Artificial Intelligence for the Classification of Plastic Waste Utilizing TinyML on Low-Cost Embedded Systems

BCG's implementation of the economy makes Thailand more environmentally conscious. The consolidation policy encourages consumers to eliminate single-use plastics using the 3Rs. This article introduces a solution to reduce plastic waste drastically using artificial intelligence. Utilizing a low-cost Arducam Pico4ML embedded device and TinyML, a plastic waste classifying system prototype is developed for plastic bottle segregation. The grayscale image datasets of PET, HDPE plastic bottles, and unknown objects are adjusted in the image pre-processing state and utilized to create trained models using MobileNetV2 convolutional-based neural network algorithms. Effective feature extraction and model training are performed on the Edge Impulse platform, and the trained model is exported to an embedded device using the optimized compiler. A further RS485 Modbus communication protocol feature enables integration with a programmable logic controller (PLC). The validation results of the trained model indicate a classification performance of 100% accuracy. Based on the average precision results, it is notable that the trained model can recognize the most common waste with an average accuracy of over 90%. The minimum classification rate of the MobileNetV2 quantized model is 249 milliseconds. It is also implemented in low-cost embedded devices for real-time plastic waste classification using fewer processing resources (185.4K ROM and 88K RAM). The findings exhibit sequential contributions that satisfy the criteria for classifying plastic bottles and the machine's integration capacity. These outcomes are anticipated to foster social shifts in behavior and enhance public awareness about plastic waste management.