Entrepreneurial Energy Engineering student Mr Gede Herry Arum recently developed the ‘Smart Trash Can’, an innovative waste collection device that utilises technology to dispose of waste effectively. The young inventor successfully presented his prototype in a number of national and international exhibitions, most notably the International Exhibition for Young Inventors 2017 in Nagoya Japan through which he won a gold medal in the Green Technology category. Furthermore, in recognition of his accomplishments, Mr Arum was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.
In designing the prototype, four individual trash cans were labelled with distinct categories of waste namely plastic, organic, metals, and glass. Specialised sensors located at the front of each trash can will recognise the waste being discarded and the lid will only open to the waste corresponding to each specific category; the device is powered by a small battery and uses a microcontroller chip. Through this invention, it is hoped that waste sorting could be made more efficient as well as encourage local communities to recycle more.
As one of Indonesia's most prominent higher education institution, Universitas Prasetiya Mulya lays claim to a storied history of fostering the development of entrepreneurs that are already impacting local industries. The university’s willingness to provide support in the form of an effective balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application has seen its students create projects that have transitioned into fully-operational business ventures.
Photos courtesy of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya