Newsvolvo, Project ROAR, Renova
Sep 22, 2015 06:30 PM EDT
Volvo Group, along with three tech universities, had come up with an automated robot that would discreetly enter the garage and collect the trash. The project was named ROAR.
The Malarden University of Sweden, Chalmers University of Technology, Penn State, Renova and Volvo ventured into a project called ROAR or Robot-based Autonomous Refuse handling, Mashable gives details.
The robots would collect trash bins, dump the garbage in the truck and return the cans after. It would be controlled by a human driver. The aim of the project is to reduce the messy work of emptying loaded pile of garbage.
Volvo said it would not wake sleeping families, "Imagine a robot that quietly and discreetly enters your neighbourhood, collects your refuse bin and empties it into the refuse truck," the Silicon Republic reported.
The ROAR project will continue to be developed in 2016. Garbage collecting company, Renova, would test the system with Volvo in June 2016. The Volvo Group hasn't confirmed yet when would it be launched to the public.
Mikael Ekström, Volvo's project leader, said the robotics training would be combined with advanced research. It would be a great chance for students to experience collaboration in real settings, "Many students will work on this project, and it is a huge opportunity for them to learn both the technology and how to work in teams and in a real industrial context," Ekström said in a statement.
Similarly, Sean Brennan, Penn State Team Lead, was quoted in OmniChannel Media, "This project promises great opportunities for our students to not only engage with a cutting-edge vehicle project but also to help define how society will interact daily with robotic systems."
Recently, Volvo had come up with the hybrid refuse truck; an innovation which was proven to be productive, and at the same time, was beneficial to the environment.
However, it is still too early to predict if the Project ROAR would really be practical in the context of the real-world.