Automatic garbage sorting device based on image recognition

Abstract

An automatic garbage sorting device based on image recognition comprises an image collecting and recognizing module, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a telescopic push rod mechanism, a sorting platform, a rotating can body assembly, a control assembly and an overall frame. The image acquisition and identification module comprises a camera and an LED lamp. The coordinate positioning mechanism is provided with a set of fixed longitudinal sliding rails and a movable transverse sliding rail, a stepping motor provides power, and displacement is generated in a belt transmission mode. The telescopic push rod mechanism moves on the longitudinal sliding rail, the self-locking motor provides power and self-locking force, and the push plate stretches out and draws back up and down in a gear and rack meshing mode. The rotary barrel body assembly is provided with four independent classified barrel bodies and can accurately rotate by a corresponding angle under the control of a gear motor. Garbage to be sorted is placed on the sorting platform, signal processing and cooperative control are achieved through the control assembly, and the whole frame is divided into three layers. The garbage sorting device can automatically sort different types of garbage in sequence after one-time placement, so that the labor cost is reduced, and the treatment efficiency and the productivity are improved.

Description

An automated waste sorting device based on image recognition Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of sorting technology, specifically relating to an automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional waste disposal methods mostly rely on manual sorting, which has many drawbacks.

[0003] Manual waste sorting faces harsh working conditions. The odors, germs, and potentially sharp or harmful substances emanating from the waste pose a serious threat to the health of sorting workers. Furthermore, manual sorting is extremely inefficient, struggling to meet the rapid sorting demands of massive volumes of waste. Due to limited human attention spans, prolonged work easily leads to fatigue and negligence, inevitably causing sorting errors. This results in recyclables being mixed with non-recyclables, and hazardous waste with other types of waste, reducing the efficiency of subsequent waste treatment and resource recycling rates.

[0004] In recent years, the field of science and technology has achieved a series of remarkable accomplishments, with rapid development in computer vision technology, machine learning algorithms, sensor technology, and automated mechanical control technology. Computer vision technology can accurately identify the shape, color, texture, and other features of waste using high-definition cameras; machine learning algorithms can be trained on large amounts of waste image data to continuously improve recognition accuracy; sensor technology can monitor the weight, volume, material, and other physical properties of waste in real time; and automated mechanical control technology can achieve precise grasping, handling, and sorting actions. The maturity of these technologies provides solid technical support for the development of automated waste sorting devices, making them a key technological means to solve waste disposal problems and achieve the goals of waste reduction, resource recovery, and harmless disposal. These devices have extremely important application value and broad development prospects in the environmental protection field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an image recognition-based automatic waste sorting device that can sequentially sort different types of waste after a single placement, offering convenient operation, rapid response, and high efficiency.

[0006] The above objectives are achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition comprises: an image acquisition and recognition module, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a telescopic push rod mechanism, a sorting platform, a rotating bin assembly, a control assembly, and an overall frame; wherein the image recognition module is located above the overall frame, the coordinate positioning mechanism and the sorting platform are located in the upper half of the overall frame, the coordinate positioning mechanism is located directly above the sorting platform, the telescopic push rod mechanism is located at the slide rail of the coordinate positioning mechanism, the rotating bin assembly is located below the sorting platform, and the bottom of the rotating bin assembly is connected to the overall frame.

[0008] The image acquisition and recognition module consists of a camera and an LED light. The camera is responsible for acquiring image information, and the LED light provides illumination to ensure ambient brightness.

[0009] The coordinate positioning mechanism comprises a longitudinal slide rail, a transverse slide rail, a fixing component, a stepper motor, pulleys, and a belt. The stepper motors are respectively located at the ends of the longitudinal slide rails, with the stepper motor at the longitudinal slide rail being fixed and the self-locking motor of the telescopic push rod mechanism at the transverse slide rail being movable. The stepper motors provide power, and the pulleys and belt transmit motion. Through the coordinated rotation of the two stepper motors, the telescopic push rod mechanism is controlled to generate displacement in the transverse and longitudinal directions. The pulleys and belt have teeth, and the pulleys are respectively mounted on the fixing component at the stepper motor shaft extension and the end of the slide rail. When the stepper motor is working, the pulleys rotate, and the teeth of the pulleys and belt mesh with each other to transmit power and control the movement of the belt.

