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Construction
Trash Can Tank
7-8-25
I have a long fairly steep driveway, down which I need to take my sometimes very heavy trash can and green waste cans... might
as well include the recycling can also. They all need to go down to the street once a week to be emptied and then brought back up.
This hasn't been a problem so far, but as I get older there may (probably will) come a time when I need some help getting these down to the street and back up after they've been dumped.
So I started thinking of what I might be able to come up with in the way of some mechanized contraption to help me out. I do have some time as I'm not quite so old as to need it yet... But what a fun design problem and build this will be!
It will most likely be electric, which is (at least for me) easier than using a gas engine. I already have several DC electric motors that could be used. I could make it move with just a remote control, but I could make the control system a little more complex and it could take itself down the driveway. Tank style tracks might be in order because the driveway sometimes has dirt and leaves on it and wheels might slip (thus the trash can TANK designation). It will need to adjust carying angle as it transitions from the flat area at the top of the driveway to the slop of the driveway and then back to horizontal at the street level. It would be nice if it could move the cans into position at the curb and deposit them in their normal pickup locations, then return back up to its designated spot in the parking area. Of course, if it's going to be somewhat autonimous it will need some amount of sensory input also to keep it from any collisions.
Anyway, those are just some initial thoughts on this thing
This hasn't been a problem so far, but as I get older there may (probably will) come a time when I need some help getting these down to the street and back up after they've been dumped.
So I started thinking of what I might be able to come up with in the way of some mechanized contraption to help me out. I do have some time as I'm not quite so old as to need it yet... But what a fun design problem and build this will be!
It will most likely be electric, which is (at least for me) easier than using a gas engine. I already have several DC electric motors that could be used. I could make it move with just a remote control, but I could make the control system a little more complex and it could take itself down the driveway. Tank style tracks might be in order because the driveway sometimes has dirt and leaves on it and wheels might slip (thus the trash can TANK designation). It will need to adjust carying angle as it transitions from the flat area at the top of the driveway to the slop of the driveway and then back to horizontal at the street level. It would be nice if it could move the cans into position at the curb and deposit them in their normal pickup locations, then return back up to its designated spot in the parking area. Of course, if it's going to be somewhat autonimous it will need some amount of sensory input also to keep it from any collisions.
Anyway, those are just some initial thoughts on this thing