Smart Plastic Bottles Waste-Management System

I designed and built a Smart Plastic Bottles Waste-Management System, which operates like a reverse vending machine. This project aims to encourage the proper disposal of plastic bottles with caps intact, in line with the EU single-use plastic Directive 2019/904. By implementing this system, I hope to raise awareness about proper recycling practices and reduce plastic waste.

List of Supplies:

• 5mm plywood (600mmX450mm)
• Cardboard
• Raspberry Pi 5
• Freenove project kit (GPIO buttons, Servo Motor, NeoPixel Ring Light and LCD)
• HD Webcam (USB Camera)
• wires
• Laser cutting machine

Collect and prepare datasets i.e bottles-dataset for training the AI model to detect plastic bottles and their caps. Use online datasets available on Roboflow Universe. EXport the dataset and Train a YOLOv8 Object Detection model using these datasets to accurately identify bottles with caps intact.

Connect to the Raspberry Pi via bluetooth. Use Neopixel light to be used as a light source inside the box. Write a program to the Raspberry Pi. The program would use the trained AI model(stored in PC) to detect plastic bottles and check if the cap is intact. If the conditions are met, the bottle is accepted; otherwise, it is rejected. Implement the code to control the servo motors and display messages on the LCD screen

For my project code, refer to my Github repository.

Design the outer box structure using 5mm plywood. The dimensions should be 50x40cm in height and 40x40cm in width. Use laser cutting tools to make precise cuts for the plywood

Create the inner platform using cardboard. The platform will have two planks: the front plank is fixed, and the back plank is hinged at the top and controlled by a servo motor for movement.

Mount the Raspberry Pi and project board on top of the box. Connect the servo motors to control the platform movement.Mount Neopixel light (set to white on all 8 lights) inside at the top of box. Attach the HD Webcam inside the box facing the bottle inlet. Install the Freenove project kit LCD to display status messages.

Place the assembled box structure over a dustbin, ensuring the support pieces are stable. Connect all the electronic components and test the system.

Test the system with various plastic bottles to ensure accurate detection and proper functioning. Calibrate the sensors and adjust the program as needed.