Chemnitz University Team Showcases Innovative AR-AI Solution for Circular Economy at IEEE VR 2025

Dr. Mario Lorenz presenting his poster on Industrial Augmented Reality (AR) system

Dr. Mario Lorenz, Martin Okoniewski, Arwa Own, and Sebastian Knopp from Chemnitz University of Technology recently presented their innovative research at IEEE VR, the world’s leading scientific conference on extended reality (XR). This prestigious event took place in Saint-Malo, France, attracting top researchers and industry experts from around the globe.

The IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR) has been the premier international platform for presenting cutting-edge research in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) since its inception in 1993. Over the years, the conference has showcased groundbreaking work from pioneers in science, engineering, design, and the arts, shaping the future of immersive technologies.

Day 1: 

Representing the DiCiM project, the Chemnitz team presented a poster on their concept for an Industrial Augmented Reality (AR) system aimed at promoting circular economy practices. Their research, titled “Concept for an AR-AI Station for Component Recovery from Washing Machines for Circular Economy,” explores the use of AR and artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate efficient and accurate disassembly of home appliances.

The application of AR in the production and recycling of home appliances remains an underexplored field, particularly within the context of circular economy principles. Moreover, the integration of AI to verify the correct execution of AR-guided tasks presents a novel and promising approach. In their work, the Chemnitz researchers propose a system that uses the YOLO AI model to ensure proper disassembly of returned washing machines, enabling the recovery of reusable components. A key challenge addressed in their research is the adaptability of AR instructions, which must dynamically adjust based on the varying conditions of the recovered parts.

By combining AR and AI, the Chemnitz team’s work opens new possibilities for sustainable manufacturing and recycling processes, highlighting the potential of advanced technologies to support circular economy initiatives. Their contribution to IEEE VR underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in shaping the future of industrial practices.

Day 2: 

Arwa Own, Sebastian Knopp and Dr. Mario Lorenz of Chemnitz University of Technology presented Industrial Augmented Reality – Feasibility of AI-based Validation of AR Instructed Component Recovery for Washing Machines in Circular Economy.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to validate that tasks are performed correctly when instructed through Augmented Reality (AR) is a rather unexplored area. Focusing on the removal of components during the disassembly of washing machines in the context of circular economy, we develop an AR system, to detect correctly executed tasks using AI. We present preliminary results of our novel approach using the YOLOv8 Nano model detecting eight components. Already with very limited training data we could achieve detection precisions of over 90% for seven of eight components proving the general feasibility of our work.