ERO BY ATLAS COPCO

The concrete recycling robot

ERO, a robot designed by Omer Haciomeroglu (from Sweden’s Umea Institute of Design), in collaboration with Atlas Copco, will undoubtedly change the lives of many demolitionists dealing with concrete! The 2013 International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), dedicated to attracting attention to projects impacting on the quality of life and the economy, didn’t miss that great innovation: ERO was number one in the Student Designs category.So why is ERO so inventive? Just picture the messy business that is demolition: various vehicles busy producing tons of debris and dust lost in an anti-environmental manner…Well, thanks to ERO, you can forget that image. Haciomeroglu’s excellent concept not only takes buildings down in an energy-efficient way, but it systematically recycles as it goes along, enabling previous layers of concrete to be reused immediately. To reduce the complex stages that were previously required for such operations, ERO uses a water jet to crack the concrete surface, separate the waste, and package the cleaned, dust-free material. Water and energy are no longer wasted but turned into assets, positioning ERO as the most efficient solution on the market. In 2013, demolition becomes a smart business.