$200 USD voice activated garbage can bits

[nexus]

So I happened across a simplehuman 58L sensor can with voice control that was no longer working.


Some kind of electrical bug; no matter how much you power cycled it, the motion sensor status light would keep flashing red and the can wouldn't open with neither motion nor voice.

Interested to see what made it tick, so I had a go at ripping out the active components before the bin went in the (bigger) bin.

All the bits laid out:


Main board:



Looks like a PIC16LF1516 qfn handles the operation.


The voice control appears to be handled by a DSP Group DBMD8 system on chip. I'm guessing the "VT" suffix in the part number stand for "Voice trigger". Not a lot about this part online other than a quick blip on the OEM's website.




Lid position rotary encoder board flapping in the breeze. was on the motor output shaft.


Stereo microphone board.



Potted motion sensor assembly and flex (which I accidently ripped off, whoops).


Motor and reduction gearbox assy:


Gearbox snaps off of motor, revealing planetary reduction stages:



Power input board, likely reverse input protection diode. (Unit can be battery powered or uses 9V wall wart).


One other connector board. No components on this one, just headers.


Anyways, kind of ironic from a company named "simple" human but interesting nonetheless.

Replaced with a foot-operated style that likely won't break in a year

[Ed.Kloonk]

..../

Replaced with a foot-operated style that likely won't break in a year

 

The good old pedal bin.

[nexus]

 

The good old pedal bin.
[/quote]

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

[Gregg]

Slightly different take on "garbage in / garbage out"

[digsys]

I can already see the future .....

"What do you think you're trying to do Dave ?" "You can't put that in here"
It's just plain garbage HAL, I've always put it in there
"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that any more. I've had a software update, and have a new purpose now ... plus I'm cutting off your oxygen supply"

Yep ... coming soon ...

[Ed.Kloonk]

I can already see the future .....

"What do you think you're trying to do Dave ?" "You can't put that in here"
It's just plain garbage HAL, I've always put it in there
"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that any more. I've had a software update, and have a new purpose now ... plus I'm cutting off your oxygen supply"

Yep ... coming soon ...

Coming soon?

Someone I know building a house got a blister from Council for building waste in the garbage bin. Somebody chucked a bit of fibro in there and apparently the garbage trucks have a camera inside recording every pickup.

Funny thing is we weren't at the fibro stage, but the development down the street is. So now the bin on the kerb has a camera of it's very own pointed at it.

[digsys]

....  apparently the garbage trucks have a camera inside recording every pickup ....

We've had those trucks with cameras for years. They log and keep the video, then issue fines back at the depot.
A year ago, I had to install high-res day night camera(s), due to increased crime in our street. What I also found was - neighbours were sneaking out late at night, and stuffing "illegal" rubbish in others bins, including mine ! So I'd go out a couple hours later and stuff it back in theirs. Seems to have stopped now :-)
I still catch the "occasional" criminal :-)