Semi-Autonomous Robotic System for Efficient Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The increasing popularity of electric vehicles is leading to a massive increase in the use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), majority of which will reach their end-of-life in the next decade. Current recycling methods employed to recover valuable materials from end-of-life battery systems involve shredding of individual cells, followed by the extraction of materials through chemical or metallurgical processes. However, this approach often leads to a reduction in the overall yield of valuable materials, and wastage of other auxiliary components. The expected environmental impact of end-of-life LIBs necessitates sustainable recycling solutions. This paper introduces a semi-autonomous robotic system for efficient recycling of LIBs, showcasing a successful collaboration between human, robot, and a disassembly mechanism. The proposed system leverages human skills in removing fragile and deformable battery casing, intelligent grasping capabilities of a robotic manipulator in retrieving individual cells from the battery and the reliability of a disassembly mechanism in extracting the electrode stack from individual cells. By eliminating risks associated with manual recycling and the wastage associated with conventional shredding, the proposed system allows for direct recycling and reuse of LIB components.