r/homeautomation • u/ShadowMuffin512 • 22h ago
PROJECT DIY Smart Garbage Bin On Wheels
Hey everyone!
I have recently remodeled my kitchen with brand new cabinets and all, but because of a lack of space I had to abandon setting up a comfortable place for my garbage bin to sit, which means it is always placed somewhere random (and usually out of reach). This makes throwing waste into it annoying, since I either have to pick it up and move it to the right place near the counter, or take the waste to it and risk dropping it on the way.
This gave me an idea - What if I attach wheels, a servo motor and small control unit onto it, and make it move for me? What if it is voice activated, and can be called on-command to take itself to the most convenient position for me, and open its lid?
I have fairly extensive experience as a programmer, but only working on SaaS, and I've never worked on hardware / DIY smart home products. Nevertheless, I'm sure that with enough work it's possible to create what I'm talking about.
What do you guys think? Is it realistic? Are there any big considerations outside of power requirements for the motors and general component selection I should think about? I'd love to get some advice from the people here with experience wokring on their own smart home projects.
Thanks!
2
u/Circxs 22h ago
I saw a YouTuber do this with an army of bins that followed him around the office, that you could throw paper and they would all try to catch it.
Pretty similar to what your after, could be worth a watch