Detroit Autonomous Robotic Pickup Platform

Orange Sparkle Ball was awarded a Real World Deployment Grant from the State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. This grant is enabling us to put our Autonomous Robotic Pickup Platform into action through a series of pilots in the Transportation Innovation Zone of Detroit, established by the Office of Mobility Innovation at The City of Detroit.

This platform began with a pilot testing the robotic pickup of food waste for composting in Detroit’s North Corktown neighborhood. On Monday, September 9th, we launched a pilot collecting plastic bags for recycling, a material not currently accepted through curbside city recycling services. Over the next month, we will be launching new material offerings for pickup, including small electronics, and food waste. 


Interested in participating?

If you are located in the Transportation Innovation Zone and are interested in participating, please go to https://www.pennypickup.com/ to sign up.



Detroit Month of Design

  • September 1-30, 2024

Detroit Month of Design: Designing an Autonomous Robotic Pickup Platform

Orange Sparkle Ball will showcase the design of our Autonomous Robotic Pickup Platform at the Detroit Month of Design Festival. Beyond showcasing the technology, we'll explore the open innovation frameworks and human-centered design methodologies driving its creation.

Through a live demonstration, we'll immerse viewers in a future state where pickup is seamlessly scheduled as needed through autonomous vehicles, starting with robots.

We won't just illustrate the future state; we'll also give an in-depth look at the strategic thought processes behind its realization.