Smart dustbins that give you free WiFi? Not rubbish at all!

rahul1117kumar

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The idea to exalt simple acts in civil behaviour may not set a good example, but is a start nevertheless towards fostering a culture where these actions are given the attention they deserve. This line of thought took Mumbai-based startup ThinkScream to combine the need to keep the environment clean with the growing demand for internet access to come up with its unique ' WiFi Trash Bin .'

The duo behind the five-year-old startup invented a trash can that rewards people with free WiFi every time they throw something away. "The idea behind ThinkScream was to solve everyday problems in an innovative way, one solution at a time," says co-founder of ThinkScream, Raj Desai.

The four-and-a-half feet high plastic bin comes equipped with an LED screen that generates an access code whenever someone throws something in it.

In exchange, the person gets access to WiFi for 15 minutes, which generally works well within a radius of 50 metres.

Watch: A dustbin with a difference

"The dustbin uses multiple technologies to enable this seemingly simple function," says Desai. "The first is the WiFi technology, which is optimised to make sure that all codes work in sync. The second is the technology used for motion sensing to trace the movement of the trash as it hits the bin. The last is to link the motion sensor with the WiFi network for a seamless operation," he explains.

The startup made its debut with six smart bins at a music festival in 2014 to provide attendees with easy access to WiFi. "The development of these bins is being done in partnership with different organisations - including various telecom companies - and costs anywhere between Rs 50,000 and 1 lakh" says Desai.

ThinkScream has also started setting up similar networks in other places like retail shops and events like trade shows. It has also received inquiries from companies who see it as great branding opportunities. "That, however, was never the premise behind creating the WiFi Trash Bin," he said. "It was always to trigger positive changes in deep-seated behaviour around public cleanliness in India," he adds.

This partnership has also been customised for movie theatres in Mumbai whereby people can have their food delivered to their seats without downloading any special app for the same. "All that the person needs to do is log into the network and use the custom-designed website to order food," he says. The company has rolled out the service in over 60 theatres in Mumbai.

The company is currently working with multiple corporates and governments to install WiFi Trash Bins on a larger scale. With the aim of providing new age technology solutions to people, it has also been working to set up
School Of Accelerated Learning or SOAL .

The company is now targeting large-scale projects like corporate offices, residential societies and shopping complexes. In the future, they also plan to expand and set up dustbins on the streets.

The company also aims to set up SOAL across various metros and tier-1 cities over the next three years and then expand into South East Asia and the Middle East. SOAL's vision is to ensure that computer programming and - more importantly, the mindset behind it - becomes a staple across all educational systems in India over the next couple of decades.

Smart dustbins that give you free WiFi? Not rubbish at all!, Telecom News, ET Telecom
 
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