Autonomous Boat: Floating Trash Collector and Classifier

The rapid growth of floating trash in water bodies poses a significant environmental challenge worldwide, necessitating innovative solutions for efficient collection and management. Previous approaches, often relying on manual labor or stationary collection systems, have proven limited in scope and effectiveness. Some researchers have explored remote-controlled boats for trash detection and retrieval; however, these lack the autonomy and versatility required for comprehensive trash collection. This project addresses these limitations by combining autonomous navigation capabilities with a robust trash collection mechanism. By integrating GPS and intelligent sensors, our boat can autonomously navigate water bodies, and detect, and collect floating trash, and separate waste into metal and non-metal categories using an inductive proximity sensor. Additionally, the system features a backtracking capability to return to its original position for efficient waste disposal. The scalability and adaptability of our system holds promise for addressing water pollution on a larger scale, contributing to efforts toward cleaner and healthier aquatic ecosystems.