Dog waste bin: Re-poop-erator

DESCRIPTION

The idea is trivial – you throw a „poopon”, you hear a fanfare and if you are lucky, you can get a toy for your dog. This is how the re-poop-erator, a unique dog waste bin that was installed in one of the Poznan districts, works. It is an outcome of Think Blue workshops organized by Volkswagen. Young designers followed the Design thinking methodology and asked some Poznan residents about what was missing in their surroundings and what should be changed. Two days of brainstorming resulted in more than 400 ideas. Then, the prototypes were made and tested. A person who wants to use the Re-poop-erator throws the pet waste inside and hears an applause, fanfare and enthusiastic congratulations (“Well done!”, “You change the world!” or “Re-poop-eration completed!”). Next, the person can play with an “one-armed bandit” machine. Pulling a lever activates drawing of pictures on the electronic display. If all pictures are the same, the player wins a ball for his or her pet. Otherwise, a sound of applause or congratulations is played. It is also possible to take biodegradable waste bags from the machine to clean after one’s dog.

JUSTIFICATION

The project was implemented as a part of ThinkBlue workshops organized by Volkswagen. The fact that it was the best project out of over 400 ones proves it uniqueness. The Re-poop-erator responds to the needs of local society and brings benefits for dog owners. Its success comes from the in-built gamification aspect (throw a waste, play an one-armed bandit, win a prize). The project enjoyed very positive reception in the community.

REFERENCES

http://designthinking.pl/na-kupy-rekuperator/

IMAGE SOURCE

http://cdn1.codziennypoznan.pl/201606241325/pub/img/full/5e/a7a8-adsc-0734_201310151639.jpg