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2.1 billion tonnes of waste annually ends up being transported to landfills, creating devastating effects on the environment and wildlife. One of the main reasons some people do not recycle is because they are simply unable to. People with this problem include the visually impaired and physically disabled.
To address this issue, we developed A.R.I. (Autonomous Recycling Industry). This machine enables household and office recycling to be undertaken accurately and independently by everyone. It consists of several labelled boxes for different types of waste. We designed, programmed and 3D printed a prototype robotic arm with a claw to select items for recycling. This is done by using motors to control the arm and a Mega Arduino to house the software which uses inverse kinematics. The claw's built-in camera lens identifies the object with an artificial intelligence using machine learning technology. Wheels on the base of the compartment unit form an AGV, which can move itself freely to a destination on collection day. It navigates using omni-directional wheels for effortless movement. In addition, our app for IOS and Android can be used to identify waste on the fly with full accessibility for the visually impaired, meaning anyone can use our AI without needing to purchase A.R.I.'s full mechanism.
To conclude, we believe this project to be successful as it solves the problem of accurate household recycling. Feedback from visually impaired users suggests the concept provides a method of recycling that is user-friendly, fun and fit for its purpose.
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