Automated Container Recuperation and Pre-Rinsing Elimination System
Team
Baptiste Grollier, Jay Khoury Aouad, Rayan Zeineddine Baptiste Grollier, Elie Saliba, Verter Stoilov, Gabriel Christopher Klat
Project Description
This project introduces a sustainable and fully automated system designed to eliminate the pre-rinsing step used for EPFL’s purple food truck bowls. The prototype replaces water-based cleaning with a compressed-air mechanism, significantly reducing water, energy, and labor usage. When a user places a bowl upside down on the holder, the system detects its color, activates air jets to remove food residues, and then releases the cleaned bowl into a stacking unit. A color-sensor loop adjusts the air pressure dynamically to ensure optimal cleaning performance. Built from recycled and recyclable materials such as 3D-printed PETG and laser-cut wood, the device demonstrates a novel approach to sustainable dishware management. By proving that waterless pre-cleaning can be both efficient and automated, this innovation offers an environmentally responsible solution for campus catering and future public use system.
