Have you ever thought of a waste bin as a smart device? With this invention differentiating waste correctly will become child’s play
The policy of separate waste material recovery and collection has become increasingly a necessity that each of us should put into practice with seriousness and determination. This behavior should be implemented, most of all, because it is benefical for our continued existence.
This assertion is not an exaggeration: disposing of waste materials properly means making sure that they are handled in the most appropriate manner so that they can be reused for new projects and do not end up dispersed in the environment.
For this reason, every effort to make waste recovery and disposal operations simpler and more intelligent is praiseworthy and to be supported. This is the case of MAESTRO, a green project that was originated in Rome, and precisely from the University of Rome Tre.
Waste bins are relatively simple objects. What if they become “smart” and are able to improve differentiated waste recovery and collection all by themselves? Certainly, it is the question from which the students attending the University of Rome Tre “Cyber-Physical Systems” course started and that resulted in the creation of a very special “waste bin”.
What MAESTRO does is easily understandable from the name. In fact, “SMArt rEcycle bin uSing auTomatic gaRbage recOgnition” stands for ‘smart waste bin for recycling that uses automatic gargage recognition”. That’s right! This “smart” bin is able to distinguish what gets thrown in it and decides how to differentiate it, through a multisensory system and artificial intelligence algorithms.
It is sufficient for the user to deposit the waste materials in a special drawer, from where each item will then be recognized by MAESTRO that, in case of any uncertainty, will request further information. The various data regarding these waste materials will then be stored and divided into categories, so as to create a user profile with detailed information about the user’s behavior regarding waste disposal.
There is no doubt that this is a very intelligent and above all useful stratagem that can be used in daily life of many people. The voluntary and virtuous practice of differientated waste collection, in fact, has not yet become as spontaneous as one would hope, despite years of awareness regarding this issue. Therefore, a device like MAESTRO, turns out to be more necessary than ever to safeguard in an effective and efficient way our environment.
This project, along with many other pioneering ideas geared towards recycling and the circular economy, will be present at the Maker Faire Rome – the European Edition 2019, the world-famous innovative technology fair that will take place from 18 to 20 October at the Fiera di Roma.
