This manuscript presents a real-time monitoring system for urban waste levels using Time-of-Flight (ToF) detection technology
The experiment uses the VL53L8CX sensor, which accurately measures distances, together with an ESP32-S3 microcontroller that enables IoT connectivity. The IoT ToF-Node system, which consists of the VL53L8CX sensor connected to the ESP32-S3, communicates with an IoT gateway (Raspberry Pi 3) via Wi-Fi, which then connects to an IoT cloud. The ToF node communicates with the IoT gateway via Wi-Fi and then with the IoT cloud, also via Wi-Fi.
This setup provides real-time data on the capacity of waste containers, facilitating efficient waste collection management. By integrating sensor data and network communication, the system supports informed decision-making to optimize collection logistics, contributing to cleaner and more sustainable cities. The ToF node was tested in four scenarios, with a printed circuit board of 40 × 18 × 4 mm and a casing of 65 × 40 × 30 mm.
An office waste bin with a height of 250 mm (25 cm) was used, and the ToF node was placed on top. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of ToF technology in environmental monitoring and the potential of IoT to improve urban services. For detailed monitoring, additional ToF sensors may be required. The data collected is presented in the IoT cloud for better monitoring and can be visualized by level and volume. The ToF node and the IoT gateway have a combined power consumption of 153.8 mAh.
Article
