Earth News from TerraDaily.com
At CES, AI-powered garbage trucks reduce battery fire risk
Las Vegas, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2025
From laptops to EVs, lithium-ion batteries have fueled phenomenal growth in the 21st century, but businesses struggle with a significant downside: increased fire risk.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), companies unveiled a next-generation garbage truck designed to detect these highly flammable batteries.

The innovation comes as careless disposal of batteries from smartphones, electric toothbrushes, and other gadgets has become an acute problem at recycling centers. The owner of a New Jersey recycling plant that caught fire early Thursday pointed to the batteries as a likely cause.

In the United States, across the industry, "a couple of recycling centers burn down every year," said Jon Vander Ark, chief executive of waste management company Republic Services.

Republic showcased their solution at CES: a state-of-the-art garbage truck built by industrial company Oshkosh that screens for the batteries.

The vehicle resembles a conventional garbage truck, weighing in at more than 41,000 pounds and capable of carrying nine tons of cargo. But it is fully electric and outfitted with AI software that scans for problem refuse in garbage and recycling loads.

While Republic already uses detection systems at recycling facilities, batteries sometimes slip through.

If undetected, a forklift can run over a small battery and start a fire, Vander Ark told AFP.

The new trucks allow drivers to flag collections containing batteries as sensitive loads before they reach recycling plants.

"Getting that out of the stream is of huge value to us," said Vander Ark.


- Value in trash -


The Oshkosh booth also showcased electric arm technology that can speed up trash collections and software that identifies non-recyclable contamination in recycling bins.

The spiffed-up vehicles provide a font of operational data that can make better use of a trash driver's time, said Oshkosh CEO John Pfeifer.

Companies can pinpoint contamination sources to educate customers or fine repeat offenders, he explained.

The trucks even capture video evidence when drivers can't access bins due to blocked pickup spots.

"When a customer asks, 'Why didn't you pick me up?'...we have video evidence," said Vander Ark.

He noted that waste management is particularly well-suited for electrification since trucks typically travel shorter distances per shift, eliminating the range concerns that often deter everyday EV consumers.

The quieter electric trucks could also allow for earlier morning collections when traffic is lighter, while their overnight charging capability ensures operational readiness.





Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Chinese launches three astronauts to Tiangong space station
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink Internet satellites from Florida
Rocket Lab to Conduct Hypersonic Test Flight Under MACH-TB 2.0 Program

24/7 Energy News Coverage
UK, Italy's Eni unveil deal on carbon capture project
Top uranium producer Namibia to open talks on nuclear energy plant
Panama president says moving toward reopening contested mine

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Army names new hypersonic weapon 'Dark Eagle'
India and Pakistan urged to have 'maximum restraint' after Kashmir attack
Trump, Norwegian prime minister discuss ending Ukraine War

24/7 News Coverage
Iraq farmers turn to groundwater to boost desert yield
Tradition stokes pollution at Myanmar 'slash and burn' festival
'Blood and kin': Mongolians reflect on Pope Francis's legacy


ADVERTISEMENT



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.