[0010] The telescopic push rod mechanism consists of a self-locking motor, gears, rack, fixed slider, slide rod, push plate, positioning block, mounting frame, and structural components. The self-locking motor provides a certain self-locking torque, and the rack with the push plate will not slide down due to gravity when the motor stops. The self-locking motor is fixed on the mounting frame. The self-locking motor's extension shaft transmits torque via a keyed connection to a gear. The gear and rack mesh to convert the gear's rotational motion into the rack's linear motion. The gear has a de-weighting groove and a keyway in its center for engagement with the self-locking motor's extension shaft. The rack is shaped like an inverted "L," with a protruding feature at the top for limiting movement. The lower half of the rack has a threaded hole for fixing a positioning block, limiting its displacement. The rack's movement is mechanically limited, and a plug-in protrusion at the bottom end engages with a push plate. A fixed slider is mounted on the right side of the mounting bracket, remaining relatively stationary during operation. The slide rod is a rigid optical shaft; its upper end engages with the mounting hole at the protruding feature on the rack, limited by a shaft retaining ring, and its lower end engages with the positioning block. The mounting holes on the block are fitted with shaft holes. The mounting holes on the positioning block are blind holes, and the positioning is determined by the depth of the mounting holes. The slide rod passes through the fixed slider. When the self-locking motor is working, the slide rod moves up and down with the rack. The left side of the positioning block has a through hole, which is connected to the threaded hole on the rack by a screw. The right side of the positioning block has a blind hole for positioning the slide rod. The self-locking motor, gear, rack, and fixed slider are mounted on the mounting frame. The mounting frame is mounted on the transverse slide rail by a slide rail support rod and can move freely along the transverse slide rail. The positioning block is located on the lower half of the rack and is fixed to the rack by screws to limit the lower limit displacement of the rack. The push plate is located at the lower end of the rack and has a groove for plug-in connection to engage with the rack. It is used to sweep and push the garbage to be sorted. The structural component serves as a reinforcement to prevent the mounting frame from falling off the slide rail support rod. The structural component is fixed to the rear of the mounting frame.

[0011] The sorting platform consists of a placement plane, positioning panels, a drop cover, and connectors. Three positioning panels are vertically positioned above the placement plane, defining the maximum distances in three directions to specify the waste placement area. Sorted waste can only be pushed into the sorting bins in a single direction. The placement plane is a rectangular plate with mounting holes for screw fixation to the overall frame. The drop cover, located on the left side of the platform, consists of four trapezoidal plates. It ensures waste falls precisely into the corresponding bins. The drop cover, formed by the four trapezoidal plates, has a funnel shape. The plane containing the long base of the trapezoidal plate in contact with the platform is not higher than the upper surface of the placement plane, preventing waste from getting stuck or obstructed when pushed into the sorting bins. Connectors secure the drop cover to the overall frame; both sides of the connector have mounting holes for screw fixation.

[0012] The rotating drum assembly consists of a separation partition, a sorting drum body, a bearing housing, bearings, a drive shaft, a fixed bracket, a motor bracket, and a reduction motor. The bearing housing is mounted on the overall frame below the sorting platform and has three through holes for mounting, securing it to the frame with screws. One side of the drive shaft mates with the bearing, and the other side mates with the fixed bracket; the end mating with the fixed bracket has a keyway. The fixed bracket is installed on the upper and lower sides of the separation partition, providing fixed support. The fixed bracket has four slots, the width of which is approximately equal to the thickness of the partition. The fixed bracket also features a hollow design for weight reduction. The mounting bracket has through holes at its slots, allowing the separation partitions to be secured with screws and nuts. Each separation partition consists of four equal-sized flat plates with a perforated design for weight reduction. Through holes are located on the inner side where they mate with the mounting bracket, and removable blocks are installed on the outer side to support the sorting bins and prevent them from detaching due to centrifugal force during rotation. One sorting bin is positioned at each interval of the separation partition. Each sorting bin is a hollow cylinder with a bottom, resembling a fan shape when viewed from above. It is transparent, allowing direct observation of the waste sorting process. The four sorting bins can be combined to form a complete circle, and each bin is independent and detachable. A motor bracket is mounted at the bottom of the overall frame below the bins. The motor bracket has four through holes for screws to secure it to the overall frame. A geared motor is mounted on the motor bracket, and its extension shaft engages with the mounting bracket below via a keyway. The geared motor provides power to rotate the sorting bins within the separation partitions to the designated positions.

