Trash Removal from Water Surface with Unmanned Boat Using Deep Learning Technique

The survival of all living creatures on Earth is dependent on water. It regulates the Earth's surface and human body temperature. Additionally, it delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells, alleviates joint pain, protects organs and tissues, and eliminates waste. Sadly, population growth, deforestation, and global warming are making water less available. Excessive water use can also lead to pollution and the extinction of all life forms. People will physically remove the floating waste from covered water bodies, including temple ponds and swimming pools, but this is time consuming and labor intensive, as such places can accumulate a lot of rubbish each day. Covering larger areas is difficult with tools limited to the edges. This project aims to develop a specialized unmanned boat for efficient trash collection to address plastic pollution in confined water bodies. The unmanned boat operates in both remote- controlled and autonomous modes, integrating DC motors and a microcontroller. In autonomous mode, onboard cameras and Python-based computer vision algorithms enable real-time waste identification and navigation. This versatile technology promises to enhance waste collection efforts and environmental conservation significantly, leading to more sustainable water management practices.