


A weight sensor then keeps track of the amount of recyclable material and landfill waste on a daily/weekly basis for accurate waste auditing a particularly helpful feature for businesses who perform waste monitoring and/or those with green initiatives. Using a custom machine-learning algorithm, Trashbot then makes a classification.Ī mechanical flap system deposits the item into either the single stream recycling bin or landfill waste. Once the item is inside, a combination of cameras and sensors quickly scan the type of discarded material. Simply walk up to a Trashbot (programmed specifically for the municipality you’re in) and toss your garbage into the open chamber. Trashbot has a single opening for all trash. Tanner Cook: Trashbot utilizes a variety of sensors, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in order to detect what a piece of waste is, classify it as recyclable or not, then separate the item into the correct receptacle.īy combining robotics, sensor technology and the Cloud, Trashbot not only categorizes your unwanted materials, it can audit your waste generation, let you know when it’s full, and can be wirelessly updated if there is a change in your community’s recycling program. Waste360: How does the Clean Robotics Trashbot work? Waste360 recently sat down with Cook to discuss the technology behind the Trashbot and its future in the waste and recycling industry.
#Trash it pittsburgh full#
“Since then we have been through the HAX and AlphaLab Gear Accelerators, built numerous prototypes, and are planning on going into full scale production in a few weeks.” “CleanRobotics was founded two years ago by a team passionate about the environment who perceived a massive issue,” says Tanner Cook, co-founder and vice president of engineering for Clean Robotics.

It also monitors waste streams and analyzes what is being disposed. This Trashbot separates recyclables as they’re tossed into a bin. This leads to constant confusion about what should be thrown into bins and, ultimately, higher rates of contamination in recycling streams.īut one Pittsburgh-based company, CleanRobotics, is looking to take the human error out of the process by developing a self-sorting can powered by artificial intelligence. On top of that, the rules within municipalities often change as new bins are introduced or nearby MRFs are upgraded. While recycling is near ubiquitous in the United States, the rules about what goes into the bin (or bins) varies greatly depending on the municipality.
