March 30, 2017

Clarifai Featured Hack: Trashifai is a Smart Trash Can that Auto-Sorts Recyclables

Table of Contents:

Trashifai is a smart trash can that takes the guesswork out of saving our environment. Using Clarifai’s Custom Training product, Trashifai learns about your trash and automatically sorts it into recyclables and non-recyclables.

Climate change is the most important issue facing our generation and poses an actual existential threat to humanity. Studies have shown that recycling and waste reduction are actually very much related to climate change, which is why Trashifai is such a cool and necessary hack. Trashifai is a smart trash can (or bin, as they say across the pond) that automatically sorts recyclables and non-recyclables, helping take the guesswork out of saving our environment. When the can is full, it then notifies waste disposal authorities to come pick it up!

 

 

WHY WE ❤ IT
We believe everyone should do their part to help prevent climate change, but we also understand that sometimes recycling can get confusing with all the different types of materials that can now be recycled. We love Trashifai because it helps reduce friction for people who want to recycle. Using artificial intelligence to improve life is part of our company mission, and using artificial intelligence to prevent climate change certainly fits the bill! Check out the live demo or the GitHub repo to learn more!

HOW YOU DO IT
We caught up with Adam, Janus, Natalie, Shi Kai to talk about their inspiration for Trashifai.

Clarifai: What inspired your idea for Trashifai?
Team: We wanted to do our little bit for the environment but we felt stumped when we had to choose which bin to toss our trash in. What if we threw it in the wrong bin?

How did you build the app?
We built our smart bin with Arduino, Python and, of course, Clarifai! We used an Arduino Uno to connect a servo motor and ultrasound sensors. We made a Python script to allow the Arduino to communicate with my Macbook to call the Clarifai API and return its classification.

What was the best part about working with the Clarifai API?
It was really simple using the API. Training and testing the model is really seamless with all the backend work done for us. The API makes machine learning a simple and frustration-free experience and allows for easy connectivity with apps. Also, working with friends and not having to worry that your trash will mess up the system was great, too!

 

Thanks for sharing, Trashifai team!

 

To learn more, check out our documentation and sign-up for a free Clarifai account to start using our API – all it takes is three lines of code to get up and running! We’re super excited to share all the cool things built by our developer community, so don’t forget to tweet @Clarifai to show us your apps.


And give Adam, Janus, Natalie, and Shi Kai some props in the comments below. Until next time!

 Artificial Intelligence Glossary, 2021 Edition