Intelligent Garbage Trap: Innovation to Prevent Aquatic Ecosystem Damage

22 Nov 2022

Reporters : Dr. Chanyut Sudtongkong, Miss. Kanokwan Juhong

Indicator : 14.3.4

Date : November 22, 2022

Related SDGs:

The 2^nd Young Ocean for Life Innovation Challenge is a marine conservation innovation competition organized by PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) in Thailand. The competition is open to vocational and undergraduate students from all over Thailand. The competition is designed to encourage students to develop innovative solutions to marine conservation challenges.

The competition was held in two categories: Protect and Preserve. The Protect category focused on solutions to protect marine ecosystems from pollution, climate change, and other threats. The Preserve category focused on solutions to restore and rehabilitate marine ecosystems. The competition received 79 submissions from 300 students from 27 universities and colleges across Thailand. The submissions were evaluated by a panel of experts from academia, government, and the private sector.

In the category of “Protect” the winning project was “Intelligent Garbage Trap Innovation at the Estuary to Extract Garbage Flowing into the Sea and Ships Can Pass Through” by “THE GOLDEN MERMAIDS TEAM”. The team received a prize of 130,000 baht (3,571.43 US Dollar) and an additional 40,000 baht (1,098.57 US Dollar) to develop the innovation further, as well as a plaque and certificate.

The team members are students from Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS). RUTS provide the winning team of the PTTEP Innovative Competition with comprehensive support, including financial resources, research equipment, and laboratory facilities. Additionally, RUTS faculty members provide expert guidance and mentorship to the team members, helping them to achieve the competition’s criteria and develop their innovation successfully.

The Intelligent Garbage Trap Innovation is a promising new technology that could help to reduce the amount of marine debris entering the oceans. The trap uses a combination of sensors and artificial intelligence to identify and capture garbage. In addition, the trap is designed to capture garbage before it flows out to sea. The trap is also designed to allow ships to pass through safely.

The Intelligent trap can be installed at the mouth of estuaries, which are areas where rivers and streams meet the ocean. Estuaries are important habitats for many marine species and are also areas where garbage tends to accumulate. By capturing garbage at the mouth of estuaries, the Intelligent Garbage Trap Innovation can help to prevent it from entering the open ocean and harming marine life.