Smart AI Refrigerator with Food Waste Decomposer

About the Project

Household food waste is often associated with forgotten ingredients, expired food, inadequate meal planning, and poor waste separation. This project proposes a Smart AI Refrigerator with a food waste decomposer concept to improve household food management and support more sustainable practices. The proposed system integrates artificial intelligence, internal cameras, smart sensors, and a mobile application to record supported food items, monitor storage conditions, and provide expiry reminders. Users confirm food details when necessary, while recipe recommendations prioritise available ingredients that should be consumed sooner and consider dietary preferences. Temperature and door sensors provide alerts about potential storage problems. A dedicated, sealed compartment separates suitable organic scraps from stored food, with weight monitoring and reminders for container emptying and cleaning. The development approach begins with concept drawings and digital mock-ups to demonstrate the product layout, user journey, and proposed functions. Automated food recognition, waste sorting, and decomposition of suitable scraps into organic fertiliser remain subject to further engineering development and testing. Expected benefits include reduced avoidable food waste, better use of existing ingredients, greater awareness of food storage practices, and improved household waste separation. The concept also offers potential commercial applications for families, working adults, and environmentally conscious consumers. Overall, the project presents an integrated approach to food storage, meal planning, and organic waste management, with its feasibility and effectiveness to be established through future prototype development and evaluation. Keywords: artificial intelligence; smart refrigerator; food waste reduction; food inventory management; organic waste decomposition.