AI-powered System Achieves 85% Accuracy in Sorting Waste
The Indian government has been grappling with the crisis of urban waste management for quite some time now. The country generates over 62 million tons of waste every year, with the majority of it ending up in landfills. This not only poses a significant environmental threat but also has severe health implications for the citizens. In a breakthrough that could revolutionize urban waste management, researchers have developed an AI-powered system that can sort waste with an impressive 85% accuracy.
The innovative system utilizes VGG16 for feature extraction and Random Forest for classification, fine-tuned with Cat Swarm Optimization. This cutting-edge technology has the potential to ensure efficient recycling and significantly reduce dependence on landfills.
The research was conducted by a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). They designed a machine learning-based system that can identify different types of waste, including recyclable materials, biodegradable waste, and non-biodegradable waste.
The system works by first capturing images of the waste using a camera. These images are then fed into the VGG16 feature extractor, which identifies the key features of the waste. The extracted features are then input into the Random Forest classifier, which uses the identified features to classify the waste into different categories.
To further improve the accuracy of the system, the researchers used Cat Swarm Optimization, a metaheuristic algorithm that simulates the swarming behavior of cats. This algorithm allows the system to adapt to new data and learn from its mistakes, making it more accurate over time.
The results of the research are impressive, with the system achieving an accuracy rate of 85%. This is a significant improvement over traditional waste sorting methods, which often rely on manual sorting and can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.
The potential impact of this technology is vast. With the ability to sort waste efficiently and accurately, cities can reduce their dependence on landfills and increase the amount of recyclable materials that are diverted from waste streams. This can help to conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize the environmental impact of waste disposal.
The system also has the potential to create new jobs and stimulate economic growth. As cities begin to rely more heavily on recycling and waste management, there will be a growing need for skilled workers who can operate and maintain the AI-powered sorting systems.
In addition to its environmental and economic benefits, the AI-powered waste sorting system also has the potential to improve public health. By reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, cities can reduce the risk of disease and improve the overall quality of life for their citizens.
The success of this research is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration. By bringing together experts from the fields of computer science, engineering, and environmental science, the researchers were able to develop a technology that has the potential to make a significant impact on urban waste management.
As the Indian government continues to grapple with the crisis of urban waste management, the development of this AI-powered waste sorting system is a welcome breakthrough. With its ability to sort waste efficiently and accurately, this technology has the potential to revolutionize urban waste management and help to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for the citizens of India.
Source:
https://researchmatters.in/news/new-smart-waste-sorting-tech-could-clean-cities-ai
