, and real-world integration. Built on open-source resources, RaapWaste employs a modular and flexible architecture, enabling integration of diverse planning techniques and scheduling strategies. The framework aims to simulate the performance of real-world sorting equipment (e.g., robots, grippers). To evaluate its effectiveness, we conducted simulations with articulated and delta robots, as well as real-world tests on CDW sorting. Metrics such as the Sorting Throughput (ST) and Sorting Ratio (SR) reveal the RaapWaste’s capability across different waste sorting cases. In simulation, the delta robot achieved an SR exceeding 95%, while the UR5e showed consistent performance. In real-world CDW experiments, the system achieved a peak SR of 99% and maintained 80% using the SPT scheduler.

Keywords: CDW sorting; robot sorting; industrial automation; RaapWaste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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