[0013] The control assembly consists of a power supply, a host computer, a motor controller, a motor driver, and a display screen. The control assembly processes image information captured by the camera and controls the motor by sending and receiving signals, thereby enabling the automatic waste sorting mechanism to operate. The power supply provides power; the host computer, motor controller, and motor driver are responsible for signal transmission and processing; the display screen shows functions and status, and the user interacts with the system via on-screen buttons.

[0014] The overall frame is constructed of profiles, forming a cuboid shape. Five sides are enclosed by transparent panels, and one side has a transparent cabinet door. The entire structure can be divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. An image recognition module is installed on the top surface of the upper layer, and a rectangular opening on the top panel allows for the placement of waste awaiting sorting. The middle layer frame houses the coordinate positioning mechanism, the telescopic push rod mechanism, and the storage platform. The coordinate positioning mechanism is located above the storage platform at a certain distance. The bottom layer contains the rotating bin assembly, with the control assembly located in the available space on the side. The control unit's wiring and controller do not interfere with the rotating bin assembly.

[0015] When using this utility model, the operator first places the garbage to be sorted into the designated area of ​​the storage platform through the loading port, and then clicks the screen button to start. The automatic garbage sorting system works automatically through the pre-trained pattern and image recognition technology. By analyzing and judging the type of garbage, the actuator pushes different types of garbage into the corresponding sorting bins in sequence, thereby achieving the purpose of sorting and recycling.

[0016] After the waste sorting operation is completed, the cabinet door of the automatic waste sorting device can be opened, and the detachable sorting bins can be taken out in sequence for further recycling of the sorted waste. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the automatic waste sorting device and the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point A in Figure 1;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the rotating bin assembly in the automatic waste sorting device;

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage platform in the automatic waste sorting device.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Cabinet door, 2. Horizontal slide rail, 3. Fixing component (longitudinal), 4. Fixing component (horizontal), 5. Slide rail support rod (longitudinal), 6. Longitudinal slide rail, 7. Upper baffle, 8. Pulley, 9. Belt, 10. Stepper motor (longitudinal 1), 11. Camera, 12. LED light, 13. Support component, 14. Stepper motor (longitudinal 2), 15. Control assembly, 16. Overall frame, 17. Structural component, 18. Mounting bracket, 19. Gear, 20. Slide rail support rod (horizontal), 21. Self-locking motor, 22. Rack, 23. Fixing slider, 24. Slide rod, 25. Positioning block, 26. Push plate, 27. Sorting bin body, 28. Sorting partition, 29. Bearing seat, 30. Bearing, 31. Drive shaft. 32. Fixed bracket (upper part), 33. Stop block, 34. Gear motor, 35. Motor bracket, 36. Fixed bracket (lower part), 37. Drop cover plate, 38. Positioning enclosure plate, 39. Placement surface, 40. Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0022] As shown in Figures 1-4, an automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition consists of an image acquisition and recognition module, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a telescopic push rod mechanism, a sorting platform, a rotating bin assembly, a control assembly 15, and an overall frame 16.

[0023] The image acquisition and recognition module consists of a camera 11 and an LED light 12, both of which are mounted on the top of the overall frame 16.

[0024] The coordinate positioning mechanism consists of a longitudinal slide rail 6, a transverse slide rail 2, a stepper motor (longitudinal 1) 10, a stepper motor (longitudinal 2) 14, pulleys 8, and a belt 9. The stepper motors (longitudinal 1) 10 and (longitudinal 2) 14 are located at the ends of the longitudinal slide rails. The stepper motors (longitudinal 1) 10 and (longitudinal 2) 14 at the ends of the longitudinal slide rail 6 are fixed, while the self-locking motor 21 at the transverse slide rail 2 is movable with the telescopic push rod mechanism. The pulleys 8 and belt 9 have teeth and are respectively installed at the shaft extensions of the stepper motors (longitudinal 1) 10, (longitudinal 2) 14, the end fixing components (longitudinal) 3 of the longitudinal slide rail 6, and the end fixing components (transverse) 4 of the transverse slide rail 2. A slide rail support rod (longitudinal) 5 is located between the end fixing components (longitudinal) 3 and passes through the end fixing components (transverse) 4, and a slide rail support rod (transverse) 20 is located between the end fixing components (transverse) 4.

