Home Assistant tracks bin schedules and displays reminders but cannot confirm if bins were actually put out. The author over-engineered a solution using ultra-wideband (UWB) radio tags on six bins to detect movement. Initial attempts with Bluetooth tags failed due to battery drain, unreliable proximity readings, and environmental interference affecting signal strength.
UWB was chosen because it measures signal travel time for accurate distance estimation, independent of signal strength fluctuations. The system, named Bin Range, uses one fixed anchor and six battery-powered tags with custom firmware, wireless updates, and a printed enclosure. It combines bin location data with council collection schedules scraped via Home Assistant integration.
The setup determines if a bin has moved beyond a ten-metre boundary from its storage area to count as 'Out'. The author credits AI tools like Codex and Astra for accelerating development through iterative feedback. Six bins are managed: general waste, food compost, garden waste, two recycling, and glass, each with different schedules.
While acknowledging the complexity, the project provides a tangible answer to 'have you put the bins out?' through precise UWB-based tracking.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing