2024 5th International Conference on Intelligent Communication Technologies and Virtual Mobile Networks (ICICV)

An IoT-based System and Method of Autonomous

Robots for Garbage Collection in
Smart Cities
2024 5th International Conference on Intelligent Communication Technologies and Virtual Mobile Networks (ICICV) | 979-8-3503-8564-9/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICICV62344.2024.00143

Om M. Ushir Priya R. Jadhav Nikhil S. Patankar

Department of Information Technology Department of Information Technology Department of Information Technology
Sanjivani College of Engineering, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Sanjivani College of Engineering,
Savitribai Phule Pune University Savitribai Phule Pune University Savitribai Phule Pune University
Pune, India Pune, India Pune, India
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract— The emergence of smart cities signifies a infrastructure, IoT systems provide a new approach for
paradigm shift in urban development, prioritizing efficiency, monitoring waste container fill levels, optimizing
sustainability, and improved quality of life. This research collection routes, and reducing operational costs.
study proposes an innovative approach to revolutionize the Simultaneously, autonomous robots have evolved into
process of urban waste collection by leveraging the versatile, capable, and adaptable machines, holding the
capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous potential to revolutionize waste collection practices.
robotics. The integration of IoT technology with autonomous
robots for urban waste collection is analyzed, enabling these The combination of IoT and autonomous robots
robots to operate with increased efficiency by navigating enable waste collection processes that are not only highly
smart cities, identifying, and collecting waste containers with efficient but also sustainable. Equipped with IoT
minimal human intervention. Through a comprehensive capabilities, autonomous robots navigate the urban
review of existing literature, this study evaluates the current landscapes autonomously for identifying waste containers,
state of waste management in smart cities, emphasizing the collecting refuse, and optimizing routes, all with minimal
need for smart solutions. This study reviews the complexities human intervention. This research study initiates a
of IoT-based systems, highlighting the role of sensors, data comprehensive exploration of existing literature and the
analysis, and real-time monitoring. current state of waste management in smart cities,
emphasizing the compelling need for developing
Keywords— Internet of Things(IoT), Smarty city, Waste innovative solutions.
management, Urban development, Real-time data systems,
The utilization of IoT-based systems for smart waste
Human-robot collaboration.
management is analyzed by highlighting the crucial roles
played by sensors, data analysis, and real-time
I. INTRODUCTION monitoring. Additionally, this study has explored the
potential of autonomous robots in waste collection,
The concept of smart cities has emerged as a
exploring various robot designs and their practical
transformative force in urban development, driven by the
capabilities. This study creates a dynamic, responsive, and
vision of developing efficient, sustainable, and livable
highly efficient framework for waste collection in the
urban environments. This transformation necessitates the
urban environment.
need to optimize the waste management process by
incorporating effective waste collection and disposal This study introduces novel mechanisms for
strategies to ensure the well-being of city residents and leveraging data exchange, real-time monitoring, and
the preservation of environmental integrity. This research intelligent autonomous guidance, thereby emphasizing the
study introduces an innovative approach to revolutionize synergy between these technologies. As a demonstration
urban waste collection within the context of smart cities. of the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed
The proposed method leverages the integrated capabilities approach, this study presents the case studies and
of the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous robotics experiments conducted in real-time metropolitan
to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and overall conditions. The results of these investigations demonstrate
effectiveness of waste management systems. This the benefits of the IoT-based system and autonomous
intelligent approach addresses the evolving challenges of robots.
waste accumulation, operational inefficiencies, and
environmental concerns in densely populated II. LITERATURE REVIEW
metropolitan areas.
Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced new
The advent of IoT technology has brought about a possibilities for enhancing waste management systems in
significant paradigm shift in how cities can monitor and smart cities. The integration of IoT technology allows the
manage various urban functions, including waste efficient utilization of connected devices, enabling real-
management. By incorporating sensors, data analysis, and time data exchange and decision-making. Various IoT
real-time communication capabilities into urban applications are developed recently to address the

