SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
120 promises to contribute a great deal to achieving zero waste . And each of these facets has come out of SFU . The founders of Intuitive AI Hassan Murad and Vivek Vyas are both alumni of SFU , where they first developed software to tackle the problem of recycling . SFU itself may have made great strides but globally only around 3 % of waste is recycled . Even in a four-stream system , waste identification remains a problem – what is recyclable , what is not , where should you put it ? They began with a simple vision , to create a zero waste world . This led them to develop an AI platform driven by sensors that empower spaces to be more sustainable .
Murad and Vyas launched Oscar , an AI-powered visual sorting system , with a camera that detects people approaching a bin , automatically identifies each item and tells people where to place it . “ This is a true innovation story from SFU ,” explains Blok . “ They spent a great deal of time formulating this idea at our labs on the Surrey campus . We were able to support this project right from the ideation phase , and the Sustainability Office was there at the initial
Erica Lay , Associate Director at SFU ’ s Sustainability Office presenting at a 20-year sustainability visions and goals session .
consultations providing key facts , giving operational and logistical feedback , and providing expertise . The testing phase was carried out on our downtown Vancouver campus and we were successful in providing space for them to test the platform and promote their message .” The Surrey campus now houses the first higher education Oscar waste station in Canada and have been taken up at coffee chains and an airport in Toronto . Intuitive is currently part of the Next AI accelerator in Toronto
AUGUST 2019