Automatic trash can optimized for battery life
If you have a trash can with a lid, you’ve probably accepted the small inconvenience of opening it with your hand and foot. YouTube hacker MadGyver, however, came up with a different solution using an Arduino Nano and a micro servo to open the lid whenever someone places a hand near the unit’s ultrasonic sensor.
In order to run the device on batteries, MadGyver modified the Nano for efficiency, shedding the power LED, along with the voltage regulator. He also used a transistor to turn off power to the servo when in standby mode, and added a capacitor to accommodate for the power surge experienced when the servo starts moving.
After these mods, his trash can should theoretically function for over three years with the correct batteries! Check it out in the video below!