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

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Clarkson University (NY) · $2,999,999

## 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 organization:** 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

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2428226

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2428226, FMRG: Cyber: Custom Product Manufacture at Metal Recycling Plants Using Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality, and Human-Robot Collaboration. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2428226. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NSF Awards dataset](/datasets/nsf-awards) · CC0 1.0*