A vision-based garbage classification trolley and a method of using the same

Abstract

The application relates to a visual garbage classification trolley and a use method thereof. A walking mechanism is installed at the bottom of a trolley body, a garbage collection device is installed at the front side of the trolley body, a collection drop plate is installed in the trolley body, garbage in the garbage collection device is conveyed to the collection drop plate through a conveying device, a classification device is further installed in the trolley body at the collection drop plate, a plurality of garbage cans are installed in the trolley body below the collection drop plate, the classification device conveys the classified garbage into the corresponding garbage can, the trolley further comprises a garbage recognition device and a visual detection device, the garbage recognition device is located at the front side of the trolley body, and the visual detection device is used for detecting and recognizing the garbage on the collection drop plate. The trolley has a double visual recognition mechanism, so that the trolley can recognize the garbage through the garbage recognition device during garbage collection, the garbage on the classification drop plate can be further recognized after the garbage is conveyed to the collection drop plate, and the accuracy of garbage recognition and classification is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of waste sorting technology, specifically to a vision-based waste sorting cart and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] With the implementation of my country's mandatory household waste sorting policy, waste sorting, reduction, and resource utilization have become core tasks in urban environmental governance. Currently, the mainstream waste sorting and management system has formed a processing chain: residents sort waste at the source, sanitation vehicles collect and transport it, transfer stations perform secondary fine sorting, and sorted temporary storage and transportation. At transfer stations, bagged waste undergoes secondary precise identification through manual sorting, air separation, magnetic separation, and visual recognition. After sorting, the waste is stored on the ground, awaiting transport by dedicated collection vehicles. Existing waste transfer stations are equipped with conveying equipment after waste sorting, but this equipment is only suitable for long-distance transport from large waste treatment plants. The equipment is bulky and occupies a large area, making it unsuitable for small and medium-sized community transfer stations. This necessitates that community transfer stations rely on manual labor or sorting carts for waste sorting after sorting.

[0003] Most current garbage sorting vehicles use industrial cameras for visual processing. However, these vehicles only have a single visual recognition technology. This single visual recognition function drives the vehicle to the corresponding sorting area for garbage collection. However, these sorting vehicles have problems such as low recognition accuracy and poor environmental adaptability, making it difficult to meet the garbage sorting needs in complex scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a vision-based garbage sorting vehicle and its usage method to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is: a vision-based garbage sorting cart, which includes a vehicle body, a walking mechanism installed at the bottom of the vehicle body to drive the vehicle body to move, a garbage collection device for collecting garbage installed at the front of the vehicle body, a collection plate for receiving garbage installed inside the vehicle body, garbage in the garbage collection device being conveyed to the collection plate by a conveying device, a sorting device for sorting the garbage located on the collection plate being installed inside the vehicle body at the collection plate; multiple garbage bins are installed inside the vehicle body below the collection plate, and the sorting device conveys the sorted garbage to the corresponding garbage bins; The sorting cart also includes a waste identification device, which is located on the front of the cart. The vehicle also includes a visual inspection device located inside the vehicle above the collection plate, used to detect and identify the garbage on the collection plate.

[0006] Preferably, the vehicle body has an entrance on the front side, located at the upper part of the vehicle body. An entrance plate is hinged to the vehicle body at the entrance, and the entrance plate performs a hinge action through an entrance drive assembly to realize the opening and closing of the entrance. The collection drop plate is located in the vehicle body below the entrance. The garbage collection device includes a collection bucket. The conveying device is located at the front side of the vehicle body. The conveying device includes lifting grooves fixedly connected to both sides of the front side of the vehicle body. A slider adapted to the lifting groove is installed in the lifting groove. The slider is slidably connected in the lifting groove through a lifting drive assembly. A tilting stepper motor is fixedly connected to the slider. A transmission plate is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the tilting stepper motor. The transmission plate is fixedly connected to the collection bucket.

[0007] Preferably, large servo motors are fixedly connected to both sides of the collection bucket, and collection brushes are driven to the output ends of the large servo motors. The collection brushes are arranged in strips, and the two collection brushes are respectively referred to as long brushes and short brushes. The length of the long brush is greater than the length of the short brush. The end of the long brush away from the large servo motor it is connected to extends towards the short brush and extends beyond the end of the short brush. The waste identification device includes a bracket, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body above the entrance, and the bracket extends away from the vehicle body. A front-end camera is fixedly connected to the far end of the bracket, and supplementary lights are fixedly connected to the brackets on both sides of the front-end camera.

[0008] Preferably, a connecting ring is installed around the outer periphery of the collection plate, and an inclined arc-shaped plate is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting ring. The arc-shaped plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the vehicle body. The arc-shaped plate is inclined downward and its lower end is close to the connecting ring. The collection plate includes at least one collection component. Each collection component includes a collection chamber plate and a collection baffle. The collection chamber plates and collection baffles of all collection components form a circular collection plate. The collection plate is adapted to the connecting ring. The corresponding collection chamber plate and collection baffle in each collection component can be relatively displaced so that the collection plate forms an opening. The trash can is located below the opening.

[0009] Preferably, there are two collection components. The collection chamber plate is a cavity structure adapted to the collection baffle. The side of the collection chamber plate near the matching collection baffle has a first opening adapted to the collection baffle. The sorting device includes a lifting and rotating assembly, which is used to drive the collection baffle and the matching collection chamber plate to move relative to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0010] Preferably, the collecting plate has a clearance hole at its center, and the collecting cavity plate has a second opening on the arc-shaped end near the clearance hole. The collecting cavity plate also has a second opening on the arc-shaped end away from the clearance hole, and the second opening penetrates both arc-shaped ends of the collecting cavity plate, communicating with the cavity of the collecting cavity plate. A connecting tooth is fixedly connected to the end of the collecting cavity plate near the clearance hole. The connecting tooth is located at the upper or lower part of the cavity of the collecting cavity plate, meaning the collecting cavity plate is a cavity structure closed on one side, with the closed side being away from the collecting baffle it mates with. The other three sides of the collecting cavity plate are open. A connecting tooth is fixedly connected to the end of the collecting baffle at the clearance hole. The lifting and rotating assembly includes a vertically arranged rotating shaft located inside the clearance hole. Connecting teeth are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the rotating shaft, corresponding one-to-one with the four connecting teeth one, and connecting teeth three mesh with connecting teeth one or two. The lifting and rotating assembly also includes a driving device for driving the rotating shaft to rotate and lift.

