A launchpad to success

When Corral Ai, a small tech company based in Edmonton, Alta, set out to transform beverage container recycling with its innovative SmartChutes system, they faced a steep challenge. They knew they had to move fast and scale efficiently, but with limited in-house R&D capacity, they needed to find a way to access specialized equipment, technical expertise, and partners who could help develop and commercialize their concept. 

They turned to the Research Facilities Navigator and readily found the support they needed at the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing at Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) in Red Deer, Alta.

“Our first engagement with Red Deer Polytechnic was incredibly effective. They helped us solve some of the most technically challenging aspects of SmartChutes,” says Phil Perron, founder/partner of Corral Ai.  

Discovering the RDP centre on the Navigator was just the boost the company needed. “The Navigator allowed us to match up to the right talent and technical team that had not only the services but the technology and the expertise,” says Perron. 

He says finding the specific help his company needed was cumbersome until he discovered the Navigator. “It was hard to find. I struggled for a couple of years. But at the end of the day, I just needed an organization to work with that had the talent, technology and machines to help us commercialize some of our products.”  

Perron and his partners designed SmartChutes to take advantage of an opportunity they identified in recycling depots where beverage containers can be exchanged for cash. Since the bottles are sorted and counted by hand, the process is subject to human error and is inefficient for the depots, which already operate on very thin profit margins.

SmartChutes uses cameras and artificial intelligence to precisely count containers so depot staff can work more quickly, and customers returning bottles have confidence that they’re being reimbursed the correct amount, which in turn encourages recycling.

But there was a glitch: as bottles flowed into the system, the containers occasionally fell in such a way that one bottle would be obscured by another as they moved past the cameras, resulting in a miscount. That’s where the RDP centre came in. 

Using multi-material 3D printers, precision fabrication tools, and material testing equipment, the team prototyped a system of funnels that separates the containers so the cameras could get a precise count. RDP also helped the company find better materials that would last for 10 to 15 years and would be usable in the messy, sticky environment of a bottle depot, all while reducing production costs. 

“Working with RDP gave us access to tools and expertise that dramatically accelerated our development,” says Corral Ai partner, Ryan Hefflick, who worked closely with RDP’s applied research team. “We were able to rapidly prototype new components, experiment with different materials, and validate durability and performance in real-world conditions — all within a matter of weeks.” He and Perron also credit the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) for introducing them to the Navigator.

The partnership also provided significant value for RDP, whose mandate is to support industry with solutions that will drive economic and social outcomes. “Having companies come here and quickly be heard and be able to address those economic and social requirements in a timely way allows us to meet the needs of our region,” says Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Applied Research at RDP. “And we're training students with hands-on skills so they can provide value for industry.” 

The success of that initial collaboration led Corral Ai to return to RDP in 2025 with a clear mission to commercialize SmartChutes at scale. “We knew exactly where to go,” says Perron. “RDP had the tools, the talent, and the momentum. They helped us move from advanced prototype to a scalable, production-ready product.” The company now has a rugged, modular system ready for scaled commercialization across North America and abroad, and continues to collaborate with RDP on new features and future product lines. 

One of the standout aspects of the RDP collaboration was its cost-effectiveness, says Hefflick. “The value we received from this partnership was exceptional. We were able to access world-class facilities and talent at a fraction of the cost of traditional development routes.”

Wolfe offers some advice for small businesses: don’t think you have to do it all on your own. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses think they have to do it all themselves and they don't know where to look,” she says. “We're here to answer those questions. One of the reasons we're here is to grow business in Canada.”

“I want to grow a big company,” says Perron. “I also want Canadian entrepreneurs to succeed. I want people to hear about the Navigator and other organizations like it, to know they have that support there.”