Project Hub /Basic Analog & Power Electronics/Power Supplies & Voltage Regulators/AI-Powered Autonomous Waste-Collecting and Sorting Robot

Intermediate

ESP32

₹5,000 – ₹15,000

6 – 12 Hours

Partial Kit

AI-Powered Autonomous Waste-Collecting and Sorting Robot

An intelligent waste-sorting robot powered by an ESP32-S3 camera running edge AI, communicating via ESP-NOW to an ESP32 NodeMCU that controls a robotic arm for sorting waste into bins.

Originally published on CircuitDigest

View original tutorial

Parts You'll Need

This project is sourced from another site, not written by us — this list is our best match of their components against what we stock, not a verified bill of materials. Always check the original blog (linked above) for the actual parts list before buying.

ESP32 CAM WiFi Module Bluetooth with OV2640 Camera Rs. 810.00
ESP32 WiFi+Bluetooth CP2102 Development Board Rs. 520.00
TowerPro SG90 Mini Servo – 180 degree Rotation – Standard Quality Rs. 179.00
1200mAh 18650 Li-ion Bat – Reliable 3.7V Power Cell Rs. 129.00
LM2596 Step Down DC-DC Buck Converter Rs. 99.00
400 Points Mini Solderless Prototype PCB Breadboard High Quality Rs. 89.00
MB102 Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply Module (3.3V & 5V) for Arduino & Raspberry Pi Rs. 139.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Male 20cm Rs. 45.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Female 20cm Rs. 45.00

Selected: Rs. 0.00

We don't carry yet: AA / AAA Battery + Holder

Browse all components

How It Works

The AI-Powered Autonomous Waste-Collecting and Sorting Robot relies on a distributed dual-controller architecture coordinated via wireless communication. At the optical and computational core is the Adafruit MOMENTO Programmable Camera featuring an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, which captures visual data and runs an edge AI model to identify and classify waste items. Once an item is recognized, the ESP32-S3 uses the esp_now protocol to transmit classification commands wirelessly over Wi-Fi without requiring a traditional router network. Receiving these commands is an ESP32 30 Pin NodeMCU, which acts as the main actuator controller. The NodeMCU generates Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signals via the Servo.h library to precisely drive four MG90S servo motors, physically operating a mechanical robotic arm to sort the waste into its designated bin. Power distribution is managed carefully across the system: a 12V battery pack serves as the primary high-capacity energy source, paired with a step-down buck converter to efficiently drop the voltage to safe operating levels for the logic boards and peripherals. Additionally, three 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion batteries provide supplementary power for mobile or auxiliary subsystems. By decoupling the heavy computer vision processing on the ESP32-S3 from the physical motor actuation managed by the ESP32 NodeMCU, the system maintains high responsiveness and mechanical stability.

Why Build This

Design and deploy edge AI computer vision algorithms on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller for real-world object classification tasks.

Implement low-latency wireless communication between dual microcontrollers using the ESP-NOW protocol.

Integrate step-down power electronics and multi-voltage power supplies to safely drive high-torque servo motors alongside sensitive logic hardware.

Real-World Application

Automated recycling plants, smart city waste segregation bins, and industrial sorting facilities.

Skills You'll Learn

Edge AI model deployment

ESP-NOW wireless communication

PWM servo motor control

DC-DC step-down power regulation

multi-controller system architecture

Safety Precautions

Ensure correct voltage regulation with the buck converter to prevent damaging 3.3V logic pins with 5V lines, and maintain a common ground across all power sources.

Technology Tags

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

EDGE COMPUTING

COMPUTER VISION

ESP-NOW

WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

SERVO MOTORS

ROBOTICS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use two separate microcontrollers instead of just one ESP32?

Splitting tasks between the ESP32-S3 camera board and the ESP32 NodeMCU isolates the heavy computational load of edge AI image processing from the real-time constraints of generating precise PWM signals for four servo motors, preventing system lag and crashes.

What is the purpose of the step-down buck converter in this circuit?

The buck converter efficiently reduces the higher voltage from the 12V battery pack down to the safe operating voltages required by your logic boards and servos, minimizing wasted energy and heat generation compared to linear regulators.

Can I use standard Wi-Fi instead of ESP-NOW for communication between the boards?

While standard Wi-Fi via a router is possible, ESP-NOW is chosen because it allows direct, connectionless peer-to-peer communication between the two ESP32 modules, resulting in significantly lower latency and reliable operation independent of local network infrastructure.

Gallery

This page is part of Kitkraft's Project Hub — a curated collection of electronics & robotics projects gathered from the maker community to help students and hobbyists discover and learn to build. Kitkraft does not claim authorship of the original project, and makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness or safety of third-party source material. The summary and "How It Works" explanation above are AI-generated, rewritten with reference to the original tutorial — not a reproduction of it. Full credit and a direct link to the original source are provided above. If you're the original creator and have a concern about how your work is represented here, please contact us and we'll address it promptly.

Kitkraft Project Hub — curated from the maker community, credited at the source.

PRJ-01339