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Robotic Bins and Benches in Cambridge

Posted by Zonk on from the my-bench's-name-is-jeff dept.

OldBus writes "According to the BBC robotic bins and benches have been installed in Cambridge. According to the article, they 'move and chuckle' and 'sing when the sun comes out.'" From the article: "Mr Bogen hopes the cutting edge technology would help keep the bins and benches safe from theft. The Junction has a three year maintenance contract with Greyworld and plans to name all the bins and benches individually to make carrying out repairs easier."

3 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Less likely theft? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd be more likely to steal a bin or bench that talks and makes 'rude noises'.

  2. Hang about. by King_of_Prussia · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bins that sing and chuckle are going to be safer from theft? In what alternate universe does the article writer live in?

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  3. Re:Large-scale irritation by hey! · · Score: 4, Insightful

    These bins will be a certain target for vandalism

    I wonder what it would be like if you programmed these things to squeal in agony like a baby animal being tortured. We have a tendency to fill in human characteristics to anything that exhibits behavior we can fit into a human patter -- behavior we can find a human explanation for. People who live with an old car for a long time tend to personify it's mechanial quirks.

    Randomly breaking into song is just stupid elevator music, but singing to great the sunrise has a kind of charm to it.

    In any case, I'd bet exhibiting pain would deter many casual vandals. The ones who aren't deterred may be people you want to keep your eye on.

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