Webchutney and OML partners to create an interactive waste bin that gets drunk with the festival-goers!

The aftermath of any great party or music festival sadly bears evidence only with the amount of empty booze-laden cups lying around. Persuading spirited fest goers to be responsible is an uphill task, especially with a traditional 'don't litter' campaign. And that was what we aimed to tackle at India's biggest and happiest music festival: NH7 Weekender, Pune.

We created a masquerade "anti litter" activation by giving fest goers an engaging reason to not litter after drinking. By humanizing a normal waste bin into one that gets drunk and talks drunk like any of them, by turning it into a WASTED BIN. What started off as an interesting play on words progressively took us to challenging avenues in robotics, animation and technology.

Real alcohol sensors (aka Breathalizers) were used inside the bin to detected the amount of alcohol in each cup. These real time readings were synced with our database of over 500 progressively 'drunk' dialogues; so as more cups were fed inside the bin, it ACTUALLY got more wasted. And in turn, spoke more drunk to the fest goers too!

The Wasted Bin was built with a RaspBerry Pi Engine. The Engine was connected to-

1. An XBOX Kinect to detect movement of people around it. On detection, the bin spoke out and encouraged them to throw their cups inside him.
2. A CRT screen on top to aid with eye gesture and text with every dialogue.
3. Motion sensors next to the lid of the bin to know exactly when it's opened.
4. IR Sensors to detect the drop of a cup.
5. Alcohol sensors to gauge the level of alcohol inside the bin, using fumes emitted from the cups.
6. Two high powered speakers to blast each dialogue.
7. WAN setup to remote control the bin; using any mobile device.
8. And an actual, smaller waste bin inside to collect the cups.

Amit Basak, Creative Director, Webchutney quoted "We could have gotten away with just one speaker and a regular looking bin. But by adding in some retro scan-line eyes, robotic kiosk like stance and voice, and topping it off gloss red paint and blue contrasting vinyl we ended up with an immediate head turner for anyone around. And then it's funny - you turn your head and there it is, it's a pretty big trash bin, talking and winking, and being drunk! A lot of hacking came together to make this possible - a thorough DIY exercise done with a set of brilliant hands."

Vijay Nair, Founder, Only Much Louder had the following to say ‘This has proved technology needn't just be 'cool' or 'share worthy' but also effective, and used to spread the right message. While the objective of reducing waste stayed, the key was to do it in a way that adds value to the entire NH7 Weekender experience, without being a hindrance to it. And Mr. Wasted Bin delivered that.’

Standing at 6 feet in height, Mr. Wasted Bin was installed outside the Dub Station arena in NH7 Weekender, Pune, a few yards away from the bar.
The response received to the installation was extremely positive.
Talk about the "talking dustbin at the Dub Station" organically spread around the fest, and the bin was surrounded during peak hours of the fest by inebriated fest goers waiting to throw their cup in and get entertained. Each of them turned into socially responsible citizens without even realizing it!
 

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