Bruxelles-Propreté s'associe à l'intelligence artificielle pour repérer les déchets

Summary

The city of Brussels is experimenting with an innovative AI-based cleanliness device to detect and quantify litter. Four trucks have been equipped with cameras that can analyze the cleanliness of streets, identifying waste and categorizing areas by color: red for dirty, green for clean, and blue for very clean. This technology aims to provide a more objective view of cleanliness levels, allowing for better allocation of resources in terms of manpower and equipment. The experiment covers 337 km of streets across 10 municipalities, including Brussels, and will run for nearly a week, six days out of seven. The initial phase involves monitoring the accuracy of the device without altering current cleaning techniques. The second phase will involve implementing projects to measure improvements against the initial state, using a map for reference. A comprehensive analysis of the solution's effectiveness will be conducted in collaboration with regional partners. Despite certain municipalities like Underlecht, Molenbeek, and Schaerbeek not being part of the experiment, the results are still deemed relevant. The experiment will continue until July 18th, with a dialogue on waste management with municipal partners set to begin post-experiment.

Takeaways

• 🚛 Brussels Cleanliness has equipped four trucks with cameras to detect waste, using artificial intelligence.
• 📈 The program aims to objectively measure cleanliness and identify areas needing more human and material resources.
• 📍 The solution will be tested on 337 km of roads, nearly 6 days a week.
• 🤖 Without an automated AI tool, achieving these results would require significant deployment of resources.
• 🔍 The AI assesses waste by color: red for dirty, green for clean, and blue for very clean.
• 📊 This color-coded information helps find appropriate solutions for each situation.
• 📝 The first phase involves analyzing the current situation without changing cleaning techniques and monitoring the device's accuracy.
• 🔄 The second phase is about implementing projects to verify the difference between the initial state and improvements through a map.
• 🤝 A complete analysis of the solution's interest will be done with partners in the region.
• 🏙️ The city of Charleroi has already adopted the device, and the experiment covers 10 municipalities including Brussels.
• 🚫 Underlecht, Molenbeek, and Schaerbeek, which were identified as the dirtiest in 2018, are not part of the experiment.
• 🔗 The relevance of the results is not diminished for Brussels Cleanliness, and all communes will be considered for collaboration post-experiment.
• 📅 The experiment will run until July 18th, and dialogue with municipal partners for waste management will start after the summer break.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the experimental device based on artificial intelligence used in Brussels?

The purpose of the experimental device is to detect litter and objectively assess cleanliness, which will help in identifying areas that require more human and material resources.

How many trucks have been equipped with the camera system for this experiment?

Four trucks have been equipped with the camera system.

What is the expected outcome of using artificial intelligence in this project?

The use of artificial intelligence is expected to provide a more precise vision of cleanliness levels, enabling better allocation of resources and potentially reducing the need for deploying considerable manual efforts.

How long will the solution be experimented on the streets?

The solution will be experimented on the streets for nearly 6 days a week.

What is the total length of the streets that will be covered in this experiment?

The experiment will cover 337 kilometers of streets.

How does the system categorize the cleanliness of an area?

The system categorizes areas by color: red for dirty, green for clean, and blue for very clean.

What is the first phase of the experiment?

The first phase involves analyzing the current situation without changing any cleaning techniques and monitoring the accuracy of the device.

What is the second phase of the experiment?

The second phase involves setting up projects to verify the difference between the initial situation and the improvement through the use of a map.

What will be done in the final phase of the experiment?

In the final phase, a complete analysis of the interest of the solution will be conducted in collaboration with regional partners.

Which city has already adopted this device?

The city of Charleroi has already adopted this device.

How many communes are covered by the experiment in Brussels?

The experiment covers 10 communes, including Brussels, Jette, and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.

What will happen after the experiment concludes?

After the experiment concludes on July 18th, there will be a dialogue with municipal partners for waste management starting in the fall.

Why is it important to include areas that are not part of the experiment in the final analysis?

Including areas not part of the experiment in the final analysis helps to draw broader conclusions and potentially apply the findings to a wider range of situations, even those not directly involved in the initial testing.