Refuse Vehicle Object Detection and Sorting System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refuse vehicle systems lack efficient methods for detecting and separating specific objects from regular refuse, leading to contamination and inefficient waste management.
Innovation Solution
A refuse vehicle equipped with cameras, processing circuitry, and a robotic arm implement that uses image data to detect specific objects and move them to a separate compartment or reject them back to the customer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual sorting of refuse is used, then separation of specific objects can be achieved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sorting with an automated vision-based detection system. Cameras capture images of refuse in the hopper, processing circuitry analyzes the images to identify specific objects, and a robotic arm automatically removes detected objects. This substitution of manual labor with automated systems resolves the contradiction by significantly improving sorting efficiency while reducing time consumption through parallel processing of multiple refuse items.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the refuse vehicle to perform self-sorting without external intervention. The onboard cameras, processing circuitry, and robotic arm work autonomously to detect, identify, and separate specific objects from the refuse stream. This self-service capability eliminates dependency on manual labor while maintaining continuous operation, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing time loss.
2Productivity
If all refuse is collected in a single compartment, then collection speed is maximized, but contamination occurs when specific objects need separate disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refuse storage into multiple compartments: a primary hopper for receiving all refuse, and secondary compartments for storing separated specific objects. The robotic arm transfers detected objects from the hopper to appropriate secondary compartments. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high collection speed in the primary hopper while ensuring accurate disposal through dedicated storage areas for different refuse types, thereby resolving the contradiction between collection speed and disposal accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts specific objects from the mixed refuse stream in the hopper and places them in separate compartments. The vision system identifies target objects, and the robotic arm removes them from the general refuse flow. This extraction process enables the main collection operation to proceed at high speed while simultaneously ensuring that specific objects requiring different disposal methods are separated, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
3Measurement precision
If a robotic arm is added for object separation, then sorting precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is designed with multi-functionality to justify its addition to the system. It performs multiple tasks: precisely grasping detected objects, navigating to different destination compartments, and placing objects accurately. The same robotic mechanism serves both detection verification and physical separation functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, thereby improving detection and sorting precision while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
4Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are positioned to monitor the hopper, then detection capability improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system implements partial monitoring rather than continuous full-field observation. Cameras are positioned to capture only the relevant portions of the hopper where refuse is actively being deposited and where specific objects are most likely to be found. The processing circuitry activates image analysis selectively when objects are detected or during active loading phases. This partial action approach maintains high detection accuracy for critical areas while reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous full-hopper monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A refuse vehicle includes a body, a hopper, a robotic arm implement, multiple cameras, and processing circuitry. The body defines a pair of refuse compartments. The hopper receives refuse and direct the refuse into one of the pair of refuse compartments. The cameras are positioned at the hopper. The processing circuitry obtains image data of the hopper from the cameras. The processing circuitry detects an object to be separated from other refuse in the hopper based on the image data. The processing circuitry is also configured to operate the robotic arm implement to move the object from a first part of the hopper to a second part of the hopper for storage in one of the pair of refuse compartments separate from other refuse. The processing circuitry may be configured to obtain at least part of the image data from a camera positioned within a customer's refuse container.