Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: — This paper presents an autonomous robot that detects and collects litter in real time. The robot is designed for use in resource-limited urban environments in developing countries. Its main purpose is to automate the process of collecting waste and sorting it for recycling. It is made up of a combination of object detection using a raspberry pi camera module, autonomous navigation with ultrasonic sensors to measure the distance from obstacles, a YOLOv11 model to detect litter in real time and a custom robotic arm to collect the litter and sort it. Test results showed a detection accuracy of 87.87 %, with reliable navigation and collection performance. The system provides a practical and easy to scale solution for improving and supporting waste management in urban areas.
Authors: Samkeliso Suku Dube, Mitchel Nothabo Magotsi, Tinahe Peswa Dube
Institution: National University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413427528