AI-Based River Cleaning Robot for Plastic Waste: Design, Development, and Implementation

Plastic waste contamination of rivers and other water bodies has become a pressing global environmental challenge. Conventional waste management techniques, which often rely on manual labour, are inefficient and struggle to handle the vast scale of pollution. This study introduces an AI-powered river-cleaning robot designed to autonomously identify, collect, and manage floating plastic waste to address this issue. The system enhances detection and waste retrieval efficiency by incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and computer vision. The robot utilizes advanced technologies such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and the YOLO (You Only Look Once) algorithm for real-time waste identification, while a conveyor belt mechanism facilitates efficient collection. Additionally, IoT-enabled monitoring ensures real-time data transmission and performance tracking. The robot uses a dual-energy system, combining a rechargeable battery with solar power to enhance sustainability. This innovative approach aims to minimize reliance on manual labour, improve the effectiveness of waste removal, and promote environmentally responsible waste management. Experimental evaluations confirm the system’s high accuracy in detecting and collecting plastic debris, demonstrating its potential as a scalable and efficient solution for river pollution control