ROBOT TRASH COLLECTOR

Global Post, Peccioli, Italy - Since the late 1980s, nothing has made Peccioli residents happier than collecting garbage. At that time, the small town built one of the most advanced dumping sites in Italy, designed to recycle and produce green energy. For 20 years, it's been Peccioli's most profitable business.

So when a group of young scientists from a nearby university in Pisa called Peccioli's city hall and asked for permission to run a robotics test, all they had to do was say the magic word: trash.

During a recent test-run at Peccioli's main terrace, the future of garbage collection zoomed in on two wheels, rounded and shiny, devoid of arms, and with two big round inspiring eyes. . .

Meet Dust Cart. . . As cute as it looks, it could revolutionize garbage collection throughout many small Italian towns where the traditional garbage truck gets stuck at tight turns in the road. . .

"Our colleague will now simulate a user's call,"� said the researcher.

Like a taxi answering a call, Dust Cart rode across the terrace to meet the caller.

Once the robot arrived, it asked for a personal ID number that both identifies the user and tracks the garbage. It also asked for the kind of trash being dumped - organic, recyclable or waste. Dust Cart then opened its belly bin, collected the trash and took it to a fake dumping site. . . The robot is also equipped with special sensors that monitor air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ozone, benzene, CO, CO2 and air temperature.