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Automated trash can takes itself to the curb


Still Waters

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A major appeal of automation in this era of rapidly developing tech is increasing accessibility and autonomy for disabled individuals. Scientists have created impressive exosuits and robotic gloves for people with limited mobility and motor skills. But for all the advantages of these flashy advancements, they remain pricey, complex and hard-to-use, while, as some critics point out, failing to address critical infrastructure upgrades, like ramps and accessible transportation, needed to improve disabled folks’ daily lives.

Even still, some companies are striking a balance between flash and function, finding small ways to use robotics to make everyday tasks less monumental for people who aren’t able-bodied.

One such invention is the SmartCan: a motorized garbage can and app that takes the trash to the curb for you.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/robotic-trash-can-takes-itself-curb-180973346/

https://smartcan.app/

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  • The title was changed to Automated trash can takes itself to the curb
 
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from linked article: "automating a chore that everyone hates, while also improving waste management, and reducing the pollution that is caused by forgetting trash day"


How on earth does this gadget  improve waste management?  The sellers will make any ridiculous claim just to sell their product.

I'm not a fan of wheeling the wheelie out onto the street, but then at least my wheelie is purely mechanical.  It will inevitably be, therefore, more reliable than a driverless wheelie as it will not require the same amount of maintenance.  Nor will it incur the same expense - I do not imagine for one minute that the electronic gadget which drives that wheelie will not break down and require repair/replacement.  And I imagine the supply of these silly gadgets will put up council tax!

 

As to reducing pollution, making that driverless gadget will create pollution which cancels out that claim.  And if missing bin day creates pollution, what about those councils (thankfully not mine yet) which only empty wheelie bins every fortnight or 3 weeks?!!

 

Actually, I think it would be rather spooky on Thursday mornings, bin day, having these driverless wheelie bins positioning themselves on the pavement without a person in sight. 

 

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2 hours ago, littlebrowndragon said:

Actually, I think it would be rather spooky on Thursday mornings, bin day, having these driverless wheelie bins positioning themselves on the pavement without a person in sight. 

I agree.  It does seem odd, still, watching machines moving about like they have a mind of their own.  In time it will become so commonplace we won't notice them until they malfunction.  THAT brings me to the next point.  Do you think Law Schools are already preparing students for the cases they'll have to argue when semi autonomous machines cause injury or death?  It will inevitably happen and the laws will have to change to accommodate the new future.  Fascinating new ways for people to interact with the world.

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For all our modern conveniences, do any of us have more free time? I sure don't. What happened to a "paperless society"? What happened to all the leisure technology was supposed to bring us? Watching old movies, it seems like people sat around a lot more in the 1950's than they do today. Just my impression though.

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15 hours ago, and then said:

  Do you think Law Schools are already preparing students for the cases they'll have to argue when semi autonomous machines cause injury or death?  

I could not honestly say how well prepared law schools are, although surely the legal profession must be watching technological developments with interest and considering how the law will react to new situations.  Surely, since (semi?) autonomous vehicles are used in the likes of factories, there might already have been law cases dealing with industrial injury as a result of technological failure?  In that case, perhaps law schools are preparing students because there already are such vehicles.  What about drones?  Have there been any legal cases involving drones?  Surely there must have been by now.  Perhaps someone else out there knows what the situation is.

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15 hours ago, Dark_Grey said:

For all our modern conveniences, do any of us have more free time? I sure don't. What happened to a "paperless society"? What happened to all the leisure technology was supposed to bring us? Watching old movies, it seems like people sat around a lot more in the 1950's than they do today. Just my impression though.

Like you, I do not think we have more leisure time, but less.  People are being burdened ever more with work of one sort or another. 

Although I am no longer a teacher, I was in the profession long enough to notice changes in that regard.  For example, as soon as computer technology was introduced in schools, then that was all the excuse management needed to churn out bits of paper demanding we, the teachers, respond to this that or the next thing that flitted through management minds.   And if they could not be bothered churning out bits of paper, then emails did just as well.  So, a double whammy, as it were.  Lots more bits of paper to respond to as well as hordes of daily emails.  This, of course, had a knock-on effect on pupils whose workload I have also seen increase hugely.  (I mean, they are children, for goodness sakes.  Let them have their childhood, at least, before being hammered!)  By the end of my time in teaching, I'd say a teacher's workload must have doubled at least.  And of course this is not particular to teachers.  For example, I was in hospital for a while last winter.  I saw in the NHS exactly the same problems as in education.  The nurses were spending so much time keeping technology up and running that they had no time for patients.  They complained bitterly about the huge increases in paperwork etc, etc.  People in the local shops complain about increased beaurocracy, not only the shop owners but also the shop workers.  

Life is getting more and more high maintenance.  It is, I think mainly, but not entirely, due to technology.  For example, scares about global warming are an excuse for ordinary people to be lumbered with extra work e.g. sorting out household waste.  Bus routes are being cut back, making getting around more difficult and lengthy, especially for poor folks.  How often does one's internet connection or one's computer etc break down and require maintenance?  How long have you had to wait on the phone before getting through to the help desk?  30 minutes? 40 minutes?  Previously all one had to worry about was keeping one's phone connection up and running  I now have home internet for the first time since 12 years ago.    Previously I had a dial-up connection.  That was relatively easy to maintain compared to my wi-fi connection. It was also a much simpler operation to set up one's new computer with the required software 2 decades ago.  Also, my local bank branch has closed and now the nearest one is a 14 mile round trip away in a location where parking is very difficult.  So a formerly 10 minute trip to the bank can easily take over an hour now.

Oh, I know that if I sat down to think about it, I'd remember all the ways in which life now if far higher maintenance than before, even down to health.  I.e. have you had your 30 minutes walk today?  Your 5-a-day?  Have you read all the food labels on the tins/packets you bought from the local supermarket to make sure the food is "healthy"?  Are you monitoring your fat/sugar/salt intake?  Have you had your smear test/bowel cancer test/ breast scan/general health check recently?...…………………..  The list is endless.....the list goes on and on and on and on.

 

People's lives are becoming so overburdened how can people go on like this without eventually losing the will to live?.  And, of course, like everything else, this hits poor folks far worse than anyone else.  And if one is rich, well one just buys one's way out of the problem.

 

 

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Yes, typical marketing hype, great idea, and does a job we all hate!

It is an ok, idea at best, and l don't hate doing it, l don't care either way.

And l am sure it saves time, after learning how to use it, and program it, and maintain it, pffft,....or a bit like a Laptop, take a PHD in computer software and you are flying.

:lol:

 

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