[0011] Preferably, the driving device includes a rotary axis stepper motor, which is located below the rotary axis and its output shaft is drivenly connected to the rotary axis. The rotary axis stepper motor is fixedly connected to a horizontally arranged piston platform. A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bottom of the piston platform, and a crank is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting rod. The crank is drivenly connected to the output shaft of a lifting stepper motor, which is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body. A protective cover is installed on the outside of the driving device and is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body. The trash can is located outside the protective cover and is installed on the bottom plate.

[0012] Preferably, a connecting post is installed on the collecting plate at the clearance hole, the connecting post covers the clearance hole, the connecting post is a hollow structure with an open bottom, the top of the rotating shaft passes through the clearance hole and extends into the connecting post, the sorting device also includes a sorting plate, the sorting plate is vertically arranged and rotatably connected to the connecting post, a sorting reduction motor is fixedly connected to the end of the sorting plate away from the connecting post, the output shaft of the sorting reduction motor is driven by a drive gear, and an annularly arranged rack is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting ring, the annular rack meshing with the drive gear.

[0013] Preferably, the visual inspection device includes a light strip bracket, which is fixedly connected to the roof panel inside the vehicle body. The light strip bracket is arranged in a ring shape, and an LED light strip is fixedly connected to the bottom of the light strip bracket. The visual inspection device also includes a fixing ring, which is located below the light strip bracket and is also fixedly connected to the roof panel inside the vehicle body. An internal gear ring is rotatably connected to the fixing ring, and a detection camera is fixedly connected to the bottom of the internal gear ring. A support column is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the roof panel, and a detection stepper motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support column. The output shaft of the detection stepper motor is driven by a transmission gear, which meshes with the gear ring on the inner wall of the internal gear ring. A display screen and an audible and visual alarm are also fixedly connected to the top of the vehicle.

[0014] On the other hand, this application relates to a method for using a vision-based waste sorting vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: S1: After the garbage identification device on the front of the vehicle body identifies the garbage, the vehicle body moves towards the garbage through the walking mechanism; S2: During the vehicle's movement, the large servo motor is activated and causes the collecting brush to open. After the vehicle precisely approaches the garbage, the vehicle stops moving. The collecting brush of the garbage collection device rotates at a certain angle under the drive of the large servo motor, so that the garbage is pushed into the collecting bucket by the collecting brush. After collection is completed, the large servo motor is turned off. S3: Start the lifting drive assembly so that the slider drives the collecting bucket to move upward along the lifting groove. During the movement, the tilting stepper motor starts and drives the collecting bucket to tilt at a certain angle so that the collecting bucket rotates synchronously during the upward movement. S4: The inlet drive assembly drives the inlet plate to rotate, causing the inlet plate to rotate outward of the vehicle body. After the collecting bucket moves to the inlet, the lifting drive assembly is turned off, and the tilting stepper motor continues to tilt, causing the collecting bucket to tilt into the vehicle body inside the inlet. The garbage in the collecting bucket falls into the collecting drop plate. S5: Turn on the LED light strip, detect the start of the stepper motor, detect the stepper motor to drive the detection camera to rotate, the detection camera starts synchronously and takes pictures of the garbage on the collection plate and sends the results to the controller, the controller processes the data to identify the type of garbage; S6: The controller starts the sorting device. The collection chamber plate and the collection plate move relative to each other under the drive of the drive device, so that an opening is formed on the collection drop plate. The garbage bin corresponding to the opening is consistent with the garbage type on the collection drop plate. At the same time, the sorting plate rotates along the collection drop plate, collects the garbage that falls on the collection drop plate and pushes it into the garbage bin corresponding to the opening. After the garbage falls, the vehicle body and the collection bucket return to the initial state.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) By setting a garbage identification device on the front side of the vehicle body and a visual detection device on the inside of the vehicle body, the present invention has a dual visual identification mechanism, which enables the vehicle to identify garbage through the garbage identification device during the garbage collection process. At the same time, after the garbage is transported to the collection plate, the detection device can be used to further identify the types of garbage on the sorting plate, which improves the accuracy of garbage identification and sorting to a certain extent; (2) By setting a collection plate in the vehicle body and setting the collection plate as multiple mutually cooperating collection chamber plates and collection baffles, the collection plate can be opened to form an opening by the relative movement between the collection baffle and the collection chamber plate, so that the garbage can be pushed to the opening by the sorting plate that can rotate on the collection plate so that the garbage can pass through the opening. The opening falls into the corresponding trash can, realizing the accurate pushing of trash into the corresponding trash can for sorting, reducing the workload of manual operation and improving work efficiency; (3) The lifting and rotating component includes a connecting tooth two that meshes with the connecting tooth one at the end of the collection chamber plate and the collection baffle. The lifting and rotating of the connecting tooth two is realized by the driving device, so that the connecting tooth two can match different connecting teeth one for meshing when lifting and lowering, thereby driving the connecting tooth one that meshes with it to rotate through the rotation of the connecting tooth one, thereby realizing the opening of the corresponding collection chamber plate or collection drop plate, so as to realize the collection of trash in the corresponding trash can, improving the convenience of operation; (4) The sorting trolley can collect multiple types of trash at the same time, reducing the number of sorting trolleys in the transfer station, which relatively reduces the cost. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the vehicle body and the waste collection device and conveying device of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the waste collection device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the visual inspection device of the present invention, the collection plate, and the trash can; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the collection plate, the sorting plate, and the arc-shaped plate of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the collecting plate and the connecting tooth of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the collecting chamber plate, the collecting baffle, and the connecting tooth 1 of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the collection chamber plate of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the collection plate and the sorting device of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the drive device and the rotating shaft of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the rotating shaft and the second connecting tooth of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the visual inspection device of the present invention and the vehicle roof panel; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the fixing ring and the detection camera of the present invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 1. Vehicle body; 2. Permanent magnet DC motor; 3. Rubber wheel; 4. Collection drop plate; 5. Trash can; 6. Inlet plate; 7. Inlet stepper motor; 8. Collection bucket; 9. Lifting trough; 10. Slider; 11. Sliding stepper motor; 12. Lead screw; 13. Guide column; 14. Tilting stepper motor; 15. Transmission plate; 16. Large servo motor; 17. Long brush; 18. Short brush; 19. Bracket; 20. Front-end camera; 21. Fill light; 22. Connecting ring; 23. Curved drop plate; 24. Collection chamber plate; 25. Collection baffle; 26. First opening; 27. Clearance hole; 28. Second opening 29. Connecting Gear 1; 30. Rotating Shaft; 31. Connecting Gear 2; 32. Rotating Shaft Stepper Motor; 33. Piston Platform; 34. Connecting Rod; 35. Crank; 36. Lifting Stepper Motor; 37. Protective Cover; 38. Connecting Column; 39. Sorting Plate; 40. Sorting Gear Reducer Motor; 41. Drive Gear; 42. Ring Rack; 43. LED Strip Hanger; 44. Fixing Ring; 45. Internal Gear Ring; 46. Detection Camera; 47. Detection Stepper Motor; 48. Transmission Gear; 49. Display Screen; 50. Audible and Visual Alarm; 51. Ultrasonic Sensor; 52. Slide Rail; 53. Bottom Storage Box; 54. Baffle Plate. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To better illustrate the present invention, it will now be further described in conjunction with examples.

