Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions! 😊If you like this video please subscribe. I would appreciate that a lot because it helps to make future videos.
do you think you could put a flash warning for people with epilepsy on this video? (i don't have epilepsy but 0:51 could maybe trigger a seizure in someone)
Great job. Will the commercial version of the Trash Train be easier to maintain? There are a lot of little parts that could wear down over time and become expensive to repair/replace. What is the life cycle of the product? Will there be a version that is usable even if there's a steeper incline? Will there be a manual version in case the battery or signal isn't working? What would pricing look like for different versions? Would your Trash Train company just handle holding the patent and selling the design or would it also cover B2C installation and include B2B app service? Let us know when there's a Kickstarter or website for later iterations of this project. Thanks.
Composting and repurposing waste would reduce the amount of rubbish and yield greater beneficial results for the environment. Landfills are filled by people who live in homes and governments are also voted in by people who live in homes. Coincidence? Probably. All I know is the better we technologically become, the worse the outside world gets.
I made it past that to the line that they are only picked up once a month. this is peaklulz I think a tubular rail is a better idea, using a 40mm steel tube which you bend into the shape of the track. This allows you to use two opposed drive wheels in compression against the pipe in-between. Should be far cheaper and the train would not need to be weighted.
"relieble train lines" and "germany" really do not go together into one sentence at all ^^ we have one of the worst Train infrastructure and reliability in Europe. its so bad, our ICE isn't allowed to drive to its stops in Switzerland because all the delays cause to much turmoil, so the have to stop just behind the border and turn around now
@@Gwynplain been living in Germany for 4 years long. Your trains are quite reliable, believe me. In Spain every train will be always late (expect btw 20' and an hour of delay), or it will break in the middle of nowhere and you won't even get refunded. Also some of their workers like to beat up ticketless passengers. I don't think even Morocco could surpass that.
@@TheDraggerPlay Well, this ain´t furer´s times anymore but here in México we still got some German Trains they are bad ass F... but is all poor maintenance
I really appreciated you showing the many iterations and not just the final version. Creating something will take trail and error and learning from failure. Many people give up after 1 or 2 attempts and deem the problem unsolvable. Its a great lesson in learning to iterate. Awesome project.
as a professional train operator i need to say that you need a third light on top of the two, its called spitzenlicht. also a light indicating the end of the train would be usefull (Schlusslicht). Like your train very much, awesome project
What I like the most with this project is the minimalist approach of the track. Many would have goes crazy with a complete train-like track that would have been in the way of other things, so this approach where the wheels run on the bricks on one side is brilliant and really innovative! well done! (now i really need a house... )
to add a thought to this, another idea would be to space track vertically instead of horizontally so that it can run along a fence, but obviously depends on where a suitable fence can be placed, but I can imagine such a solution could be totally invisible until the trash-train comes riding along the fence. :D
@@sgtjonson quite literally by definition, yes this was a minimalist way to approach the problem and minimalism is not always about not having a ton of stuff, it can include environmental impact. the impact to the environment when creating something such as this or even our roads for example, all can be measured or quantified, so by taking the solution that makes the least impact you are taking the minimalist approach.
@@hhjhj393 there's a motorized cable crimper that runs on a thick cable while braiding another cable around and it hauls an ~20kg cable reel with it so maybe you can use it for this purpose but you may need something similar to tracks to keep the wagons in place either that or use hooks and trash bags instead of containers
@@hhjhj393 The track was the easiest part. The hardest was machining all the shafts and power transmission things without a mill. You really need keyways but without a mill its a struggle to find alternative solutions.
I’m a garbage man in a small US city in Missouri. I love this idea. People “forget” to put the trash cans out by the street all the time and then call to the city and say we skipped their trash. Your device would remedy that situation. My only input as a garbage man is automatic trash trucks with a hydraulic grabbing arm need more room between the trash cans as to not knock over the can when they are grabbed by the truck. Very cool build I will share with other garbage collection personnel.
You mean: it needs a selection / points / re-collect system... as in NL we are only allowed to have one container out at the time.... 🙂;-) I do like the one-rail-system (and one pair of swiveling wheels), rather than having a second rail in the pavement.