[0025] The telescopic push rod mechanism consists of a self-locking motor 21, a gear 19, a rack 22, a fixed slider 23, a slide rod 24, a push plate 26, a positioning block 25, a mounting bracket 18, and a structural component 17. The self-locking motor 21 is fixed on the mounting bracket 18. The extension shaft of the self-locking motor 21 is connected to the gear 19 via a key connection. The lower half of the rack 22 has a threaded hole for fixing to the positioning block 25. The lower end of the rack 22 has a plug-in protrusion for engaging with the push plate 26. The fixed slider 23 is fixed on the right side of the mounting bracket 18. The upper end of the slide rod 24 engages with the shaft hole of the rack 22 and is limited by the shaft retaining ring. The lower end engages with the shaft hole of the positioning block 25 and is positioned by the depth of the blind hole of the positioning block. The slide rod 24 passes through the fixed slider 23. The left side of the positioning block 25 is connected to the rack 22 through a through hole. The right side of the positioning block 25 is positioned with the slide rod 24 through a blind hole. The self-locking motor 21, gear 19, rack 22, and fixed slider 23 are set on the mounting bracket 18. The mounting bracket 18 is set at the transverse slide rail 2 via the structural component 17 and the slide rail support rod (transverse) 20. The positioning block 25 is fixed above the lower half of the rack 22, and the push plate 26 is connected to the lower end of the rack 22; the structural component 17 is fixed behind the mounting bracket 18.

[0026] The sorting platform consists of a placement plane 39, positioning panels 38, a drop cover 37, connectors 41, and support members 13. The positioning panels 38 are vertically positioned above the placement plane 39, and there are three of them. The placement plane 39 is fixed to the overall frame 16 with screws. The drop cover 37 is located on the left side of the placement platform 39 and consists of four trapezoidal flat plates. The connectors 41 fix the drop cover 37 to the overall frame 16 with screws.

[0027] The rotating bin assembly consists of a separation partition 28, sorting bins 27, a geared motor 34, a bearing housing 29, a bearing 30, a drive shaft 31, an upper fixed bracket 32, a lower fixed bracket 36, and a motor bracket 35. The bearing housing 30 is mounted on the lower frame 16 of the sorting platform. The drive shaft 31 engages with the bearing 30 on one side and with the upper fixed bracket 32 ​​on the other. The upper and lower fixed brackets 32 and 36 are respectively mounted on the upper and lower sides of the separation partition 28, which consists of four equal-sized flat plates. Each interval of the separation partition 28 contains a sorting bin 27, with a removable stop block 33 mounted on its outer side. The motor bracket 35 is mounted at the bottom of the lower frame 16, and the geared motor 34 is mounted on the motor bracket 35.

[0028] The overall frame 16 is rectangular, with five sides enclosed by transparent panels and one side fitted with a transparent cabinet door 1. The entire structure can be divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. The upper layer has a rectangular opening on the top panel 7. The middle layer houses a coordinate positioning mechanism, a telescopic push rod mechanism, and a storage platform. The lower layer contains a rotating barrel assembly, with a control assembly 15 located in the side gaps.

[0029] An image recognition-based automatic waste sorting device and its working process and principle: Several pieces of waste to be sorted are placed through the placement port of the top baffle 7 on the upper layer of the device into a designated area surrounded by three positioning plates 38 on the placement plane 39. After placement, the start button of the control assembly 15 is pressed, and the device begins to perform automatic sorting.

[0030] Camera 11 takes pictures of the waste to be sorted and transmits the images to the host computer in the control assembly 15. The host computer analyzes the images and calculates the optimal sorting order, then sends instructions to the motor controller sequentially. The controller outputs a signal to the driver, causing the reducer motor 34, which rotates the sorting bin 27, to rotate at a suitable angle, so that the sorting bin 27 is aligned with the discharge port of the discharge cover 37. At the same time, based on the coordinate position of the items to be sorted, the motor controller controls the stepper motors (longitudinal 1) 10 and (longitudinal 2) 14 at the ends of the longitudinal slide rail 6, which in turn move the belt 9 via the pulley 8 at the end of the motor extension shaft, further displacing the telescopic push rod mechanism above the waste to be sorted. Once this coordinate is reached, the motor controller sends another instruction to control the self-locking motor 21 in the telescopic push rod mechanism to rotate a certain number of times. The gear 19 at the shaft extension of the self-locking motor 21 rotates synchronously with the output shaft of the self-locking motor 21, transmitting motion to the meshing rack 22 for downward displacement. When the push plate 26 below the rack 22 contacts the placement plane 39, the self-locking motor 21 stops rotating. At this time, the push plate 26 is located on the right side of the item to be sorted, about 2mm away from its outer edge. The motor controller then sends another command to control the stepper motor (longitudinal 1) 10 and stepper motor (longitudinal 2) 14 at the end of the longitudinal slide rail 6 to rotate. The teeth of the pulley 8 and the belt 9 mesh with each other to transmit power, controlling the belt 8 to move so that the push plate 26 pushes the waste to be sorted to the left, causing the waste to be sorted to fall off the placement plane 39 and into the sorting bin 27 below. This completes the sorting of the first item. The sorting process described above is repeated. The controller sequentially controls the stepper motor (longitudinal 1) 10, the stepper motor (longitudinal 2) 14 at the end of the longitudinal slide rail 2, the reducer motor 34 below the sorting bin body 27, and the self-locking motor 21 at the telescopic push rod mechanism. The controller gradually completes the coordinate positioning of the telescopic push rod mechanism, the rotation of the corresponding sorting bin body 27, and the vertical displacement of the push plate 26 at the end of the rack 22. The three actions work together to complete a series of sorting operations.

