Modernized waste management technology is an important area that needs focus because of its impact on our environment, natural resources, and public health. The goal of the Materials Tracking Project is to automate the entire waste management pipeline starting with the tracking of materials as they travel through the plant and are sorted into their respective categories.

The current aim of this project is to develop a camera-based perception system that detects, classifies, and tracks pieces of garbage as they move through a facility on a conveyor belt, re-identifying them as they move between multiple cameras. A key element of this project is to ensure that the system is robust enough to handle the positional movement of the garbage as it is perturbed by the sorting system within the facility.