979-8-3503-8564-9/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE 871

DOI 10.1109/ICICV62344.2024.00143
Authorized licensed use limited to: K S Institute of Technology - Bengaluru. Downloaded on March 13,2025 at 07:48:30 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
challenges in diverse domains, such as energy efficiency,
connected vehicles, and smart agriculture.
i. Challenges in Waste Management:
A critical concern for smart cities, as highlighted
by existing research [14], is the surge in waste generation
with rapid urbanization. Effective waste management
faces two major challenges: waste collection and path
optimization. Waste collection necessitates proper
planning of routes by considering the environmental,
economic, and social factors. Additionally, optimizing the
path lengths is crucial to minimize the fuel costs and
reduce operational effort.
ii. Role of IoT in Waste Management:
IoT technology emerges as a pivotal tool for
building smart cities, providing a real-time solution to
solve waste management challenges. Notably, IoT devices
contribute by estimating the fill level of waste bins and
transmitting the data for decision-making [15–17]. This
real-time monitoring enhances the efficiency of waste
collection processes. FIGURE 1: TRADITIONAL WASTE COLLECTION FLOW
DIAGRAM
iii. Machine Learning in IoT-Based Waste Management:
The intersection of IoT and machine learning As urban areas are now adopting the concept of
(ML) introduces effective solutions for waste smart cities, there is an increasing need for developing
management. ML techniques, including regression, innovative solutions to revolutionize the process of waste
classification, clustering, and correlation rules perception, management. The current challenges faced by waste
offer valuable tools for analyzing the vast amounts of data collection systems highlight the need to develop more
collected by IoT devices [18, 19]. The interconnected
efficient and sustainable methods. Leveraging advanced
nature of IoT devices, coupled with their ability to trigger
events based on predefined conditions facilitates the technologies have become crucial in this context,
application of ML algorithms. providing an opportunity to enhance the overall
effectiveness of waste management processes.
iv. Human Intervention and IoT Autonomy:
IV. PROPOSED PROTOTYPE
Despite the potential of IoT-based waste
management systems, human intervention remains a Smart waste management solutions that integrate Internet
crucial element in analyzing the collected data and of Things (IoT) technology and autonomous robots are
deriving meaningful insights. The necessity for IoT emerging as transformative alternatives. These
devices to be self-sufficient, capable of making context- innovations aim to optimize waste collection by
based decisions and learning from data, underscores the strategically deploying IoT sensors within waste
evolving landscape of waste management systems [19]. receptacles and placed across representative smart city
III. EXISTING TECHNOLOGY environments. These sensors, selected for their precision
in measuring waste levels, are strategically placed to
In many cities, the traditional method of waste ensure accuracy and resilience in various environmental
collection involves manual labor for collecting and conditions.
loading waste into trucks by following a predetermined
schedule for collecting different types of waste, including The proposed methodology involves the development of a
recyclable materials and general waste. Despite attempts central system, which will act as the operational hub for
to introduce automation and real-time data systems, these the entire waste management solution. This central system
traditional approaches often prove inefficient and can collects and processes data from IoT sensors. The system
have negative environmental impacts. The reliance on integrates robust databases for efficient data storage and
manual labor and fixed schedules can result in suboptimal deploys analytical tools to facilitate continuous data
waste collection routes, leading to increased costs and processing and enable real-time decision-making.
potential harm to the environment.

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 navigation systems tailored for urban environments, and
robust safety mechanisms to secure the waste collection
The integration of autonomous robots into the tasks. With the central system in place and autonomous
waste management framework is a critical next step. robots integrated, the focus shifts to continuous data
These robots are carefully designed to possess a range of processing.
capabilities, including seamless sensor integration with

Roles of the sensors used: cellular network. It facilitates the transmission of

alerts and reception of instructions, enhancing remote
1. Ultrasonic sensor: The ultrasonic sensor checks how interaction capabilities.
much garbage is in the bin. It does this by sending out
sound waves and calculates how long it takes for the Complex algorithms are developed to analyze the

FIGURE 2: PROPOSED PROTOTYPE

sound waves to come back after bouncing off the generated data and optimize waste collection routes and
garbage. If there's a lot of garbage, it takes more time schedules based on information collected by IoT sensors.
for the waves to return. Simultaneously, attention is directed towards user
interface development for creating user-friendly
2. Weight sensor: The weight sensor in the bin checks interaction points for both waste management specialists
how heavy the garbage is. It sits at the bottom of the and residents. A mobile application is developed to allow
bin and senses the amount of force or pressure from the residents to interact with the waste management
the garbage on top of it to determine the weight. system, facilitating tasks like scheduling waste pickups,
receiving real-time notifications, and providing valuable
3. Arduino: The Arduino functions as a microcontroller feedback.
tasked with processing data received from various
sensors. It performs data analysis and executes Environmental impact monitoring is also
programmed logic, such as triggering alerts when introduced for systematically assessing the ecological
specific conditions, like reaching full bin capacity, outcomes of the system. This involves collecting the data
are met. related to reductions in fossil fuel emissions, fuel savings,
4. GPS: The GPS module is employed for geolocation and resource preservation, with the ultimate goal of
tracking of the garbage bin. This functionality proves showcasing the environmental sustainability of the
advantageous in waste management operations by proposed waste management solution.
facilitating route optimization based on precise
location data. IV. DISCUSSION
5. GSM: The GSM module is employed for
communication with the garbage bin through a

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 The integration of IoT technology with autonomous In the near future, the proposed prototype will transition
robots will leverage a revolutionary impact on urban from the developmental stage to real-time implementation
waste management. Notably, the proposed prototype can in a smart city environment. This implementation phase
achieve higher efficiency in route optimization. By will facilitate the evaluation of the system's performance
utilizing real-time data from IoT sensors embedded in in real-world scenarios, assessing its efficiency in waste
waste containers, the proposed prototype can dynamically collection, route optimization, and data accuracy.
adjust collection route by significantly reducing travel Simultaneously, data analysis becomes a critical activity,
distances and fuel consumption. This will not only result with the data gathered during the testing phase subjected
in more effective waste collection but also in a substantial to rigorous analysis by using statistical methods. A
thorough examination will be conducted to evaluate the
decrease in fossil fuel emissions, aligning with broader
overall effectiveness of the proposed system.
environmental sustainability objectives.
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