Monitoring System for “Flushable” Consumer Products in Urban Wastewater Collection Systems

This research project explores the application of an artificial intelligence-based monitoring system comprised of image-based sensors and processing algorithms to detect, identify, and monitor the incoming presence of wet wipes and nonwovens in urban drainage systems in near real-time to pre-empt the effects of the damages caused by users’ disposal of these products in toilets. The AI-based system, to be employed in a number of monitoring locations simultaneously, will be used to establish a library of detected materials to identify and categorize incoming products (e.g. baby wipes, paper towel).
By running the Lab2Market program and participating in Mitacs E-Accelerate, the partner organizations are driving innovation and technology development in Canada. The work conducted by each intern will inform the broader community about industry trends, the impact of different present and emerging technologies on various industries, as well as foster the growth of innovative technologies within the Canadian economy.

Faculty Supervisor:

Darko Joksimovic

Student:

Anum Khan

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University