[0019] A vision-based garbage sorting cart, such as Figures 1-13As shown, the vehicle includes a body 1, and a traveling mechanism is installed at the bottom of the body 1. The traveling mechanism drives the body 1 to move. The traveling mechanism includes a fixed frame, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the body 1. A permanent magnet DC motor 2 is fixedly connected to the fixed frame. The permanent magnet DC motor 2 is connected to rubber wheels 3 via a coupling to realize power transmission. There are four rubber wheels 3, and each of the four rubber wheels 3 is driven by a permanent magnet DC motor 2, so that the speed of each of the four permanent magnet DC motors 2 can be adjusted independently, thereby realizing the straight-line movement, steering and differential control of the body 1. A garbage collection device for collecting garbage is installed on the front side of the vehicle body 1 (i.e., the side of the vehicle body 1 closest to its direction of travel). A collection plate 4 for receiving garbage is installed inside the vehicle body 1. Garbage in the garbage collection device is conveyed to the collection plate 4 by a conveying device. A sorting device for classifying the garbage on the collection plate 4 is also installed inside the vehicle body 1 at the collection plate 4. Multiple garbage bins 5 are installed inside the vehicle body 1 below the collection plate 4. The sorting device conveys the sorted garbage to the corresponding garbage bins 5. The sorting vehicle also includes a garbage identification device located on the front side of the vehicle body 1, and a visual detection device located inside the vehicle body 1 above the collection plate 4 for detecting and identifying the garbage on the collection plate 4. The sorting cart includes a waste identification device located at the front of the cart body 1 and a detection device located inside the cart body 1. It has a dual-vision recognition mechanism, which allows the cart body 1 to identify waste during the waste collection process through the waste identification device. At the same time, after the waste is transported to the collection drop plate 4, the detection device can further identify the type of waste on the collection drop plate, which improves the accuracy of waste identification and sorting to a certain extent. In addition, the setting of the detection device makes the cart suitable for sorting and collecting various types of waste. That is, after the cart collects waste through the waste collection device, the detection device can identify the type of waste that falls on the collection drop plate 4 and sort it into the corresponding waste bin 5, thereby improving the collection function of the cart and reducing the number and cost of transfer station carts.

