A group of high school students from Hanoi has won the “Future Blue Innovation 2023” competition with their innovative project — an AI-powered trash-collecting boat designed to help reduce environmental pollution.
On the morning of September 23, six outstanding high school projects, selected from 1,500 submissions, competed in the final round of Future Blue Innovation 2023, organized by the Hanoi Youth Union and the Youth Union – Student Association of Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
The finalists included:
- Snappy (students from Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted and the High School for the Gifted under Hanoi National University of Education)
- ReU (High School for the Gifted in Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU)
- AI-Integrated Automatic Trash-Collecting Boat (Thang Long High School)
- Sunflower Battery (Nguyen Binh Khiem High School)
- Our-Case (Vu Dinh Quyet, High School for the Gifted under Hanoi National University of Education)
- The Secret Garden (Tran Van Trang, Vinschool Thang Long Inter-Level School)
After two intense rounds, the AI-powered automatic trash-collecting boat project from Thang Long High School emerged as the champion.
“The AI-integrated trash-collecting boat is the result of efforts to perfect and enhance product quality while also combining media promotion and service packages. It’s not only a market-ready solution with STEM education value but also a symbolic tool for raising environmental awareness,” the team representatives shared.
The product is designed to operate efficiently in small lakes and ponds, offering both semi-automatic and fully automatic modes. It integrates advanced image processing and radar technologies with an AI data analysis system.
The semi-automatic AI-powered trash-collecting boat also features sensors capable of scanning the terrain comprehensively. Data captured by the onboard cameras is processed through a mini-computer AI system, which can generate a map of the water body and systematically collect floating waste, gradually focusing on areas with higher trash density.
Discussing the significance of the competition, Nguyen Tien Hung, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Youth Union and President of the Hanoi Student Association, said that environmental protection remains a pressing issue — particularly topics such as climate change and weather patterns, which directly impact daily life.
With the theme “Innovation for a Green Planet”, this year’s competition focused on environmental protection and restoration challenges, including reducing and treating plastic waste, biodiversity conservation, and renewable energy solutions.
“I hope that Future Blue Innovation 2023 will serve as a meaningful platform where students can showcase their abilities — especially their creativity in environmental protection. Through this competition, they can enhance their knowledge and skills while making practical contributions to protecting our environment and supporting the nation’s sustainable development,” Hung emphasized.