@@gijsgijs2365 no the truck has a big hydraulic arm that grabs the cans. The grabber part needs about 2ft of space in between the cans or it will knock the other ones over. If you still have a guy that goes and grabs the cans it’s perfect. But if the garbage truck has an automatic can grabber the distance between each can will very from 1-3ft to allow the hydraulic grabber to operate with out hitting the other trash cans.
@@jamesblinzler7421 Yes, similar to the trucks here in NL = we also have one-person trucks with hydraulic arms to grab the container. However, we ALSO have the requirement that only one container at the time is allowed to be at the street (and not the whole train)... This as 'on Wednesday even weeks' they will catch the green waste container; 'on Wednesday odd weeks' the rest garbage container and 'on last Friday of the month' the paper/tin cans container... Hence it needs a split/combine system with points halfway the track... 🙂 and in that case also solving the hydraulic arm issue, as there is only one container at the time to be grabbed. (I would expect that Germany has similar rules... ) But I definitely like the idea!
@@jamesblinzler7421 Oddly, we have a similar system with the trucks grabbing the bins where I live, but they don't seem to need anywhere near that much space between the bins (still need a bit more than the train seems to provide though). The problem is more that the bins need to be right on the edge of the curb. Running track on the public footpath is... not really viable.
Small recommendation for the commercial version: you should make the motor portion detachable from the trash cans so that in the event that repair is needed the person can still use the tracks manually. Not sure if someone else already posted this but wanted to mention it!
@@MaxMakerChannel And a small wooden hut (garage) for motor partition which protects it and charging terminal. If that hut is light weight then it can be lifted easily if motor needs maintenance.
@@kaspernbs 9:43 There is an overlap between people who can live independently and people who can’t lift garbage cans onto the carts. If a person’s lucky, their neighbour is generous enough to help every time; it’s not always the case and/or it can be difficult to ask. They don’t even have to be older to have troubles with this since mobility issues can affect anyone at any age. I hope you’ll be kinder when “just do it yourself” crosses your mind.
Empty bins are not heavy. Also you don’t need to lift it but just slide it onto the platform. Also the bins should be the other way around for easier removal.
Was going to suggest the same thing.. my waste management crew some reason every time will take the trash from the receptacle which i set on the edge of the lawn as does everyone else, but every damn time they put the empty bin directly in the middle of my driveway. So every trash day they come before i head out to work so I get to run into it with my car every time unless i remember to grab it before I go to work, otherwise i have a dent in my rear bumper that matches the corner of the bin.. I thought about making a 5th wheel and adding it to the bin so when i do run into it, i will just push it out of the way to the side rather than having to dig it out from under the car and buy new ones every so often..
@@volkhen0 lulz... At that point it's easier to just take the bin back myself. Added bonus: don't turn my front yard into a mid life crisis train hobby
I’m pretty amazed. The level of ingenuity that went to this is astounding. Mechanics, electronics, programming, welding, machining, etc… you are very talented. Hats off!
@@MaxMakerChannel hey think this is ace, one problem I could for see is the switches being hit by leaves, a suggestion would have a very small positive air flow to clear leaves that can be turned on and off, summer would be fine but autumn would cause some issues, a small blue pipe with forward positive air flow could clear the track easily and stop your end switches being fooled. Amazing train, just disappointed you didn't put a train driver hat on the bin;)
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@@An-Engineered-Journey best thing about software engineering is all the free material. It's hard to watch any mech eng videos without seeing all the dollar signs flying by
Honestly, I love thes videos so much and so does my 5yr old. Everything he sees as a problem or an inconvenience causes him to start planning what machines or inventions he has to make to solve the issue. Obviously at 5, he isn't really aware of the how yet but he has such a mind for this sort of thing. These videos fascinate him and really help him fuel that drive, show him it is absolutely possible if he puts his mind to it and the work in. Thank you so much for sharing with us. ❤
I don't normally comment on videos, but I just had to on this. Making it serviceable and easy to take off the rail was genius with the gas strut. I make things myself and really inspires me in the new year to create some cool stuff! The look of the tractor unit is cute and futuristic looking, charging with pogo pins - another genius idea. When it was struggling with traction I didn't even think of a Rack and pinion I cant wait to see what comes of it all Good Luck!
Glad you liked it! I really tried to make this thing reliable for many years. Still there were so many things that didn’t work. Like the belt alignment or clearance issues and so on.
