Application ∣ AMobile Solutions Corp.

IoT Terminals Enable Intelligent Waste Management

Introduction

Garbage collection is an essential public service in modern-day life that is often taken for granted. Nonetheless, ensuring that our trash and recyclables are efficiently and properly collected and disposed of can be difficult and time-consuming, not to mention costly. By mounting the AMobile IoT-800 HMI panel onto the dashboard of each of its trucks, a waste management contractor in the United Kingdom was not only able to improve the overall efficiency of its waste collection fleet, but also ensure that recyclables, which were considered public assets according to local environmental regulations, were being properly processed by drivers.

Project Requirements

Ensuring that garbage collectors are indeed making their scheduled pick-ups in the most efficient manner possible is critical to keeping costs down, not just for municipal service providers, but also for the taxpayers who ultimately pay the bill. In addition to optimizing waste collection efficiency and ensuring that all the garbage trucks in the fleet are well-maintained so as to avoid costly repairs and downtime, the waste management company also had to ensure that recyclables were being properly handled and not illicitly unloaded and sold in violation of local environmental protection laws. What’s more, garbage collection is also a physically demanding job. Consequently, the company also needed a way to effectively monitor driver fatigue and other behaviors to ensure compliance with company and municipal policies, as well as to improve working conditions for drivers.

AMobile's Solution

By installing the AMobile IoT-800 on each garbage truck in the fleet, the waste management company is able to monitor vehicle movements, diagnostics, and driver behaviors. The built-in CAN 2.0 port on the IoT-800 allows the HMI panel to seamlessly integrate with the highly specialized internal communications subsystems aboard each truck. By connecting directly to the vehicle’s onboard systems, the IoT-800, which is also equipped with a built-in GPS, can instantly collect and monitor real-time about garbage weight, as well as vehicle transportation time, mileage, routing, speed, acceleration, braking, oil pressure, and fuel consumption. The collected data can then be transmitted to the fleet management control center over 4G LTE networks.

Besides improving the overall efficiency of the fleet, the AMobile IoT-800 also helps to secure the quality and productivity of actual waste collection, transportation, and disposal. To ensure that drivers are not suffering from fatigue or distractions, and also to prevent recyclables from being illicitly unloaded and sold, the IoT-800 provides a built-in 2-megapixel front camera and Micro SIM card for in-vehicle surveillance. Now, auditors or supervisors at the remote control center can see with their own eyes exactly what happens in the driver’s seat as each garbage truck makes its rounds, ensuring both driver and asset security. What’s more, the IoT-800 requires low power consumption, making the solution even more cost-effective to deploy.

Conclusion

AMobile helps waste management operators gather data and information that can be used to improve daily operational efficiency, safety, and effectiveness. Mounting the IoT-800 on-board each garbage truck takes the guesswork out of deploying and managing equipment and human resources that serve city dwellers and promote sustainability for waste management companies. As municipal governments all over the world strive to maintain cost overruns, intelligent waste management will no doubt play an essential role.