Inspiration
Urban sanitation issues — such as uncollected garbage, broken toilets, and blocked drains — often go unreported or unresolved due to bureaucratic delays and lack of accountability. Inspired by the need for cleaner, smarter cities, we envisioned an AI agent that automates not just the reporting but the entire resolution lifecycle of civic hygiene problems.
What It Does
SanitationBot is an AI-powered autonomous agent that: Accepts photo + location inputs from citizens. Classifies the issue type using image & text inputs (e.g., garbage, toilet, drainage). Automatically routes the issue to the correct municipal department. Tracks resolution based on defined SLAs (Service Level Agreements). Escalates overdue issues to higher authorities. Notifies the citizen once resolved — closing the feedback loop.
How We Built It
Inya.ai for agent orchestration, workflow design, and SLA monitoring. Image classification model (custom-trained or using a pre-trained model) to categorize issue types. Geolocation integration using Google Maps or Mapbox APIs. Notification system via SMS or email (using Twilio or SendGrid). Basic frontend (mobile-friendly form) for issue submission with photo & location.
Challenges We Ran Into
Mapping diverse municipal functions to agent workflows was non-trivial. Ensuring accuracy in issue classification from low-quality images. Defining escalation logic for dynamic SLA timelines across departments. Designing a feedback loop that is lightweight but effective for citizens.
Accomplishments That We're Proud Of
Designed a fully autonomous civic agent that works end-to-end — not just for logging issues. Created a prototype flow that mirrors actual city-level complaint systems. Used Inya.ai to implement a functional multi-stage decision agent without writing backend code.
What We Learned
How to break down complex real-world workflows into manageable autonomous agent actions. The power of no-code tools like Inya.ai in rapidly building and iterating agent workflows. Importance of closing the feedback loop to build trust in civic tech solutions.
What's Next for SanitationBot
Add multilingual voice support for low-literacy users via IVR or WhatsApp bot. Integrate with real municipal open APIs (where available) for live deployment pilots. Add a public dashboard to show issue heatmaps by ward/area. Partner with smart city initiatives and local NGOs for real-world.
Built With
- a
- agent
- and
- citizen
- for
- google-maps
- input
- interface
- inya.ai
- lightweight
- twilio
- web
- workflow