For a commercial version, you could make it more modular. It shouldn't be limited to a trash train. If people have a yard, they need to haul leaves, clippings, dirt etc. Maybe loose sections of rail that can be easily moved around?
I think the tracks will be the most difficult thing to design. They need to be easily customisable but also cheap. You need straights, bends and inclines. That is a lot of different angles.
@@MaxMakerChannel You could try flexible rails with lawn pins to stick in the lawn or in gravel etc. Maybe make the wheels steerable and guided by the rail
I watch YT on my TV so I had to do a bunch of extra steps here just to come and say "thank you" for this. I love your dedication to avoiding a slightly annoying task, it's honestly amazing. Definitely checking out the rest of your videos now.
Definitely a market for this. There are lots of elderly that could use this. Plus, if you could put timers on it, people who go on vacation could also use it. Installation could be an issue but if you sold enough, the price per unit would gradually come down making it an option for even more folks who just don't want to take the trash out.
true, but when youre on vacation, you arent filling your trash cans so theres really no use if you really wanted to you could just put them outside as you leave
I dare say a bigger and more lucrative market is Apartment blocks. They already spend thousands of dollars a year just to have someone come and 'put the bins out' and also return the next day to move them back, all because the residents can't be relied upon to do it themselves. But there are still hurdles to solve... around here the bins need to be placed on public land out front of the building... places where permanent fixtures, like rails, would not be allowed.
I can't help but think how useful this is for those who live independently but have a disability which makes a task like this something you have to rely on others for. 👌🏻Brilliant project. Got yourself a new sub 👍🏻😁
How about we check on our elderly neighbors and see what kind of help they might need? This is the kinda thing thats lacking in the new generation.. nobody cares about their neighbors or respect their elderly. Most end up selling their homes to go live in a assisted living because nobody helps them out with shit. Not even a neighbor who can roll out their track once a week as if that's a tough task
@@floofsale you've clearly made an assumption or you cannot read, either way, I didn't say anything about the elderly, so take your triggered rant elsewhere. Independent disabled people(under 50) don't always want help and it's insulting to them to even think that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to drag a full bin out, when your in a wheel chair?? Because I do. As someone who cooks cares and provides for my elderly mum, by myself. You can shove your comment up your misrable bum. ✌🏻
@@floofsale Almost like Capitalism and the growth of corporations means most people are being worked to death and can't afford to also be a caretaker, who knew.
@@floofsale I mean, the new generation kinda has a school to go learn. So most won’t even be home to help out the elderly neighbor. Also, they have to help out their elderly mom or dad daily.
Awesome project! Here are a couple of ideas for the commercial version: - smarthome scheduling, where bins are brought out on predefined time - some pressure/weight sensors to detect when bins are emptied, thus triggering return
@@MaxMakerChannel integrating it into Home Assistant would be very easy. Of course, automation creates a whole bunch of new issues - specifically regarding safety. Great project!
@@MaxMakerChannel Ive seen many youtubers programm overkill apps for the stupidest things. Even i made a simple one like 5 years ago. It doesent cost anything (well maybe licensing does or something)
I really recommend looking at home assistant to help automate this. You can use esphome to script it with a very simple integration, and it would allow you or anyone else who builds something similar to automate it for their needs. You could even add wireless sensors to the carts to detect collision and stop the system.
This is so cool with the diy train, definitely can be used as a tool for elder people who can’t move heavy things and people with mobility difficulties, this could work in Europe because of the short driveways and hiding the train in the yard but here in the states, most houses have longer driveways which can make the train a bit more difficult to hide but could work nevertheless
This makes it very convenient for you, but this also is a great showcase for those disabled or having difficulties in general and this project is great for them to suggest something similar. Well done.
yeah usually there are services for people to pick up the bins even some abled people pay a couple of bucks for garbage collection to get the bins themselves but yeah this solution would be a lot cooler
As a commercial product you would definitely need some safety sensors to ensure it would stop if someone or something was in the way. Even on this unit I would recommend it, especially as you are using this as an aid for seniors. Limited mobility means more difficulty getting out of the way quickly, and even though someone has to activate it manually, 1) you should assume they will hit the button and walk away, not watch it, and 2) seniors also can often have reduced reaction time and coordination, so if someone were to step around the corner in front of the train they may not actually manually stop it in time even if they are paying attention.