[0020] In one embodiment, the vehicle body 1 has an entrance on its front side, located at the top of the vehicle body 1. An entrance plate 6 is hinged to the vehicle body 1 at the entrance, and the entrance plate 6 performs a hinge action through an entrance drive assembly to realize the opening and closing of the entrance. The entrance drive assembly includes an entrance stepper motor 7, which is fixedly connected to the top of the front side of the vehicle body 1. The output shaft of the entrance stepper motor 7 is fixedly connected to the entrance plate 6, and the top of the entrance plate 6 has a notch to facilitate the placement of the entrance stepper motor 7 at the notch. In use, the entrance stepper motor 7 is started, and the output shaft of the entrance stepper motor 7 drives the entrance plate 6 to rotate towards the front of the vehicle body 1, so that the entrance can be opened. The collection drop plate 4 is located inside the vehicle body 1 below the entrance. After the entrance is opened, the garbage collection device can send garbage into the vehicle body 1 through the entrance and let it fall on the collection drop plate 4. The garbage collection device includes a collection bucket 8. The conveying device is located at the front of the vehicle body 1. The conveying device includes lifting grooves 9 fixedly connected to both sides of the front of the vehicle body 1. A slider 10 adapted to the lifting groove 9 is installed in the lifting groove 9. The slider 10 is slidably connected to the lifting groove 9 through a lifting drive assembly. The lifting drive assembly can be selected from cylinders, screw drive assemblies, etc. In this embodiment, the lifting drive assembly is a screw drive assembly. The screw drive assembly includes a sliding stepper motor 11. The sliding stepper motor 11 is fixedly connected below the lifting groove 9, and the output shaft of the sliding stepper motor 11... A vertically arranged lead screw 12 is connected to the transmission system. Both ends of the lead screw 12 are rotatably connected to the ends of the lifting groove 9, and the slider 10 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 12. A sliding stepper motor 11 drives the lead screw 12 to rotate, allowing the slider 10 to slide along the lifting groove 9. Simultaneously, a guide post 13 is fixedly connected to one side of the lifting groove 9, and the slider 10 is slidably connected to the guide post 13 for guidance. A tilting stepper motor 14 is fixedly connected to the slider 10, and a transmission plate 15 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the tilting stepper motor 14. The transmission plate 15 is fixedly connected to the collecting bucket 8. In use, the sliding stepper motor 11 drives the lead screw 12 to rotate, causing the slider 10 to slide along the lifting groove 9. The slider 10 drives the tilting stepper motor 14 to rise and fall, thereby causing the collecting bucket 8 to slide along the lifting groove 9. The output shaft of the tilting stepper motor 14 drives the transmission plate 15 to rotate, allowing the collecting bucket 8 to tilt, thus emptying the garbage inside the collecting bucket 8.Furthermore, after the inlet is opened, the inlet plate 6 is in a horizontal or upward tilted state. The height between the inlet plate 6 and the top of the lifting trough 9 can be adjusted according to actual needs. This height is L, and the width of the collecting bucket 8 is H. If L > H, the distance between the inlet plate 6 and the lifting trough 9 facilitates the flipping of the collecting bucket 8. At this time, the collecting bucket 8 can be flipped after rising to the top of the lifting trough 9 with the slider 10. If L < H, the collecting bucket 8 can be flipped at a certain angle when it is close to the inlet to avoid obstruction. The collecting bucket 8 continues to be raised, lowered, and flipped until it is completely flipped into the inlet, realizing the dumping of garbage. The top of the rear side wall of the collecting bucket 8 is fixedly connected to an upwardly tilted baffle 54 to block the garbage in the collecting bucket 8 to a certain extent, so as to reduce the spillage of garbage during the raising, lowering, and flipping process.

[0021] In another embodiment, large servo motors 16 (which are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here) are fixedly connected to both sides of the collecting bucket 8. The output ends of the large servo motors 16 are connected to collecting brushes. The collecting brushes are arranged in strips, with the bottom of the collecting brushes flush with the bottom of the collecting bucket 8. The two collecting brushes are referred to as long brush 17 and short brush 18, respectively. The length of long brush 17 is greater than the length of short brush 18. The end of long brush 17 away from the large servo motor 16 (called the free end) extends towards short brush 18 and exceeds the end of short brush 18. That is, the free end of long brush 17 and the free end of short brush 18 overlap, so that the garbage areas collected by long brush 17 and short brush 18 overlap. In use, the long-bristled brush 17 and the short-bristled brush 18 work together to collect garbage. The short-bristled brush 18 can collect garbage from areas that the long-bristled brush 17 cannot reach. Simultaneously, the two brushes have overlapping collection ranges, allowing for secondary collection of garbage within those ranges, thus improving the accuracy of the collection. The long-bristled brush 17 is longer, resulting in a larger working range but a relatively slower rotation speed. The short-bristled brush 18 has a relatively smaller working range but a faster rotation speed, enabling rapid collection of garbage within its range. To a certain extent, their cooperation achieves efficient garbage collection. The garbage identification device includes a bracket 19, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body 1 above the entrance and extends away from the vehicle body 1. A front-end camera 20 is fixedly connected to the far end of the bracket 19. Supplemental lights 21 are fixedly connected to the brackets 19 on both sides of the front-end camera 20. The supplemental lights 21 provide stable illumination to the working space of the front-end camera 20, ensuring accurate identification under complex lighting conditions.

[0022] In another embodiment, a connecting ring 22 arranged in an annular pattern is installed on the outer periphery of the collection plate 4. An inclined arc-shaped plate 23 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting ring 22. The arc-shaped plate 23 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the vehicle body 1. The arc-shaped plate 23 is inclined downward and its lower end is close to the connecting ring 22. The collection plate 4 includes at least one collection component. Each collection component includes a collection chamber plate 24 and a collection baffle 25. The collection chamber plates 24 and collection baffles 25 of all collection components form a circular collection plate 4. The collection plate 4 is adapted to the connecting ring 22. The corresponding collection chamber plates 24 and collection baffles 25 in each collection component can be relatively displaced so that the collection plate 4 forms an opening. The trash can 5 is located below the opening. The collection drop plate 4, connecting ring 22, and arc-shaped drop plate 23 vertically divide the inner side of the vehicle body 1. After the garbage is transported into the vehicle body 1 by the collection bucket 8, it falls onto the collection drop plate 4 and the arc-shaped drop plate 23. The arc-shaped drop plate 23 is inclined downward so that the garbage slides onto the collection drop plate 4. The collection drop plate 4 can be divided into multiple collection components according to the type of garbage collected. In this embodiment, the trolley collects four types of garbage, so there are two collection components. Each collection component has a garbage bin 5 installed below the collection chamber plate 24 and the collection baffle 25. The collection chamber plate 24 moves toward the collection baffle 25 that cooperates with it to form an opening. The garbage falls into the corresponding garbage bin 5 through the opening. The collection baffle 25 moves toward the collection chamber plate 24 that cooperates with it to form an opening. The garbage falls into the corresponding garbage bin 5 through the opening. This makes it possible to form openings above all four garbage bins 5, so that the garbage can be collected into the corresponding garbage bin 5 according to its type. The relative movement of the collecting baffle 25 and the collecting chamber plate 24 can be achieved by driving with a cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or the like.

