HUN-REN SZTAKI Exhibited at the ICRA 2026 Conference in Vienna
Researchers from the Institute’s Research Laboratory on Engineering & Management Intelligence, as part of the rEUman project, exhibited their work at the ICRA 2026 robotics conference, held in Vienna between June 1 and 5, 2026. The robot featured in the demonstration was provided on loan to the laboratory by Universal Robots, a supporter of the project, through its AI Accelerator Kit program.
Representing HUN-REN SZTAKI, Senior Research Fellow Imre Paniti and Research Fellow Bence Tipary presented a demonstration of an autonomous robotic screw-removal system designed for the disassembly of end-of-life products for remanufacturing and recycling purposes.
The product is placed on the worktable without any dedicated fixture, and a handheld electric screwdriver is used, which the robot is able to grasp with its end effector. The corresponding accumulated inaccuracies are further worsened by the eccentricity introduced at the driving tool in the screwdriver, posing a significant challenge in precision that the system must overcome. To address these issues, we employ a visual servoing technique supported by an AI-based camera system, enabling robotic fine positioning to reliably unscrew every identified screw. This fine-positioning procedure is based on a patented method developed by the Research Laboratory on Engineering & Management Intelligence (EMI).
The demonstration was available to visitors during the first two days of the conference. However, HUN-REN SZTAKI was represented throughout the entire week: during the remaining three days, researchers Emma Takács and Máté Seidl from the Research Laboratory on Engineering & Management Intelligence participated in the conference on behalf of the institute.
About the rEUman project
The European remanufacturing industry is a crucial component of the transition to a sustainable Europe. It contributes significantly to sustainability by saving materials, energy, and resources, while also advancing socio-economic goals through job creation, worker training, and technological innovation. However, mismanagement of this sector could severely impact its efficiency and the well-being of its workers. The EU-funded rEUman project aims to develop and demonstrate an innovative, human-centric approach that focuses on both factory and value-chain levels. This approach seeks to enhance competitiveness, worker inclusion, and overall quality of life.
rEUman brings together an extremely interdisciplinary team benefitting from a wide range of experts in: automotive remanufacturing (Borg Automotive, Knorr Bremse), manufacturing and collaborative robotics (Beko, Knorr Bremse, Olimpia Splendid, Lumibird, Hepenix, Politecnico di Milano, HUN-REN SZTAKI, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), smart human and human empowerment (Politecnico di Milano), electronics remanufacturing (CR&C, Knorr Bremse), machine learning and AI (Core Innovation), manufacturing system design (Politecnico di Milano, HUN-REN SZTAKI), inspection technologies (Zeiss), data gathering and IoT (Syxis), Digital Product Passport and traceability (Politecnico di Milano, Dissemination, exploitation and uptake (Apra Europe, Meta Circularity).
HUN-REN SZTAKI is leading the work package „Factory level: Cyber-physical and digitally-enhanced remanufacturing factory”, focusing mainly on simulation and (re)design of hybrid-automation remanufacturing factory, while the second hungarian project partner HEPENIX Ltd. as a technology provider is leading the semi-automated, human-centric disassembly tasks.
Further information is available on the project's official website and on the related HUN-REN SZTAKI project page.
