Surely you have ultra-wideband radios on your bins too?
A developer over-engineered a trash bin tracking system using ultra-wideband radio tags, custom nRF52 firmware, and Home Assistant to automate collection reminders.
read it A thoroughly detailed build log that explores UWB hardware choices, custom low-power firmware, and Home Assistant automation.
summary
The author built an elaborate smart home system using ultra-wideband radio tags and an ESP32 anchor to track whether household trash bins have been moved outside. By combining UWB distance measurements, accelerometer tilt detection, and Home Assistant, the setup automates collection reminders and detects when bins are emptied. The project features custom nRF52 firmware with Bluetooth over-the-air updates and custom 3D-printed enclosures without cloud dependencies.
key points
- Utilizes KKM K4W tags with nRF52833 microcontrollers and DW3110 UWB radios, waking up via LIS3DH accelerometer interrupts to preserve battery life.
- An ESP32 anchor communicates time-of-flight radio data over MQTT to Home Assistant, establishing a reliable ten-metre boundary for bin movement.
- Integrates municipal waste schedules with real-time physical state detection, including a tilt-sensing mechanism to identify bin-emptying events.
who should read it
Smart home engineers and hardware tinkerers interested in custom sensor builds and UWB positioning.
discussion warm
consensus
Commenters thoroughly enjoyed the classic over-engineered hobbyist spirit of the project, while discussing alternative sensor topologies and battery lifespan trade-offs.
pushback
A few commenters questioned why simpler solutions like cameras with vision models or basic human memory weren't used instead.
> Home Assistant already knows which bins (trash cans, for the international readers) are due for collection. [...] What it can’t tell me is whether I’ve actually done anything about it.
My first gut reaction to this was: Have you tried using a vision-language model?
I used to have an elaborate Home Assistant setup with tons of zigbee sensors here and there telling me if front door is not closed properly, if the rice cooker is left on (via current monitoring), if the garage door is left open (with a magnetic contact sensor), if window is left open, if the soil is dry, etc. I had to keep …
Proposes an alternative zero-maintenance monitoring setup using local vision-language models and cameras.
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