@@nathansvlog that should safety any safety concerns, and is definitely the simpler solution (and with less components to go wrong). Just a bit less convenient.
This is a fantastic idea! I'm surprised no one thought of doing this sooner. It would be cool to have these set up on a timer so when it's trash day it automatically goes to the corner first thing in the morning and all you need to do is press a button to recall them. The only issue I can see with this is the trash truck isn't always gentle with them when setting them back down.
Yes ... our guys just throw the things back in the general direction of where they picked them up ... there's no way they would spend the 3 seconds required to set them back down onto a train system!
@@mamba101 it is. not a huge problem, but i wouldn't trust these people to set the can back onto the platforms, the ones here sometimes set them back the wrong way around or just vaguely near where they got them
Clever build. I had a grandfather who built what was essentially a ski lift to carry his mailbox from the bottom of a very long steep and curved driveway up to his covered porch at the house. It was very handy after heavy rain or snowfall. Cheers
As a longtime BMW enthusiast, I say this is probably the ultimate example of German Engineering. Complex, expensive, prone to failure, difficult to maintain... and in this case could have been done with a couple pulleys and a cordless drill. Very nice.
Amazing project. Now all you need is a train yard with parallel tracks for Restmüll, Biomüll, Papiermüll und Gelbe Tonne. Surely you don’t want all cans move in front of the house each time but just the one that’s being picked up that day!
in the name of accessibility for older folks, I think you got yourself a great product. Could even program "routines" to automatically move the garbage bin out on collection day. Will definitely have to figure out solutions for batteries and such since not everyone has Metabo cordless tools, but you got yourself a functional prototype for sure.
The system would probably include at least two batteries and a charging unit. Metabo isn't the only swappable battery manufacturer as theres Makita, Milwaukee, and Dewalt to name a few in the states. Definetly an interesting product that I could see people using when they have really long driveways as well. A friend of mine lives on a relatively steep hill with about a 50yd driveway which kinda sucks.
This would be amazing with programmable routines. Needing to be there to press the button makes it moot for someone who doesn't need it as an accessibility aid.
Its charging of course at the station. Also this is not just for the collection day, but every day of the week when I bring out the trash or others living in the same house.
@@MaxMakerChannel I'm not Epic Randomness, but I think that a good way to make it go around corners is using a ground-level power supply (the thing used in trams), idk if it would be affordable to build and commercialize this way but I believe it's the best way to connect it directly to the mains and without any cables being visible.
For the rails, as an avid abandoned mine affecionado i would actually recommend Straprail you see in older mines quite often (~1800's). Basically a sheet of metal nailed on timbers. Surprisingly sturdy and considerably easier to build. Considering they (unless its a wet mine) survived for over a 100 years and where abused to hell and back, i think for that application they are ideal.
I would recommend that you exchange out the swivel wheel on the cars for staight castors. In your configuration, the swivels are going to have a lot of undue lateral force put upon them because when the train reverses direction, the wheel throw can't relive itself because the cars are "fixed" in place. Eventually, the bearing in the swivels will wear our much faster than normal because of this. Straight, fixed wheel would be ideal for your set up. The curves it takes are slight enough, they won't care. Source: 15 years experience as a theatrical technical director who's put a LOT of heavy scenery on wheels.
I’ve been trying to convince my fiancé that someone else would have this idea. You did a fantastic job. Brilliant! There is absolutely a commercial market for this.
I actually wanted to do this myself when I lived in the snow belt and had a long driveway to the street. Also wanted to include a remote to open and close the garage where the train could park. Never did it though and we moved a few years later. Also considered installing a pneumatic tube mail delivery for snowy and rainy days.
Well there ya go, just gave him another project idea to work on next 🤣 I would put one and attach it onto the back of my mailbox so when the mailman put the mail in there it just gets sucked up into the tube and the mail man would be confused af 😂
@@Styphoryte actually you put the mail in a large container that travels thru the tube. You just gotta train the mailman to push the send button. The large ones are about a foot in diameter. Believe it or not the usps used to use these in NYC back in the day to send tons of mail many miles between stations and the city has hundreds of miles of unused tubes underground that were abandoned when the usps quit using the system.
