Creating an experience

The Interactive Trashcan plays an active part in the reduction of waste accumulation. By using positive feedback and sound-triggers, The Interactive Trashcan turns the mundane task, to throw out trash, to a positive and memorable experience.

When a user throws out their trash, the trash can emits a sound of applause.

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Understanding and changing the Status Quo

Trash and waste create an unnecessary mess and often have a negative influence of your general experience.

However, the act of throwing out the trash, and removing the mess, is likewise a mundane and boring task, that you rarely want to do.

This feeling is reinforced at a festival, where you are to have fun. Furthermore, the rules regarding trash are typically more relaxed, so it is often easier and a better experience to just throw the trash at the floor.

This culture around trash at festivals was the challenge that we had to face at Midtfyns Festival 2019. We changed this culture, by creating a better experience from throwing out the trash, than had been the status quo. We experience with The Interactive Trashcan that the guests at Midtfyns Festival took an active part in finding more trash that they could throw out.

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System Design

Through several iterations and different prototypes, we ended up by using a PIR-sensor with an Arduino, an amplifier and a MP3 board, with the sounds of applause saved on an SD-Card.

The PIR-sensor was attached to a custom-made lid for the trash can, so it was easily removable, for when the bag for the trash needed to be changed.

The rest of the electronic components were wired together, so they were more compact, and applied to a small watertight container, with a power input and a sound output.

To the box, we attached a power bank, capable of delivering power to the system for a whole day, as well as two outdoor speakers. Finally, we mounted the box on an outdoor pole, with a lock, so it was impossible to remove the setup without our consent.

The Interactive Trashcan is part of a larger design system made by Amyda. This consisted of strategically placed posters, flags and stickers, all to draw attention to the fact that the festival visitors should become more aware of how they dispose of their trash.

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Jack-Of-All Trades

The project was a collaborative process between me and the behaviroal design start-up Amyda.

I worked with the owner of the start-up and functioned initially as a User Experience consultant.

As the process moved forward, I became responsible for the technical development of the device that would control the sound output, as well as the sensor.

I developed several iterations and versions of the prototype, of which the owner of Amyda decided which direction the design would take.

During the festival, I worked as assistant in the user testing as well as being prepared for eventual breaks of the system.

It should be everywhere, so people will realize that they have to throw their trash in a f****** trashcan!
— Anna (Festival Visitor)

Key Roles in the project:

• Functioned as a User Experience Consultant throughout the process.
  
  
• Developed several iterations of prototypes.
  
  
• Assisted in User Testing of the prototype at the festival.
  
  
• Assisted and fixed  technical issues with the prototype during the festival.
  
  

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