[0031] The sorting order of waste on the placement plane 39 is determined by a relevant algorithm. The placement plane 39 is divided into several squares of equal size, evenly distributed. The squares along the long side are defined as rows, with the one closest to the drop-off point being the first row; the squares along the wide side are defined as columns, with the one closest to the control assembly 15 being the first column. Initially, the waste to be sorted is randomly distributed on the upper surface of the placement platform 39 (it may fall in a square or on a square line). Based on the proportion of the square area occupied by the outer contour of the waste, the coordinates of the push plate 26 of the telescopic push rod mechanism that performs the sorting are determined. The coordinates should fall to the right of the waste to ensure that the push plate 26 can smoothly sweep a piece of waste into the sorting bin 27 without interference or affecting adjacent waste.

[0032] The coordinate positioning of push plate 26 is based on the divided grid, following the principle of "row first, then column, small first, then large". It searches step by step from the area with smaller row and column numbers. If an item is on a grid line, the area ratio of its corresponding grid is analyzed and determined to decide the sorting order of the items.

[0033] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate and not limit the technical solutions of this utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Any modifications or partial substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition, comprising an image acquisition and recognition module, a coordinate positioning mechanism, a telescopic push rod mechanism, a sorting platform, a rotating bin assembly, a control assembly, and an overall frame, characterized in that: The image acquisition and recognition module includes a camera and LED lights, mounted on top of the overall frame. The coordinate positioning mechanism has a set of fixed longitudinal slide rails and a movable transverse slide rail, powered by a stepper motor, which drives the telescopic push rod mechanism via belt transmission. The telescopic push rod mechanism moves on the longitudinal slide rails, and a self-locking motor is fixed to the mounting frame. The self-locking motor's extension shaft connects to a gear via a key to transmit torque. The gear meshes with a rack, causing the push plate at the end of the rack to extend and retract vertically. The sorting platform has three vertically distributed positioning panels on one side, forming a waste placement area. A waste drop cover is installed on the other side to limit the waste drop area. The rotating bin assembly consists of four separating partitions that divide the four different sorting bins, each independent. A reduction motor is installed under a fixed bracket below each sorting bin, controlling its rotation. The control assembly has a display screen and buttons to control the start of the sorting device. The overall frame is constructed of profiles and consists of three layers: upper, middle, and lower, each with unequal height.

2. The automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the telescopic push rod mechanism, the rack has a limited displacement range. The distance the rack can move is determined by mechanical limiting. The self-locking motor can provide a certain self-locking torque. When the motor stops, the rack with the push plate will not slide down due to gravity.

3. The automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the sorting platform, the drop cover is made up of four trapezoidal plates, forming a funnel shape. The plane containing the long base of the trapezoidal plate that is in contact with the placement platform is not higher than the upper surface of the placement plane, so that the garbage will not encounter jamming or obstruction when it is pushed down into the sorting bin.

4. The automatic waste sorting device based on image recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the rotating bin assembly, each sorting bin is independent and detachable, and is transparent, allowing direct observation of the internal waste accumulation. The separation partition has a lightweight hollow design, with mounting holes at corresponding positions on its inner and outer edges to securely engage with the fixing bracket and the stop block. The fixing bracket has a fixing slot, the width of which is adapted to the thickness of the separation partition.

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