As robotic systems (RS) become more autonomous, they are becoming increasingly used in small spaces and offices to automate tasks such as cleaning, infrastructure maintenance, or resource management. In this paper, we propose iTrash, an intelligent trashcan that aims to improve recycling rates in small office spaces. For that, we ran a 5 day experiment and found that iTrash can produce an efficiency increase of more than 30% compared to traditional trashcans. The findings derived from this work, point to the fact that using iTrash not only increase recyclying rates, but also provides valuable data such as users behaviour or bin usage patterns, which cannot be taken from a normal trashcan. This information can be used to predict and optimize some tasks in these spaces. Finally, we explored the potential of using blockchain technology to create economic incentives for recycling, following a Save-as-you-Throw (SAYT) model.

Having started my career in the pre-technology era, I am very accustomed to talking rather than texting. Plus, being from New York City, I frequently use my hands to communicate, gesturing to add emphasis or other emotions. All of this means that this new era of intelligent devices--objects you can speak to and wave at--is a very comfortable one for me. Voice-recognition technologies are among the top trends of 2018. Most of us are familiar with Siri, Google Home, and Alexa.

Simplehuman's a pretty household name in, uh, households across the country, what with its sensor mirrors, stainless steel dish racks and automatic soap dispensers. Now it's come up with yet another innovation; a trashcan you can activate with your voice. Known as the Sensor Can with Voice Control, you can open it just by saying "open can" and "open sesame." It sounds pretty silly at first, but it's actually potentially pretty useful if you have both hands full of food scraps. Of course, you could also just get a trash can with a foot pedal, but maybe you don't like those for aesthetic or design reasons.