THL’s role in THESEUS is related to the automated sorting pipelines. THL will contribute to the related activities by implementing: (i) an advanced X-ray based system and the associated pre-processing algorithms for object scanning with sufficiently high resolution to aid the distinction of glass and metal pieces within waste streams, and (ii) a versatile delta robot with design parametrisation
capabilities to enable tailor-fitting for plastic object sorting, optimising the
trade-off between speed, number of degrees of freedom and cost.

Antonis graduated from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens. His diploma thesis won the Best Diploma Thesis Award of that year. He spent 8 years in the industry, starting as an AI engineer, rising through the ranks to General Manager leading a multidisciplinary team of 20 engineers. He then co-founded a consultancy which helped tens of companies raise funding to incorporate AI into their products and processes. He then returned to academia and completed his PhD at the University of Essex focusing on Imitation Learning for robotic applications. In the course of his career, he has successfully completed 8 EU-funded projects, applying advanced AI algorithms in a diverse array of applications ranging from chemical process control to medical imaging and computer vision for robotics.

Thanasis has over 10 years of experience leading and contributing to robotics projects in Greece and internationally. He has worked extensively with startup companies, playing a pivotal role in the development of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for robotics applications, including advanced pick-and-place systems. As a researcher in robotics, he has received awards for his publications at prestigious international conferences and has served as a reviewer for research proposals. His primary research focuses on environmental perception and motion planning for legged robots, enabling them to navigate challenging terrains and slopes. Thanasis is passionate about transforming innovative concepts in AI and robotics into practical applications.

Emma Vlachaki has been involved in Project Management, Communication & Dissemination aspects of EU-funded projects in diverse technological domains. She has been actively engaged in coordinating projects, assisting with operational tasks, and supporting outreach efforts. Her background includes working on various aspects of project implementation and contributing to the development and dissemination of materials. With a detail-oriented approach, she helps maintain efficient workflows and supports various operational needs within projects.