The most interesting thing here was the display of problem-solving skills, absolutely incredible. That's the funnest part of projects like this. I make animated Halloween props for my yard ,so any type of video like this one is helpful for addressing locomotion or animation problems. Thank you for posting.
I think this is something that could really sell. I would totally invest in this. I always fear us not getting the trash cans out on time early in the morning.Maybe thinking up a way of having it on an automatic scheduling system would be a great upgrade.
@@wyomins we tried that but what happened is that people drive around dumping their trash in other peoples bin. in our city if your bins get over stuffed you get fined.
Richtig cooles Projekt! Toll zu sehen wie innovativ Ingenieure in Deutschland sind und durch praktikable Erfindungen den alten Menschen hohe Lasten im Alltag abnehmen. Ich finds großartig wenn du deine Erfindung auf den Markt bringst. Da schlummert großes Potential drin! 👍
as an IT systems engineer I approve of this project, having said this you can one up your setup by automating the start stop cycle with either a smart plug or some IoT item. Very cool!
Where I live the Redback Spiders would love to live amongst the 'trash train' metal track and carriages. My simple advice is apply copious amounts of lithium grease to stop the spiders setting up a home base
I think you do a great job of showing how much work and troubleshooting goes into making a project like this. I don't think most people understand all of the iteration and failure that happens along the way. Great video!
This is the first video I’ve watched of yours, and to see Way Out West get a shoutout was beautiful. I think this type of personal engineering will only become more popular as creators like you share their knowledge and experience. :)))
You could put it on a calender based timer but then you have to rember to actually put out the trash. This is brilliant and certainly would help the elderly or physically disabled, slap a markup of 80% + labor and you have a business right there.
Why not just have a chute from your house that goes down to the trash bins, including some fill level sensors, alignment sensors and gas sensors to avoid spills or prevent stink from building up.
Awesome, we only have 3 tubs to put out each week but a massive 5degree incline to descend, so your inspiration of a rack and pinion system (like many mountain rail tracks) was spot on 👍🏻
@@TheRainHarvester Cable hauled inclines can also go round corners! A different issue would be that the weight of the bins would change depending on how full they were so your counterweight would need to take that into account. You'd probably need some sort of braking system on the rope/pulley etc.
As a train driver the first solution regarding the traction problem that came to my mind was, just put 100 kG of Steel weight onto it. And since you said it takes about 30 kG of force to pull it, that assumption was kind of spot on :D Since on the railway we have a friction coefficient for steel on steel of about 0,33, meaning a 90 ton locomotive can create 30 tons of puling force before the wheels start to slip. But to me the whole thing seems to be a "rich people´s problem". I´ve got my trash bins placed in front of my house, because it´s the most convenient spot for them. Shortest way from the streetside to their place, not blocking space for cars and motorcycles in the driveway, and i can throw in trash from the veranda without the need to put on shoes and walk arround in the driveway. And i don´t care how it looks from the outside, since i live in my house and therefore won´t see it most of the time :D
This is really cool! Something to keep in mind for a commercial version (or even for your version, especially if you have children, pets, and/or elderly around): you need to add both an alert sound that warns anyone nearby that the train is about to move, and also some sort of safety shutoff were someone be too close to the tracks.
As slow as it's moving, I think a bumper would be enough. Maybe a tilt sensor in case it comes off the rails. If you're feeling overcautious, ultrasonic distance sensors are about US$200 each and can detect objects about 400 mm away.
Awesome! I love this from a home automation perspective. Would definitely hook the train up with a trash calendar, that remotely triggers it. Maybe with some motion triggers outside, so that it does not trigger while a person is disposing their trash. Would love to see it available commercially in the future. Amazing work, thanks for sharing it!
Such a delight to watch your development process! I really wish the US would adopt the cordless tool Battery Alliance scheme. I'm so locked into these damn Ryobi's but lusting after these other tool brands...
Just wait until they digitally license-lock the batteries and accessories with this "Tools-as-a-Subscription Service" where you have to pay a recurring fee to keep using, buying, replacing, or recharging tools and accessories
@@the_1drummajor Put your tinfoil hat back on, stay off the internet, and go hide in the closet, or else the "5G Death Beamz" will get you... It must suck to live as a paranoid conspiracy theorist... 🤷🏻🤦🏻
Chris, you DO know that there are battery adapters available to use brand X batteries in brand Y tools, right? Not EVERY model out there has an adapter available, but a bunch of the popular ones do..
