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Grøn Dyst 2016

110 43 Fly Green Chen Wen (Ms), Deng Zichao (Mr) Nanyang Technological University Singapore - NTU INTRODUCTION The blue track meandering the periphery of the NTU campus is a desirable platform to exercise and attain fitness. Along the track, beautiful scenery of rainforests provides the runners with fresh air and aesthetic pleasure. However, the beauty of Mother Nature is sometimes destroyed by the uncollected garbage lying sporadically on the grassland. Besides the unsightliness, the wastes impose potential harms to the environment. They are non-biodegradable, which means they will not be broken down by the microorganisms in the soil. Also, the unfinished drinks could cause water pollution. Moreover, what if the wild animals eat the plastic bags accidentally? Biodiversity could be threatened. Our attempts to clean the rubbish were obstructed by a wire fence. As such, our proposal was to lift the trash with a UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. A trap made of double-sided tapes is attached under the UAV. Three sets of pilot tests were conducted for three types of targets. We successfully lifted plastic bags, water bottles and cans. Here is a video illustration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvflcdjbXN4 Despite how splendidly the UAV worked, it faces certain restrictions and potential pitfalls.1. It cannot fly in rainy or windy conditions. 2. It might get entangled in the grass. 3. It has a short battery life of 10 minutes. 4. Sometimes, the wind of the drone blows the trash away. The structural design can be improved in the following ways. The short battery life can be extended by a hybrid cell which incorporates hydrogen power and fuel. Relevant research is conducted in the NTU Fuel Cell Lab. The trap could be replaced with mechanical claws like those in the claw crane game machines. Such modifications would enhance the performance of UAV and increase the success rate of capturing waste. In addition, we sincerely request the school to place recycling bins around the blue track to encourage appropriate disposal of wastes. The cans and plastic bottles can be recycled in innovative and environmental-friendly ways. A real-life application of UAV in waste cleaning is to reduce tourism pollution. If UAV could pick up the unreachable trash in the mountains, there would be no need for the cleaners in the video to climb a few hundred meters every day. These cleaners are featured in a Chinese reality show called Infinite Challenge in appreciation of the unimaginable difficulty of their work. So thanks to UAV, we can now enjoy a clean view of the natural reserve when running on the blue track. Our project is just a prototype, but we hope it contributes to building a cleaner campus and a more resource-saving Singapore. WASTE & RECYCLING LAPTOP CONCEPT BACHELOR LEVEL COURSE / PROJECT


Grøn Dyst 2016
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