Garbage Collection: First semi-automated robotic arm attached to a garbage truck that can pick up...

...both canned and uncanned garbage as commanded by the garbage truck driver using a video monitor and joystick to guide the program from the driver seat.  [The driver likely only needing to target what the robot arm is to handle and then the driver just clicks a button.  The robotic system doing all the rest.]  The arm can also fetch and maneuver garbage dumpsters on rollers and bring them to the garbage truck’s automated dumpster dumping system, shut a dumptser’s lid(s) after emptying it, then return the dumpsters to their previous locations.  To win this challenge (and Future Challenges #3 through #7), the program must include a learning algorithm, must transmit at least once per operational day what it has learned to the company that developed the program, and download updates from that central server.

1) First commercial garbage collection company to use the robotic arm in regular service on one of its garbage trucks.

2) First major commercial garbage collection company (with at least 100 garbage trucks) to have all of its garbage trucks equipped with the robotic arm.

3) First above system that automatically does garbage pick-up with the garbage truck driver only overseeing its work and taking over control when it fails to do so.  Each time the driver takes over control, that incident is recorded and automatically reported to the manufacturer of the robotic system so they can work to insure that failure doesn't happen again.

4) First fully-automated system (Future Challenge #1) to do so without error (needing human intervention by driver) for 100 hours of continuous work.

5) First commercial garbage collection company to use the fully-automated robotic arm in regular service on one of its garbage trucks.

6) First major commercial garbage collection company (with at least 100 garbage trucks) to have all its garbage trucks equipped with the fully-automated robotic arm.

When autonomous trucks are allowed on roads:

7) First fully-automated garbage truck.

8) First commercial garbage collection company to add a fully-automated garbage truck to its fleet and use the truck to do a normal garbage pick-up route.

9) First major commercial garbage collection company (with at least 100 garbage trucks) to have its entire fleet consist of fully-automated garbage trucks.  Special case garbage pick-up is exempted.