@@davelowets You want me to pull the cord, chuck the computer out the window and go jump off a bridge? That isn't a conspiracy theory, a pattern of what I just described about already exists with consumer brand companies like Keurig and their proprietary K-Cup pods and their 2.0 machines, Home Depot with their potentially worthless digital anti-theft embedment technology on their merchandising products, Dymo and their 5 series requiring proprietary paper to work with their printers, and possibly many others I haven't yet to name off the top of my head. If you don't believe me just look this all up. While I commend your brutal bluntness, I think you are the one that needs that tinfoil hat on and do your research bc you don't seem to know about this kind of stuff enough here to be making any sort of valid argument.
Sir, that is very impressive. Your ingenuity is outstanding. You went from one improvement to the next, to the next. It was enjoyable to watch you solve different issues as they arose and of course each version came out better, faster, stronger than the one before. (No wonder 2.7M views in 3 weeks.) Well done. Respectfully Sven.
This is brilliant. This would be great for my 92 yr old mother who struggles to get her recycling and garbage bins to the curb! I hope to see one to buy soon.
this is really cool, i like how you were always careful about the environment and stuff like that. this is something that could be really great for someone with mobility issues and would give them some more independence .
@@brianyoungberg9904 If it's anything like the situation around here, there will only be processing plants for handling certain kinds of waste (reasons vary, but it basically amounts to 'there has to be somewhere for the resulting material to go after the recycling plant and there has to be enough money in it to keep the lights on). Here, for example, basically any paper can be recycled... provided it's at least the size of a standard postal envelope. Anything smaller has a bad tendency to either blow away or come off the line and get jammed in the machinery. The prescribed solution for small papers is to shred them and put them in the greenwaste bin (for composting). For card packaging, most of it is treated the same as paper, but sometimes you'll get cartons with foil lining or other such things. There's no real practical way to process this, so it goes in the landfil. Plastics? A couple of types can be processed just fine, fortunately the most common ones... but again, the sorting machines can't handle bottle caps (even plastic ones), they tend to escape the line and jam up the machinery. Similar problem with 'soft' plastics. Some of the 'hard' plastics are just basically impossible to recycle. Oh, and if you mix the wrong plastics at certain points in the recycling process in sufficient quantity they explode. So a lot of That goes in the landfill too. (some other cities here have the ability to process More types of plastic, mind you). Aluminium cans are also recycled, of course. foodscraps and garden waste mostly go in the greenwaste bin. Gets composted on a grand scale, basically. Everything else? if you can't reuse it or pass it on to someone who can? it's going in the landfill. A fair bit of effort is being put into reducing waste packaging, but you run into problems when so many consumer goods are imported from places that just don't care. Oh, as an added bonus: one use disposable plastic shopping bags are Awful, no argument... but surprisingly, once you start taking into account the energy cost and environmental disruption of Making them, they actually beat reusable bags made of cotton in terms of environmnetally friendliness. Of course, strong, Reusable plastic bags are better still, and sturdy Paper bags that you can get several uses out of before they give up are better still. (and then there's bags made of, say, Hemp, rather than cotton, which is Much less damaging to grow on a large scale). Also, no matter what you do, you'd be surprised just how much waste accumulates over the course of a month.
This is great! Have you thought about putting a soft-ish bumper on the front with a cut off switch built in? That way it would stop if something was blocking it's path. The bumper could also be used to stop it at it's charging base.
Your garbage can train would be great for people who ate incapable of handling large garbage cans! What a wonderful idea! Please do manufacture it! Best of luck!
Literally had a very similar idea back in high school for an invention project. I got totally laughed at by the whole class, I guess I get the last laugh now. Plus your version is a lot more sophisticated lol Very well done!
I built something like this from very simple materials in 1981. Obviously it was not automatic, but a simple pulley system guided the trash cans out to the curb, and when they were done after I got home from school, it was easy enough to pull them back up.
