AI-driven waste management for start-up Rematics

Building on the results of a research and development project by Valipac, Rematics began experimenting with technologies to analyze waste in containers with the help of ACA Group. Initial pilot projects showed promising results, leading to Rematics’ official launch in 2023 with the aim of expanding its technology into a market-ready product and service package.
“In January 2024, as I joined Rematics, we thought we had a nearly final product with a suitable pricing model,” Bram recalls. “But early interactions with customers showed that both product focus and pricing needed considerable adjustments.”

In the first months, Rematics and ACA Group re-evaluated the product scope, identified key components, and refined the value proposition and development strategy based on market research.
“During this start-up phase, ACA Group proved to be the perfect sparring partner, challenging the initial product concept and brainstorming ways to align it better with market needs,” Bram explains. “The experience and expertise of ACA Group have been crucial in helping us reach our final focus.”

Market research identified that added value for potential customers lies in collecting data on sorting quality to optimize and automate processes, which requires high-quality, reliable data.
Jan Martens, Senior Project Manager AI at ACA Group, explains, “This is why we prioritized robust sensor technology that can operate reliably for 10 years in challenging conditions.” ACA quickly shifted focus from its core application development and UI/dashboarding to niche, product-related challenges, like developing custom hardware and the corresponding software.

“ACA is essentially our development partner on all fronts,” Bram says. “They assist with hardware development, manage the AWS environment, build and manage vision models, train AI, and even create our website. As development progresses, data reporting will also be used to gain better insights.”

The goal is to deliver the first final units by the end of 2024, deploying the hardware and software environment across multiple clients. “The current solution will offer solid basic functionality, but we also plan to learn from these projects and identify extra features that would provide added value in the market,” Bram notes.

According to Jan, “For this first MVP (Minimum Viable Product), we must continue training the model. The range of materials it must recognize has expanded significantly since the pilot phase. Eventually, we aim to develop a model capable of automatically recognizing new packaging types. We’re also working to integrate the hardware components into a single, manageable, industrial package that can be easily maintained and updated remotely from a central platform.”

The system can also issue real-time alerts to waste collectors when hazardous items, like nitrous oxide canisters, are detected, allowing for safe removal before they are compressed or sent to incinerators.

Embracing a start-up mindset

Bram said Rematics couldn’t ask for a better partner than ACA. “They are much more than just a developer. They actively collaborate at every project stage, tailoring their approach to meet the needs of a small start-up like ours. ACA’s CTO, Stijn Van den Enden, also acts as a sounding board, frequently sharing his insights and expertise. Typically, you would need to hire expensive consultants for this, but with ACA, it’s all included.”

Jan adds, “We aim to align with Rematics’ start-up mentality by staying agile and keeping pace with the demands. Throughout development, we involve Bram as much as possible. By testing and showcasing components early on, even if they’re not final, we continuously learn and refine the product on the go.”

Together with Rematics, we at ACA Group are excited about the future development and the outcomes of this promising project. Stay tuned for more updates!