A robot called Xiaori serves as an inspector in monitoring and guiding residents to dispose of household garbage in a classified manner in Huzhou's Nanxun district. [Photo/hz66.com]

Robots have been replacing humans as inspectors in monitoring and guiding residents to dispose of household garbage in a classified manner in Huzhou's Nanxun district.

Residents can ask the robot called Xiaori any questions related to garbage sorting after standing under its probe.

Developed by local enterprises, the robot can reduce labor costs by more than two thirds, according to a head official from the Nanxun breau of housing and urban-rural construction.

To date, it has been installed in more than 100 centralized garbage sorting stations in nearly 70 residential communities in Nanxun since October last year.

The use of Xiaorui epitomizes Nanxun's broad push to innovate garbage sorting management models through digitization.

Digital technologies, such as IoT sensing, video sensing, spatial positioning, and data analysis, are widely utilized in the district to dynamically supervise garbage sorting, collection, transportation, as well as disposal.

Those who are caught infringing garbage classification regulations through facial recognition and AI technologies are subjected to punishments, such as fines.

Official data shows that garbage classification has been implemented in more than 87 percent of its jurisdiction area, with the accuracy rate ranking first in Huzhou.

In addition, local authorities also inaugurated a science and technology museum themed on garbage sorting in 2020 in an effort to promote garbage sorting information among residents via technologies like VR.