Very many thanks Max. Original ideas and I was just thinking I ought to share this with Tim at “Way out west”, and then you mentioned him so I guess he knows about your channel. Cheers.
For the next generation you could also have the trash cans move automatically at 5AM on trash day. Maybe have a dial or a control panel on the inside of the house, right next to the window that overlooks the front yard
I have contemplated doing this for many years now, but haven't found the time to make it happen. It's cool to see someone do it. Some day If I ever have time I might do something like this. Very cool to see it work, almost like I imagined it. Not sure about commercial selling but maybe . I think maybe you could make money installing something like this for sure.
Today is the best day to start! Installing it would be to cost prohibitive. It would need to be a system that you just unpack and lie down on existing pavement or dirt. The electronics and drive stuff must also be easily serviceable.
@Max Maker I can guarantee you could install it 20 minutes from my house. There are multi million dollar homes with their back yard on a grass landing strip. Those people have hangars in their back yard. I would bet you could get paid very well to install that in their houses. They don't care about the cost, they just want to one up the next guy all the time lol.
My grandparents are in their 60s and their driveway is rather long and steep. On top of that, garbage collection is weekly. This type of system would be amazing for them!
Nice! An idea for the rack and pinion is to use chain (like bicycle chain) and sprocket. It would allow flexing and bending if you would go for a monorail version people suggest. One rail with a rail with chain on and the other side just rolls on the ground.
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My father-in-law is a steam train enthusiast and has a 5-inch train track at home. I think that system would be much easier for you to upgrade the current model. A battery powered train engine, a 5 inch track and the loading and braking improvements you have made.
I agree normal rails (or flat bar like we use in Aus) and flanged wheels would work well but I'd go much wider than 5" gauge for stability. His point about the track being part of the garden border on one side and flat on the other is interesting - it isn't so much a tripping hazard.
Always appreciate building something for fun and the challenge, even if the time it takes does not make up for the time saved or benefit. Sometimes its just fun to do it. Nice job Max
Perfect, one thing extra is to have LED light under each trashcan so when they move on Schedule out, LED is turned ON for those that are scheduled on that day :)
Great project! I was going to suggest the rack and pinion, have a look at the railways they used on Welsh slate mines which used this system to go up hills. Also if you mounted the limit switches within the rack the pinion gear could depress them as the gear tooth engages them and then you don't need dangling limit switches (though the switches would be on the rail and not on the "train", so perhaps not ideal) - this is very similar to how it works on model railways
@@triarb5790 indeed, 'the new standard' is a bit much. Common enough that anyone who actually has good reason to have one can get it at a reasonable price, on the other hand...
@Laurence Fraser No, in the 2020s we shouldn't have to strain or toil. Let us be uploaded to the AI Singularity Hivemind and never move a damn trash can again.
It really needs a big red emergency stop button on the front and back, and some collision detection bumpers. If a child comes into contact, it could get messy.
No problem! It has current sensing on the motor. If too much current is drawn, it stops the train. So if your foot is in the way it stops already. Just like sliding gates do.
I agree, this is a really cool project! I was thinking something similar. It needs obstacle detection such as a laser or simple radar (think Lego mindstorm proximity sensors) as current sensing will offer some protection, but one small animal’s arm won’t make much of a change compared to 7 fully loaded bins.
@@MaxMakerChannel If you tune it to move a train with maximum weight and then it moves almost empty and somebody is in the way, it wouldn't be able to tell the difference right? It could maybe do damage without exceeding the maximum work load, like dragging things (or children, animals) along.
I watched this with delight and am so impressed with the outcome. I'm a longtime Way Out West follower and was totally thinking of his setup as I watched yours. I love the RUclips algorithm sometimes. Well done, and thanks for giving my favorite Irish blog a shout out!
I can really appreciate the time, thought, equipment, money, work, etc. that went into this. I use my Onewheel to take the garbage can in and out every week - same concept and a lot more fun. :) Although you could take your train around the building and build a passenger car - on the leed car of course. :)
Some please may say “he’s so lazy to go to his trash bins” but he really decided to put time and effort to make a project out of something and it’s something he loves doing
Ich bewundere die Anstrengung und den Ehrgeiz den dieses Projekt abverlangt hat. Das ist echt eine mega Leistung. Cooles Video auch von den Arbeitsschritten. Vielen Dank 😊
I could also see this being implied for construction/ landscaping sites. It could be used to haul bricks/ trash or maybe even pallets to and from the driveway
This was satisfying to watch. It’s great to learn about certain environmental factors to consider with respect to soil. I hope you commercialize this - because it’s such an amazing solution.