[0023] In another embodiment, there are two collection components. The collection chamber plate 24 is a cavity structure adapted to the collection baffle 25. A first opening 26, adapted to the collection baffle 25, is provided on the side of the collection chamber plate 24 near its mating collection baffle 25. The sorting device includes a lifting and rotating assembly, which drives relative movement between the collection baffle 25 and the mating collection chamber plate 24 in the horizontal direction. Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​both the collection chamber plate 24 and the collection baffle 25 is one-quarter of the cross-sectional area of ​​the collection drop plate 4. Specifically, the lifting and rotating assembly can drive the collection baffle 25 to move into the cavity of the mating collection chamber plate 24, thereby forming an opening in the collection drop plate 4; or, the lifting and rotating assembly can drive the collection chamber plate 24 to move towards the mating collection baffle 25, thereby fitting the collection chamber plate 24 onto the collection baffle 25, thus forming an opening in the collection drop plate 4.

[0024] In another embodiment, a clearance hole 27 is provided at the center of the collecting plate 4. A second opening 28 is provided at both the arc-shaped end of the collecting cavity plate 24 near the clearance hole 27 and the arc-shaped end away from the clearance hole 27. The second opening 28 is connected to the cavity of the collecting cavity plate 24. A connecting tooth 29 is fixedly connected to one end of the collecting cavity plate 24 near the clearance hole 27. The connecting tooth 29 is located above or below the second opening 28. The end of the collecting baffle 25 at the clearance hole 27 is fixedly connected to the connecting tooth 29. The lifting and rotating assembly includes a vertically arranged rotating shaft 30 located inside the clearance hole 27. A connecting tooth 31 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the rotating shaft 30, which is respectively arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the four connecting teeth 29. There are four connecting teeth 31. The vertical projections of the four connecting teeth 31 mesh with the four connecting teeth 29 respectively. The four connecting teeth 31 are distributed along the circumference of the rotating shaft 30 and the vertical projections of the four connecting teeth 31 have no overlapping parts. Connecting tooth 29 is at least one horizontally arranged rack, and connecting tooth 31 is at least two spaced racks with a spacing consistent with the width of the rack of connecting tooth 29. In this embodiment, connecting tooth 29 consists of two spaced racks, and connecting tooth 31 consists of three spaced racks, with the four connecting teeth 31 distributed at different heights on the rotating shaft 30. The lifting and rotating assembly also includes a driving device for driving the rotating shaft 30 to rotate and lift. The driving device drives the rotating shaft 30 to lift, causing the four connecting teeth 31 to move up and down with the rotating shaft 30, thereby causing the connecting teeth 31 to mesh with one of the four connecting teeth 29. At this time, the driving device drives the rotating shaft 30 to rotate, causing the rotating shaft 30 to drive the connecting teeth 31 to rotate, which in turn drives the connecting tooth 29 meshing with the connecting tooth 31 to rotate, thereby realizing the horizontal movement of the collecting chamber plate 24 or the collecting drop plate 4 connected to the connecting tooth 29, so that the collecting drop plate 4 forms an opening.

[0025] In another embodiment, the driving device includes a rotary axis stepper motor 32, which is located below the rotary axis 30 and whose output shaft is connected to the rotary axis 30. The rotary axis stepper motor 32 is fixedly connected to a horizontally arranged piston platform 33. A connecting rod 34 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the piston platform 33, and a crank 35 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting rod 34. The crank 35 is connected to the output shaft of a lifting stepper motor 36, which is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body 1. A protective cover 37 is installed on the outside of the driving device and is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body 1. The trash can 5 is located outside the protective cover 37 and is installed on the bottom plate. The protective cover 37 extends to the bottom of the collection plate 4 to support the collection plate 4. At the same time, the connecting ring 22 has grooves around its perimeter that are adapted to the edge of the collection plate 4 to support the collection plate 4 and provide a sliding track. In use, the lifting stepper motor 36 drives the crank 35 to rotate, causing the connecting rod 34 to rise and fall. This, in turn, causes the connecting rod 34 to drive the piston platform 33 and the rotary shaft stepper motor 32 to rise and fall in the vertical direction, thus realizing the rise and fall of the rotary shaft 30. This, in turn, causes the connecting tooth 21 to move in the vertical direction, so that it meshes with one of the connecting teeth 1 29. At this time, the lifting stepper motor 36 is turned off, and the rotary stepper motor drives the rotary shaft 30 to rotate, causing the connecting tooth 21 to drive the connecting tooth 1 29 to rotate, thus realizing the relative movement in the horizontal direction between the collecting chamber plate 24 and the collecting baffle 25.

[0026] In another embodiment, a connecting post 38 is installed on the collection plate 4 at the clearance hole 27. The bottom of the connecting post 38 abuts against the collection plate 4 and covers the clearance hole 27. The connecting post 38 is a hollow structure with an open bottom and a closed top. The top of the rotating shaft 30 passes through the clearance hole 27 and extends into the connecting post 38. The sorting device also includes a sorting plate 39, which is vertically arranged and rotatably connected to the top of the connecting post 38. A sorting reduction motor 40 is fixedly connected to the end of the sorting plate 39 away from the connecting post 38. The output shaft of the sorting reduction motor 40 is driven by a drive gear 41. An annular rack 42 is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting ring 22, and the annular rack 42 meshes with the drive gear 41. By installing the connecting post 38 at the clearance hole 27, the clearance hole 27 can be blocked by the connecting post 38, reducing the occurrence of garbage falling below the collection plate 4 through the clearance hole 27 and improving the accuracy of the unloaded garbage disposal. The sorting plate 39 is designed so that the sorting reduction motor 40 can drive the sorting plate 39 to move circumferentially along the collection drop plate 4, thereby pushing the garbage on the collection drop plate 4 to the opening opened by the drive device and falling into the garbage bin 5.

