TL;DR
- The camera must see the entire waste stream at the moment it falls into the hopper. That matters more than the exact spot on the truck.
- Four criteria determine the set-up: a view of the whole dump, protection against weather and dirt, enough light and no hindrance to the lift or the driver.
- Each vehicle type needs its own solution. With D4T, the team looks at each truck to decide where the camera and lighting go.
Anyone considering AI waste recognition often asks where the camera goes. At the top of the hopper? By the lift? On the side? That depends on the vehicle. What does not change are the criteria a good set-up must meet.
Criterion 1: the camera sees the entire dump
Computer vision can only recognise what comes into view. So the camera must see the whole waste stream, from the first to the last second of the lift. A camera that sees only part of the loading opening misses material at the edges.
D4T analyses 40 images per second. That only makes sense if each of those images shows the entire stream. That is why the choice of position goes together with the choice of lens and angle.
Criterion 2: sheltered from rain, dust and dirt
A refuse truck is one of the harshest environments for electronics: vibration, dust, splashing water and changing temperatures. With D4T, the camera sits in a dedicated housing and is usually partly sheltered. The system keeps working until the lens is completely covered with water.
The more sheltered the spot, the less often the lens needs cleaning and the more stable the images.
Criterion 3: enough light, even at 4 a.m.
Many rounds start at 3 or 4 in the morning. Without lighting, a camera sees little then. That is why the set-up includes optimised lighting that illuminates the waste stream evenly, without harsh shadows or reflections on shiny film.
Criterion 4: no hindrance to how the truck works
Camera, lighting and cabling must not get in the way of the lift, the compactor or maintenance. The driver must be able to do his job as before. The installation must also stay short: with D4T it takes less than 4 hours on average.
A different solution for each vehicle type
The criteria stay the same, but the details differ per loading system.
| Vehicle type | What happens during the lift | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rear loader | Containers and bags go into the hopper at the back | View of the loading opening at the back, protection against splashing dirt |
| Side loader | The arm tips containers along the side | The movement of the arm must not block the image |
| Front loader | Large commercial containers go over the cab into the hopper | A view from above of a large stream in a short time |
Milieu Service Nederland chose AI cameras at the back of its rear loaders. For another fleet, a different set-up may work better.
Why this is tailored work
D4T works with wheelie bins, bags and commercial containers, and on different types of collection vehicles thanks to a modular design. The Rematics team works out with you which set-up works best. In the frequently asked questions you can read how the system performs in rain, low light and with dirty bags.
Want to know how D4T fits your vehicles? See the technology and hardware or request a demo.