Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | Automated Trash Can |
Aditya Ajay Sule Eshwar Cheekati Michael Gao |
Dongwei Shi | design_document0.pdf final_paper0.pdf presentation0.pdf proposal0.pdf |
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| Group Members: Michael Gao Aditya Sule Eshwar Cheekati Problem: Maintaining a trash can has many problems. Someone always has to remember to take the trash out when it's full. If you're living with multiple roommates, coordination with roommates to handle the trash is also tricky. Idea: We plan on creating an automated trash can that will recognize when its full and navigate itself towards the door. When somebody exits the household, he or she will be reminded to take out the trash then since it's sitting right next to the exit. This will make the entire process more efficient and convenient. The two main areas that we will have to address are recognition and navigation. For recognition of when the trash is full, we plan on incorporating an ultrasonic level detector. Once the trash can has detected that it is full, it will make it's way to the door with the help of an inbuilt micro-controller, and navigation circuitry. We will add proximity sensors to detect obstacles. We will use the micro-controller to control the servos that we will attach to the wheels that will drive the trashcan. To power the micro-controller, servos, and sensors, we plan on using a portable battery pack. In order to navigate to the door, we initially plan to use a phone application that connect to the mounted micro-controller via bluetooth to teach the micro-controller the path to the door. The user will use a phone app as a controller to map a fixed path towards the door. The micro-controller will remember this path and be able to navigate to the door when the trashcan is full. To handle minor obstacles, we will also use front facing proximity sensors (ultrasonic sensors) as well as a beacon attached to the door, so the trash can can detect obstacles to avoid them and use feedback from the beacon to tend towards the door (not full-mapping/auto navigation). We will also assume that the traversed terrain is relatively even for the scope of our project. Project Uniqueness: Currently, the trash automation systems that exist are only deployed on larger scales on municipal trash management levels. There is no product available for the average consumer. Moreover, the existing products simply detect for fullness and do none of the other navigational components we mentioned. Further work that we can do is add sensors to detect smell, and then spray air-freshener around the trash can, send notifications to your phone, integration with products such as google home etc. Additionally, we can add a proximity sensor on the inside of the trash can so when its detects that the trash bag is removed, it will move back from the door to its original location. |
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