The European project REMAIN took part in a new edition of the Futurmoda trade fair, hosting the event “REMAIN – Remanufacturing for a more circular footwear industry”, where the latest technological advances achieved by the project in the fields of robotics, computer vision, and tactile perception applied to the circular economy of the footwear sector were presented.
The event featured presentations by José María Gutiérrez, Senior Robotics Developer for the Footwear Industry at INESCOP, and Pablo Gil, Professor of Systems Engineering and Automation at the University of Alicante, who shared the most recent results of the project.
During his speech, José María Gutiérrez explained how remanufacturing and repair can provide sustainable solutions to reduce waste, minimize environmental impact, and create new business models. He also described the progress made in developing computer vision systems and robotic tools for identifying damage in used footwear, preparing and disassembling products for remanufacturing, and applying ecodesign principles from the early stages of product development to facilitate this process.
For his part, Pablo Gil delivered a presentation focused on the use of advanced tactile sensors capable of providing robots with the ability to detect textures and material defects while controlling contact forces. This technology, integrated into the project’s multi-robot systems, represents a key step toward giving machines a “human-like” tactile sensitivity, thereby increasing precision in repair and handling tasks, especially when working with deformable materials.
Among the main expected outcomes of REMAIN are a damage detection demonstrator based on computer vision and a global robotic cell integrating disassembly and preparation strategies for remanufacturing. In addition, an ecodesign guide is being developed, which will include a set of guidelines describing proposals and protocols for the design and manufacture of products, with the aim of improving their future remanufacturing potential.
Through these developments, the REMAIN project drives the transition toward a more circular and sustainable footwear industry, promoting technology transfer and encouraging companies in the sector to adopt these innovations.
Project partners
The REMAIN project is coordinated by INESCOP – Footwear Technology Centre, with the participation of the Universities of Zaragoza, Alicante, Coimbra, and Clermont Auvergne INP; the Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE); and the companies SMA-RTY, Automática y Control Numérico S.L., and AIDA CCI, with the social association Proyecto Lázaro acting as a collaborating partner.