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In this era when it is easy to abuse surveillance, the idea of installing cameras in strange places seems a bit creepy. In fact, even if the cameras are where they should be, you might be being watched.
The author must cover the web camera at home to prevent unscrupulous eyes from monitoring himself in his own home. So, when the author found that McDonald’s put a camera in their trash can, the author was a little confused. Why?
The first thought that the author came up with was that they might be people who want to grab the trash can, but what can be sold in the trash can of McDonald's? Maybe they put the camera in the trash can to catch the homeless, and they think this is a bad thing for those people.
But in fact, neither situation is true.
Camera installed in the trash can
Some McDonald’s stores are installing trash can cameras to help solve the country’s recycling problem. China stopped accepting millions of tons of recycled materials from the United States in 2017 because the recycled waste contains too many pollutants. Therefore, instead of stopping recycling projects, installing cameras to monitor what people throw away and manage garbage collection.
Source: unsplash
Pollution recovery problem
According to CNN, throwing non-recyclables (such as coffee cups and cardboard boxes) into the recycling bin together with recyclables will not be able to be recycled. Moreover, handling non-recyclable items is a major task. If the garbage mixed in the recycling process cannot be processed, it must be sent to the landfill, which is of course harmful to the environment.
How artificial intelligence fits into it
The company behind this process is Compology, a subsidiary of technical expert Jason Gates. It uses artificial intelligence to install cameras to monitor things thrown in the trash can in real time. If there are things that should not be thrown in the trash can, just An alert will be issued to the company, and then people from the company can go to the trash can to remove it.
This seems a bit overkill. We can directly explain to people the importance of littering to the place. There are signs and illustrations in the company where the author works, explaining what should be put in what box. But having said that, people don't always want to follow the direction.
How this technology works
According to Gates, the company uses advanced machine learning techniques to train its artificial intelligence system and uses neural networks to take photos 3-5 times a day. So far, more than 80 million images from 162,000 cameras have been processed.
The technology also tracks specific information about the trash can, such as how full the trash can is, when it is repaired, and what materials are put in. These data help companies manage costs and reduce their environmental impact.
Did you make it?
Gates said the company has seen a 60-80% reduction in non-recyclable pollutants processed in waste containers. AI cameras can point out six types of pollution in organic logistics, recycling and waste. In addition to McDonald's, other companies using this technology include Nordstrom, Capital One, Starbucks and ADT.
This service seems to cost more, but companies only need to pay $10-20 per month for each bin. This is undoubtedly a profit for the company, because the cost of garbage transportation saves $1,000 per year on each garbage bin.
Artificial intelligence can monitor when the trash can is full, and the company can wait until then to dump the trash instead of wasting money on the half-filled trash can.
Source: unsplash
How the U.S. can benefit from it
The US Environmental Protection Agency's goal is to increase the domestic recycling rate in the United States from 32% to 50% by 2030. Using artificial intelligence and cameras to clean up waste materials can help them achieve this goal. This means that the United States may be able to handle the recycling problem on its own instead of outsourcing it to other countries.
When more companies adopt this process, at least we will have "cleaner garbage."
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Compilation Team: Ma Chenfei, Zhou Ting
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https://medium.com/technology-hits/why-mcdonalds-is-using-artificial-intelligence-to-spy-on-its-dumpsters-85705a26cb29
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