Team Lead · MIT Beaver Works
ButlerBin
A trash can that comes to you.
- Role
- Team Lead · MIT Beaver Works
- When
- Jun 2024 – Jul 2024
Getting up to throw something away isn’t easy for everyone. Our four-person team built a moving trash can around that simple problem, with a $100 budget.
Original team presentation by Gabriel Park, Mimi Chay, Nayyir Ahsan, and Jai Sharma. Open PDF ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Finding our way on a budget
We compared UWB, AprilTags, infrared beacons, and Bluetooth Low Energy. UWB was too expensive; other options brought range or processing constraints. We chose BLE positioning, then used wheel encoders to turn an estimated destination into movement.
The frame didn’t go to plan
We designed the structure in Fusion 360, but didn’t have enough filament to print the whole frame. Printed hardware mounts stayed; cardboard and hot glue became the structure. The prototype had to work with what we had.
Small details made it a trash can
A motion sensor triggered the lid. An LED display showed a smile during normal use, a frown when full, and a waterdrop for a leak. Those details connected the electronics to something a person could understand.
A prototype with room to improve
ButlerBin received Best Engineered Project. Navigation accuracy, obstacle avoidance, and operation in natural environments still needed work. Our presentation includes those limitations alongside the design and wiring.
Tools & methods
Arduino · ESP32 · BLE · Wheel encoders · Fusion 360 · C++