Smart trash can wins top prize at record-setting hackathon

A team from the University of Maryland took home the top prize at the University of Michigan’s recent 36-hour hackathon, “MHacks.”

Their winning device: “GreenCan,” an intelligent trash receptacle that can distinguish the difference between garbage and recyclable items based on the sound the object makes when dropped into the can. 

Zachary Lawrence, Joshua Drubin, and Andres Toro work on their “GreenCan” device at MHacks.

More than 1,214 people from 100-or-so schools showed up, believed to be the largest such event ever organized by college students.

Classmates Zachary Lawrence, Joshua Drubin, and Andres Toro worked together on “GreenCan.” Its functionality is relatively simple: It includes a swing top that pivots in a different direction depending on the sound an object makes when it hits it.

For instance, aluminum cans that hit the top and make a sort of “ping” sound would be dropped on one side of the bin, while a more “thud-y” foam cup would be dropped on the other side.

See for yourself in the video demonstration below:

GreenCan won $6,000 and an automatic entry into Grelock Hackfest, a high-profile, more-competitive event organized by Silicon Valley’s Greylock Partners.

“I never dreamed of coming here and actually winning,” Drubin said. “It feels unbelievable,” he added, despite being interviewed on six hours of sleep in the last 48 hours.

The group took a catnap approach, resting for 30-minute stints every five hours.

“We're definitely going to feel it soon enough,” said Toro, prior to the thresome’s 10-hour ride home.

Story via: ur.umich.edu