[0027] In another embodiment, the visual inspection device includes a light strip bracket 43, which is fixedly connected to the top plate inside the vehicle body 1. The light strip bracket 43 is annularly arranged, and an LED light strip is fixedly connected to the bottom of the light strip bracket 43. The visual inspection device also includes a fixing ring 44, which is located below the light strip bracket 43 and is also fixedly connected to the top plate inside the vehicle body 1. An internal gear ring 45 is rotatably connected to the fixing ring 44. The internal gear ring 45 is an annular gear with teeth on its inner sidewall along its circumference. A detection camera 46 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the internal gear ring 45. A support column is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the top plate. A detection stepper motor 47 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support column. The output shaft of the detection stepper motor 47 is driven by a transmission gear 48, which meshes with the teeth on the inner wall of the internal gear ring 45. In use, the interior of the vehicle body 1 is illuminated by LED light strips to improve the detection effect. The detection stepper motor 47 is started, and the output shaft of the detection stepper motor 47 drives the transmission gear 48 to rotate. The transmission gear 48 drives the internal gear ring 45 to rotate, thereby causing the detection camera 46, which is fixed at the bottom of the internal gear ring 45, to rotate along the fixing ring 44, so that the detection camera 46 can perform a comprehensive detection of the garbage located on the collection plate 4.

[0028] In addition, a display screen 49 and an audible and visual alarm 50 are fixedly connected to the top of the vehicle body 1, so that the real-time status, parameter monitoring and operation prompts of the vehicle can be displayed on the display screen 49, and the alarm will always be on when the vehicle is working.

[0029] Ultrasonic sensors 51 are installed on all four side walls of the vehicle body 1 to send and receive ultrasonic waves to sense obstacles around the vehicle body 1 in real time. The ultrasonic sensors 51 transmit the collected signals to the controller in real time. After processing the information, the controller replans the path to achieve obstacle avoidance and sends control signals to the permanent magnet DC motor 2 to make the car turn and avoid obstacles. This is the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0030] There are four trash cans 5. Each of the four trash cans 5 is equipped with a slide rail 52 on the bottom plate of the vehicle body 1. The slide rail 52 includes an upper slide rail 52, and a roller is rotatably connected to the bottom of the upper slide rail 52. The roller is rotatably connected to the lower slide rail 52, and the lower slide rail 52 is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body 1. The trash cans 5 are located on the upper slide rail 52. To move the trash cans 5, simply pull the trash cans 5. Correspondingly, side doors are hinged on both sides of the vehicle body 1 so that the trash cans 5 can be taken out by opening the side doors for subsequent processing of the trash in the trash cans 5.

[0031] In addition, the vehicle body 1 also includes a battery compartment located at the bottom of the vehicle body 1 floor. A bottom storage box 53 is slidably connected inside the battery compartment. The bottom storage box 53 houses a power battery and two microcontrollers, namely an ESP32 development board and an STM32 development board. Sliding the bottom storage box 53 facilitates the inspection and replacement of the power battery and microcontrollers, improving convenience. The ESP32 development board controls the front-end camera 20, the walking mechanism, the waste collection device, the opening and closing of the inlet, and the ultrasonic sensor 51, all electrically connected to the ESP32 development board. The STM32 development board controls the precise classification of the detection camera 46 inside the vehicle body 1, the classification stepper motor and drive device, and the vision sensor, all electrically connected to the STM32 development board. The vision sensor is fixedly connected to a bracket 19, which is fixedly connected to the side wall of the vehicle body 1 and extends to the front of the vehicle body 1. The vision sensor monitors the rising process of the collection bucket 8.

[0032] On the other hand, the method of using this sorting cart includes the following steps: The method includes the following steps: S1: After the garbage identification device on the front of the vehicle body 1 identifies the garbage, the vehicle body 1 moves towards the garbage via the walking mechanism; S2: During the movement of vehicle body 1, the large servo motor 16 is activated and the collecting brush is opened. After vehicle body 1 is precisely close to the garbage, vehicle body 1 stops moving. The collecting brush of the garbage collection device rotates at a certain angle under the drive of the large servo motor 16 so that the garbage is pushed into the collecting bucket 8 by the collecting brush. After collection is completed, the large servo motor 16 is turned off. S3: Start the lifting drive assembly so that the slider 10 drives the collecting bucket 8 to move upward along the lifting groove 9. During the movement, the tilting stepper motor 14 is started. The tilting stepper motor 14 drives the collecting bucket 8 to tilt at a certain angle so that the collecting bucket 8 rotates synchronously during the upward movement. S4: The inlet drive assembly drives the inlet plate 6 to rotate, causing the inlet plate 6 to rotate outward of the vehicle body 1. After the collecting bucket 8 moves to the inlet, the lifting drive assembly is turned off, and the tilting stepper motor 14 continues to tilt, causing the collecting bucket 8 to tilt inward of the vehicle body 1 inside the inlet. The garbage in the collecting bucket 8 falls onto the collecting drop plate 4. S5: Turn on the LED light strip, start the detection stepper motor 47, drive the detection camera 46 to rotate, start the detection camera 46 synchronously and take pictures of the garbage on the collection plate 4 and send the results to the controller. The controller processes the data to identify the type of garbage. S6: The controller starts the sorting device. The collection chamber plate 24 and the collection plate move relative to each other under the drive of the drive device, so that an opening is formed on the collection drop plate 4. The garbage bin 5 corresponding to the opening is consistent with the type of garbage on the collection drop plate 4. At the same time, the sorting plate 39 rotates along the collection drop plate 4, collects the garbage falling on the collection drop plate 4 and pushes it into the garbage bin 5 corresponding to the opening. After the garbage falls, the vehicle body 1 and the collection bucket 8 return to the initial state.

