Based on the IoT (Internet of Things) technology platform, a group of students from the faculties of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the Da Nang University of Technology and Education has successfully produced a smart waste bin connected to waste management software. In addition to the automatic lid opening and closing feature, the trash can also has a mechanism to kill bacteria, eliminate odours, locate and give warnings when the amount of garbage inside is full.

The research team hopes to bring Smart Trash Bin products to the market. Photo: H.L

Features of the smart trash bin

Phan Tuan Nhat, a student of class 18D1, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Head of the research team, said that the initial goal of the group was to come up with a solution to build a smart waste management system for COVID 19 patients.

Accordingly, the waste collection system has two main parts, namely smart trash can and waste management application software.

With this system, users can manage the status of trash cans, constantly update information through the website application interface and guide employees to the garbage collection point.

Each trash can has a GPS positioning function, using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, only allowing staff or patients to open the lid so as to help protect people around from a risk of infection.

When there is garbage, the UVC sterilisation system will automatically activate to limit the proliferation of harmful viruses.

“In addition to the function of locating, measuring the volume of garbage, disinfecting, identifying users, closing and opening the lid automatically, the smart trash can connect to the internet and transmits data to the server system, thereby providing warnings in waste collection and management”, Nhat said.

To create a line of quality products with beautiful designs, the research team uses heat-resistant, non-corrosive and safe composite resins.

According to Phan Tuan Nhat, after completing the design and processing of the electronic circuit system, the team began to integrate the hardware into the trash can, ensuring the safety factors as well as the durability and aesthetics of the product.

In addition, the application interface is designed in the form of a control panel to help users have an overview of the waste status, garbage collection history as well as weight statistics, employee names, prices and the garbage collection time.

Towards commercialisation

With outstanding features, the above-mentioned intelligent waste management system for COVID-19 patients treated at home won the first prize at the Scientific Research Contest for Students in the 2021 - 2022 academic year organised by the University of Technology and Education held on May 24.

With this achievement, the research team is planning to start up a business to bring the product to market.

Tran Viet Minh Phat and Nguyen Van Truc from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering - members of the research team - said that, with a capacity of about 15kg of waste, the product is expected to cost from VND2 million- VND2.5 million.

Together, the group sets the goal of developing smart trash cans into products to serve the needs of garbage collection at factories, enterprises, households, restaurants, hotels, resorts as well as public areas.

“With this goal, the group's revenue will be from directly selling products, cooperating and transferring technology or leasing system operation management services. In the coming time, the group will look for investors through startup, science - technology competitions” said Minh Phat.

Actively engaged in guiding the above-mentioned student group to research technological solutions for smart trash bins, Ph.D. Tran Hoang Vu, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical - Electronics Engineering, said that the system deployed on the basis of IoT technology can develop to a higher level such as increasing the size of the trash can to suit different purpose uses, and integrating add solar power for outdoor use and wireless networking technology solutions to the product.

In addition, based on the collected data, it is possible to upgrade conventional waste bins and promote waste sorting at source.

“The remarkable point of the smart waste management system is its high applicability, targeting customer groups such as hospitals, companies, industrial park-based factories with hazardous waste sources.

Recently, at the scientific research contest for students in the 2021 - 2022 academic year, the Trung Nam EMS JSC and the Deo Ca Transport Infrastructure Investment JSC highly appreciated the smart trash can and suggested the research team to develop additional solar backup power and Long Range (LoRa) network, capable of transmitting data within a radius of about 5km in urban areas and 10-15km in rural areas, in line with the goal of building Da Nang into a smart city", added Ph.D. Vu.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by A.THU