FMRG: Cyber: Custom Product Manufacture at Metal Recycling Plants Using Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality, and Human-Robot Collaboration

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $2,999,999 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This Future Manufacturing Research Grant (FMRG) project funds research that attempts to make novel strides in Future Manufacturing by contributing new cyber technologies to enable recyclofacturing, or custom manufacturing of products to user specifications using scrap or consumer material at metal recycling facilities. The project looks to contribute advances in artificial intelligence, extended reality, and human-robot collaboration to transform metal recycling facilities, that focus on traditionally low-skilled tasks, into new and agile product manufacturers, helping to keep manufacturing in the US. The project’s contributions could transform the expertise-heavy workflow of traditional computer-aided design and manufacturing into an intuitive workflow that enables recycling plant workers to translate an end user's arbitrary product specification into a product build, upon rapid upskilling to the novel cyber technologies. The education and workforce development plan seeks to improve the job outlook for current and future recycling plant workers by upskilling them to become new-collar workers through courses in prompt engineering for recyclofactured product design, extended reality-based weld training, and working with collaborative robots for assembly of recyclofactured products. The project seeks to transform recycling facilities into agile manufacturers attractive to future workers who increasingly look toward technology-enhanced trades. The team is partnering with 2- and

Key facts

NSF award ID
2428226
Awardee
Clarkson University (NY)
SAM.gov UEI
SL2PF6R7MRN1
PI
Natasha Banerjee
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Advanced Manufacturing, UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, WOMEN, MINORITY, DISABLED, NEC, EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE, GRADUATE EDUCATION, MANUFACTURING BASE RESEARCH
Estimated total
$2,999,999
Funds obligated
$2,999,999
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
06/01/2025 → 07/31/2025