[0033] Specifically, the method includes the following steps: S1: The supplementary light 21 on the front of the vehicle body 1 is always on. The front camera 20 scans the ground environment in front in real time. After capturing and identifying the garbage, it sends a signal to the ESP32 development board. After receiving the signal, the ESP32 development board processes the signal and sends a driving control command signal to the walking mechanism to guide the vehicle body 1 to approach the garbage. The walking mechanism, namely the four permanent magnet DC motors 2, starts and drives the vehicle body 1 to move towards the garbage. S2: When the vehicle body 1 starts to move forward, the ultrasonic sensors 51 located on the side walls of the vehicle body 1 are activated. The ultrasonic sensors 51 sense the obstacles around the vehicle body 1 in real time by sending and receiving ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic sensors 51 feed back the collected information to the ESP32 development board in real time. After the ESP32 development board processes the signal, it replans the path to avoid obstacles when needed, and sends control signals to the permanent magnet DC motor 2 to achieve the steering of the vehicle body 1. As the vehicle body 1 moves toward the garbage, the ESP32 development board sends control signals to the two large servo motors 16. The large servo motors 16 start and cause the long brush 17 and short brush 18 to open in sequence. After the vehicle body 1 accurately approaches the garbage, the ESP32 development board sends a stop signal to the walking mechanism, causing the permanent magnet DC motor 2 to stop rotating and the vehicle body 1 to stop moving. At the same time, the ESP32 development board sends control signals to the two large servo motors 16. After receiving the signal, the large servo motors 16 rotate in sequence at a certain angle, so that the long brush 17 and short brush 18 can rotate with the large servo motors 16 and sweep the garbage into the collection bucket 8. After collection is completed, the large servo motors 16 are turned off. S3: The ESP32 development board sends a signal to the sliding stepper motor 11, which drives the slider 10 to slide upward along the lifting groove 9. At the same time, the slider 10 drives the collecting bucket 8 to move upward. After the collecting bucket 8 rises for a certain period of time, the ESP32 development board starts the tilting stepper motor 14. The tilting stepper motor 14 drives the collecting bucket 8 to tilt at a certain angle, so that the collecting bucket 8 rotates synchronously during the upward movement. S4: After the collection bucket 8 is detected by the vision sensor during its ascent, the vision sensor sends a signal to the STM32 development board. After receiving the signal, the STM32 development board starts two inlet stepper motors 7. The output shafts of the two inlet stepper motors 7 drive the inlet plate 6 to rotate to open the inlet. The flip stepper motor 14 and the sliding stepper motor 11 continue to drive the collection bucket 8 to rise and flip until the collection bucket 8 rises to the top of the lifting trough 9. At this time, the collection bucket 8 continues to flip so that the collection bucket 8 is located inside the vehicle body 1 so that the garbage enters the vehicle body 1 and falls on the collection drop plate 4. S5: The STM32 development board turns on the LED light strip and starts the detection stepper motor 47 and the detection camera 46. The detection stepper motor 47 drives the detection camera 46 to rotate. The detection camera 46 takes pictures of the garbage on the collection plate 4 and then feeds the information back to the STM32 development board. The STM32 development board obtains the type signal of the garbage. S6: The STM32 development board starts the sorting device. The two sorting reduction motors 40 in the device start, driving the drive gear 41 to rotate, causing the two sorting plates 39 to rotate around the connecting column 38. This allows the two sorting plates 39 to rotate at specific angles, sorting the waste into designated areas. Simultaneously, the STM32 development board starts the lifting stepper motor 36, which precisely rotates at a specific angle, causing the rotating shaft 30 on the piston platform 33 to undergo a specific vertical displacement. This causes the connecting tooth 21 to fall onto and mesh with the corresponding connecting tooth 29. The rotating stepper motor rotates at a specific angle, causing the collection chamber plate 24 or collection drop plate 4 connected to the connecting tooth 29 to rotate at a certain angle, creating an opening at a designated position on the collection drop plate 4. At this point, the sorting plate 39 continues to rotate, pushing the waste through the opening into the waste bin 5. The microcontroller then controls the various devices on the vehicle body 1 to return to their initial standby state. Thus, the waste recycling and sorting operation is completed.

[0034] It should be noted that the front-end camera 20 is model OV2640, and the detection camera 46 is model OpenCV MV4Plus. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the overall concept of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vision-based garbage sorting cart, comprising a vehicle body, a walking mechanism mounted on the bottom of the vehicle body, the walking mechanism driving the vehicle body to move, characterized in that: The front of the vehicle is equipped with a garbage collection device for collecting garbage. Inside the vehicle, there is a collection plate for receiving garbage. The garbage in the garbage collection device is conveyed to the collection plate by a conveying device. Inside the vehicle at the collection plate, there is also a sorting device for sorting the garbage located on the collection plate. Below the collection plate, there are multiple garbage bins inside the vehicle. The sorting device transports the sorted garbage to the corresponding garbage bins. The sorting cart also includes a waste identification device, which is located on the front of the cart. The vehicle also includes a visual inspection device located inside the vehicle above the collection plate, used to detect and identify the garbage on the collection plate.

2. The vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle body has an entrance on the front side, located at the top of the vehicle body. An entrance plate is hinged to the vehicle body at the entrance, and the entrance plate is hinged by an entrance drive assembly to open and close the entrance. The collection plate is located inside the vehicle body below the entrance. The garbage collection device includes a collection bucket. The conveying device is located at the front of the vehicle body. The conveying device includes lifting grooves fixedly connected to both sides of the front of the vehicle body. A slider adapted to the lifting groove is installed in the lifting groove. The slider is slidably connected to the lifting groove by a lifting drive assembly. A tilting stepper motor is fixedly connected to the slider. A transmission plate is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the tilting stepper motor. The transmission plate is fixedly connected to the collection bucket.

3. The vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both sides of the collection bucket are fixedly connected to large servo motors, and the output ends of the large servo motors are driven to collect brushes. The collect brushes are arranged in strips, and the two collect brushes are respectively labeled as long brushes and short brushes. The length of the long brush is greater than the length of the short brush. The end of the long brush away from the large servo motor it is connected to extends towards the short brush and extends beyond the end of the short brush. The waste identification device includes a bracket, which is fixedly connected to the vehicle body above the entrance, and the bracket extends away from the vehicle body. A front-end camera is fixedly connected to the far end of the bracket, and supplementary lights are fixedly connected to the brackets on both sides of the front-end camera.

