Taoyuan City has introduced a groundbreaking initiative called the "AI Environmental Pollution Recognition System," which utilizes cutting-edge machine vision technology to revolutionize urban environmental governance. This pioneering system, comprising seven AI image recognition subsystems, is fully deployed across air quality management, river water protection, environmental sanitation, and motorcycle noise control. It has significantly boosted inspection efficiency, achieving a 55% annual increase!
Director Chen Shih-Wei of the Department of Environmental Protection (TYDEP) of the Taoyuan City Government highlighted that since Mayor Chang initiated the "Smart Taoyuan" policy, the TYDEP has actively developed AI image recognition technology tailored to its operational needs. The system encompasses subsystems for detecting construction dust, identifying vehicles, detecting smoke, recognizing water quality, identifying environmental sanitation issues, detecting road debris, and identifying modified exhaust emissions. Integrated with IoT sensors for air and water quality monitoring and sound cameras, the system effectively monitors and manages air quality, river water quality, environmental cleanliness, and motorcycle noise levels. Taoyuan is leading the world by introducing this new chapter in urban environmental governance with its "AI Environmental Pollution Recognition System."
According to the TYDEP, this system employs real-time monitoring and recognition through machine vision to replace human labor, achieving an accuracy rate of 80%. Each complaint case can save about 30-45 minutes. If an abnormal situation is detected, the system automatically sends alerts via LINE or images, effectively improving inspection efficiency by 55%. This collaborative approach between humans and machines has resulted in fines totaling NT$14 million for violations recorded between January 2023 and April 2024. This system not only deters companies from violating regulations but also encourages them to implement self-management.
The TYDEP also noted that after the implementation of the "AI Environmental Pollution Recognition System," compared to the average data from 2020-2022, sulfur oxide concentrations in the atmosphere improved by 37%, nitrogen oxides by 6%, the number of poor air quality days decreased by 23%. The biochemical oxygen demand in rivers improved by 6.4%. Additionally, comparisons of the data before and after the system's implementation show a 51% decrease in complaints about littering and a 39% reduction in sanitation inspection manpower. The "Quiet Taoyuan" project also resulted in a 23% drop in noise complaints.
The TYDEP noted that its AI System has received multiple prestigious awards in smart city competitions. The AI smoke detection system was honored with the "Smart 50 Award" in 2023 in the United States and the "3rd TCSA Sustainability Action Award (Gold)." Additionally, both the AI construction dust recognition system and the smart vehicle detection and recognition system were recipients of the "2023 Taoyuan City Government Innovation Award ." Furthermore, the AI water color recognition system earned recognition with the "GO SMART Award 2024."