Where the Bins and the Benches Do Roam

Posted 11 Jun 2005 at 12:39 UTC by The Swirling Brain

If you happen to go to Cambridge University you may see one of the new roaming trash bins or park benches. The six bins and six benches are solar-powered and are a £110K (~ $180K US) art project by London artists, Greyworld. The trash bins (although they do not accept trash) roam around an area of the campus and make rude noises, chuckle, or sing if they feel like it's a nice day for it. The benches also roam, but they do not sing. Each bin and bench has a different personality. Some bins like to snuggle up to certain benches while others do not. At certain times the bins may gather to sing a barbershop quartet song. The robots use GPS to help them navigate but do still get into a pickle now and then and have to be rescued. The robots also have an alarm to deter theives and screech if they are bothered. This definately sounds like fun and whimsical interactive robotic art!

Singin' Trash Cans, posted 13 Jun 2005 at 16:02 UTC by jeffkoenig » (Master)

I seem to recall a McDonald's commercial many years ago that featured a group of trash cans singing "Don't forget to feed the waaaaaste-baskets!"

When they finished singing, Ronald reminded viewers to feed them, "Because they're hungry, too!"

Sad Followup to the Bin and Benches Story, posted 16 Jun 2005 at 13:26 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

Well it looks like the Bins and Benches just hours after being release smashed into each other and everything else so the artists had no recourse other than just to pack them up and take them away. So we say a sad goodbye bins and benches. :-(

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