The game
“A Snapshot for the Environment” is the video game created within the Hera Group project in collaboration with Ammagamma to spread environmental culture in schools, training the Artificial Intelligence model of the multiutility’s free app “Il Rifiutologo”.
The video game mechanics are as follows: the student logs in and then clicks the “Play” button. They enter a screen where they are shown a list of objects to photograph: plastic bottles, disposable plates, mayonnaise tube, disposable cups, mozzarella bag, candy. The player is asked to choose the category of objects to photograph and, once selected, the screen opens where they can take and upload photos, following the instructions for correctly uploading the image. At this point, they can take the photo and confirm the upload of 3 images. The next screen is an actual game in which previously uploaded images appear randomly. At this point, the player must choose from the panel at the bottom the correct recycling bin for the displayed object. The next step of the video game is “Quiz Time,” where a multiple-choice question is asked. If the answer is wrong, an in-depth panel opens on the topic covered. In this way, the game becomes an important source of learning, allowing users to improve their knowledge of separate waste collection.
To summarize in points, students have:
taken photos with their smartphone, effectively creating an image database;
played with the video game created and developed by Dinobros, interacting with quizzes and other gamified challenges to climb the leaderboard and, consequently, collaborate in the production of a shared knowledge system that combines Artificial Intelligence technology with the environmental themes of separate waste collection;
received sustainable gadgets (a basil plant and a sunflower plant).
Objectives
The goal of this project is to make students key players in developing an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that can recognize waste starting from a photo, and thus use the model to develop a new feature of “Il Rifiutologo”, the Hera Group’s free app that helps people carry out high-quality separate waste collection.
