Zabble waste classification patent expands to advance industry shift to mobile device-based AI for improving operations

Zabble's patent expansion reflects the shift in the industry for mobile device based-AI solutions to increase contamination visibility and streamline operations

WALNUT CREEK, CA, USA, August 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Zabble, a leading provider of AI-powered zero waste technology solutions for businesses and cities, today announced that it has expanded its U.S. patent, Patent No. 11,788,877, for mobile device-based AI for waste monitoring and analysis to increase contamination visibility and improve field operations for leading campuses and jurisdictions.

The expanded IP details how Zabble’s technology uses a plurality of images from mobile devices and leverages computer vision AI to identify and analyze several factors related to waste–even without internet connectivity, including automated reporting and recommendations for improvements to field operations and education related to reduce waste/ contamination and increase landfill recovery:
- Container fullness
- Material/content-types and count
- Presence or absence of contaminant
- Container-type - bins, bags, carts, containers and compactors
- Waste-type, including municipal solid waste, recycling, compost, hazardous and medical

The mobile application experience that powers it is designed and built with enterprise-grade technology and features–connecting the power of the latest, industry-leading AI and cloud computing technology to a mobile device and platform that waste leaders already carry around in their pocket.

While the current application of this patented technology is already being used in markets such as higher education, corporate campuses and jurisdictions, the patent will also extend to offices, retail and industrial facilities, while also exploring beyond visible light to include infrared, ultrasound, x-ray and lidar.

By patenting their core technology, Zabble is able to support its customers by:
- Showcasing their continuous innovation mindset
- Safeguarding and future-proofing investment in a time of an AI surge
- Increasing value with devices that customers already own–with no additional sensors or cameras needed.
- Ensuring no legal and operational disruption due to IP infringement issues that occur in booming, competitive markets

Expanding their patent allows Zabble to offer licensing of their AI models through an API to accelerate the time to market for industry software partners across the waste ecosystem.

While the industry has seen a lot of digital innovation at all parts of the waste and recycling lifecycle, computer vision AI’s difference is in the improvement of operations at the source before materials hit the curb for pickup. And just as LLM models have greatly improved text-based AI applications and generative AI has enabled expansion from images to now video, as phone hardware develops, it will open up more opportunities for computer vision AI to drive even greater impact at the waste generation point–from contamination reduction to bin operations to service optimization.

"As we expand our patent, we know we're not just advancing technology; we are catalyzing a fundamental shift in the waste industry towards smarter, more efficient field operations," said Nik Balachandran, CEO and founder of Zabble. "Our vision is to empower businesses and cities with the tools they need to digitally transform waste management, starting from the source. With our patented technology, we're not just imagining a greener, more sustainable future – we're actively building it, one container at a time."

With the passing of new legislation in California such as SB 1383, aimed at reducing organic material from entering landfills, and SB 54, a groundbreaking Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, and many other states such as Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, Colorado, New York, etc. implementing some form of EPR, Zabble believes manufacturers and generators are going to see greater scrutiny on materials in their life cycle from the point of disposal to recovery.

AI technology such as Zabble’s and that of other industry partners is only going to accelerate the path towards a circular economy.

About Zabble
Zabble helps organizations and jurisdictions efficiently manage their Zero Waste and diversion from landfill programs by leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to extract real-time actionable insights. Zabble’s clients, including leading cities and counties, educational institutions, hospitals, corporate campuses, and multi-family property buildings. Zabble’s clients have collectively tagged almost 100,000 distinct interior and exterior containers over 584,000 times, identifying almost 300,000 contamination items and preventing more than 300 tons of materials from ending up in landfills. Zabble was recognized as one of the top 5 AI startups advancing the circular economy by Startus Insights and is a current recipient of multiple EPA contract awards to advance and commercialize its AI technology to boost recycling rates in the US.

Nikhil Balachandran
Zabble
+1 925-289-9345
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