4. The vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collection plate has a connecting ring arranged in a ring around its outer periphery. An inclined arc-shaped plate is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting ring. The arc-shaped plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the vehicle body. The arc-shaped plate is inclined downward and its lower end is close to the connecting ring. The collection plate includes at least one collection component. Each collection component includes a collection chamber plate and a collection baffle. The collection chamber plates and collection baffles of all the collection components form a circular collection plate. The collection plate is adapted to the connecting ring. The corresponding collection chamber plate and collection baffle in each collection component can be relatively displaced so that the collection plate forms an opening. The trash can is located below the opening.

5. A vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 4, characterized in that: The collection components consist of two parts. The collection chamber plate is a cavity structure adapted to the collection baffle. The side of the collection chamber plate near the matching collection baffle has a first opening adapted to the collection baffle. The sorting device includes a lifting and rotating assembly, which is used to drive the collection baffle and the matching collection chamber plate to move relative to each other in the horizontal direction.

6. The vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second opening is provided on the arc-shaped end of the collecting chamber plate near the clearance hole, and a second opening is also provided on the arc-shaped end of the collecting chamber plate away from the clearance hole. The second openings penetrate through both arc-shaped ends of the collecting chamber plate and are connected to the cavity of the collecting chamber plate. A connecting tooth 1 is fixedly connected to the end of the collecting chamber plate near the clearance hole. The connecting tooth 1 is located in the upper or lower part of the cavity of the collecting chamber plate. A connecting tooth 1 is fixedly connected to the end of the collecting baffle at the clearance hole. The lifting and rotating assembly includes a vertically arranged rotating shaft located inside the clearance hole. A connecting tooth 2 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the rotating shaft, which corresponds to each of the four connecting teeth 1. A connecting tooth 3 meshes with either the connecting tooth 1 or the connecting tooth 2. The lifting and rotating assembly also includes a driving device for driving the rotating shaft to rotate and lift.

7. A vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 6, characterized in that: The driving device includes a rotary axis stepper motor, which is located below the rotary axis and whose output shaft is driven by the rotary axis. The rotary axis stepper motor is fixedly connected to a horizontally arranged piston platform. A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bottom of the piston platform, and a crank is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting rod. The crank is driven by the output shaft of a lifting stepper motor, which is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body. A protective cover is installed on the outside of the driving device and is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the vehicle body. The trash can is located outside the protective cover and is installed on the bottom plate.

8. A vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 7, characterized in that: A connecting column is installed on the collection plate at the clearance hole, and the connecting column covers the clearance hole. The connecting column is a hollow structure with an open bottom. The top of the rotating shaft passes through the clearance hole and extends into the connecting column. The sorting device also includes a sorting plate, which is vertically arranged and rotatably connected to the connecting column. A sorting reduction motor is fixedly connected to the end of the sorting plate away from the connecting column. The output shaft of the sorting reduction motor is driven by a drive gear. A ring-shaped rack is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting ring, and the ring-shaped rack meshes with the drive gear.

9. A vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual inspection device includes a light strip bracket, which is fixedly connected to the roof panel inside the vehicle body. The light strip bracket is arranged in a ring shape, and an LED light strip is fixedly connected to the bottom of the light strip bracket. The visual inspection device also includes a fixing ring, which is located below the light strip bracket and is also fixedly connected to the roof panel inside the vehicle body. An internal gear ring is rotatably connected to the fixing ring, and a detection camera is fixedly connected to the bottom of the internal gear ring. A support column is also fixedly connected to the bottom of the roof panel, and a detection stepper motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support column. The output shaft of the detection stepper motor is driven by a transmission gear, which meshes with the gear ring on the inner wall of the internal gear ring. A display screen and an audible and visual alarm are also fixedly connected to the top of the vehicle.

10. The method for using a vision-based garbage sorting cart according to claim 9, characterized in that: The method includes the following steps: S1: After the garbage identification device on the front of the vehicle body identifies the garbage, the vehicle body moves towards the garbage through the walking mechanism; S2: During the vehicle's movement, the large servo motor is activated and causes the collecting brush to open. After the vehicle precisely approaches the garbage, the vehicle stops moving. The collecting brush of the garbage collection device rotates at a certain angle under the drive of the large servo motor, so that the garbage is pushed into the collecting bucket by the collecting brush. After collection is completed, the large servo motor is turned off. S3: Start the lifting drive assembly so that the slider drives the collecting bucket to move upward along the lifting groove. During the movement, the tilting stepper motor starts and drives the collecting bucket to tilt at a certain angle so that the collecting bucket rotates synchronously during the upward movement. S4: The inlet drive assembly drives the inlet plate to rotate, causing the inlet plate to rotate outward of the vehicle body. After the collecting bucket moves to the inlet, the lifting drive assembly is turned off, and the tilting stepper motor continues to tilt, causing the collecting bucket to tilt into the vehicle body inside the inlet. The garbage in the collecting bucket falls into the collecting drop plate. S5: Turn on the LED light strip, detect the start of the stepper motor, detect the stepper motor to drive the detection camera to rotate, the detection camera starts synchronously and takes pictures of the garbage on the collection plate and sends the results to the controller, the controller processes the data to identify the type of garbage; S6: The controller starts the sorting device. The collection chamber plate and the collection plate move relative to each other under the drive of the drive device, so that an opening is formed on the collection drop plate. The garbage bin corresponding to the opening is consistent with the garbage type on the collection drop plate. At the same time, the sorting plate rotates along the collection drop plate, collects the garbage that falls on the collection drop plate and pushes it into the garbage bin corresponding to the opening. After the garbage falls, the vehicle body and the collection bucket return to the initial state.

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