I really like this concept of a practical miniature railway. The flatbeds on a track system being moved by hand were good enough, but you went the extra mile and made a remote-control locomotive and buffer stops for it! Hopefully someday big stores will use train systems like this to move pallets to and from the salesfloor.
Now needs a shunting yard and a program that puts the correct colour bin out the right week... Week 1 and 3 is black bin, brown is also week 1, blue is week 2 and 4 and green is week 2 and little green is week 4.
Typical German engineering, perfect. Enjoyed your engineering iteration , the IBM system , "plan your work , work your plan." The German drive gear is a work of art. I like the cog wheel system, reminds me of the little train that goes up to Zermatt. Incredible engineering, great job, two thumbs up. Fun video too, thank you.
Many thanks! I had to choose weather to design it completely in CAD or to do it in the workshop. There were so many unknowns that I thought it wouldn’t be worth it to plan it all the way through. Stuff like the required motor and friction.
This is some inspiration! I'm still too young to own a home, but when I do, I was gonna get a large yard & pretty long driveway, about quarter of a mile because why not? & now I want to build a trash train so I don't have to move the cans. Thank you, I love these videos.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your process. If you do plan to automate its movements, you may need to also consider safety systems (so someone's foot doesn't get crunched by the heavy train)
Very nice! Question: why didn’t you go with a cable car design? Seems like a much more viable design since you do not need the extra weights for grip and don’t need to put the engine on the train itself? Also, put a timer on the thing so it works by itself! Great video!
First, this is German engineering at it's finest, great work! Second, I use to think that this is laziness but as I matured over the years, this is returning back time to you and your family. One thing we can not build, buy, trade for, get more of is TIME. So if moving cans to the curb relieves you so that you have 10 minutes more with your family, I say great job! Yes, some would say the time/money he invested wasn't worth it. That's ok, I bet Max would agree...it saves him time.
Did you ever consider having one of the garbage cans sit _on top_ of the drive unit to give it more traction? I think if you could keep the rubber/plastic wheels from slipping, they won't wear out and it would simplify the design. If I had any of the skill or access to machinery that you have, I would've tried to sandblast the horizontal rail to roughen its surface.
Год назад+1
Or just put the driven wheels on the other side, on the flat track maybe.
He needs traction mostly when bringing it back inside (Since there is a slope). And at that time the trash cans will be empty and it won't serve the purpose of giving more traction.
Amazing Idea and great execution! Now you need an Arduino where you can set-up the timer to come in and out at the desired timing, so you don't have to take care of this by pressing the remote. The remote functionality could be kept as well for manual operation.
for the endstops, maybe you can magnetically detect the rack, and set the end position with a gap in the rack (ie an angle grinder cut ?) The thinking being that you would get a continuous contact endstop (ie, no detection=>no movement), and also the endstop would be tied something highly functional to the movement, so of all the weird conditions that could fool the system, "sensor ON == train on track" is highly probably true.
Yes we thought about some kind of crude morse code, but ultimately the proximity sensors were just not reliable enough. At 2mm they register. At 3mm they don’t. So they needed to be so close to any rail that it was likely they would have collided.
@@MaxMakerChannel How about a hall effect sensor? you can even use the different polarity of the magnet to indicate the start and end of the track. Also no moving parts that can fail in the future.
@@MaxMakerChannel How about an optical sensor using infrared? The IR source and receiver are 'track side'; there is an IR reflector on the last car or locomotive; when the IR beam reflects the beam back to the IR receiver, the controller stops the train?
Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions! 😊If you like this video please subscribe. I would appreciate that a lot because it helps to make future videos.
hey great video have subscribed and looking forward to new content ✌🏼+❤
Truly a Russian
If, you’re German, than you should be able to translate this, Du bist sehr dick.
do you think you could put a flash warning for people with epilepsy on this video? (i don't have epilepsy but 0:51 could maybe trigger a seizure in someone)
Great job. Will the commercial version of the Trash Train be easier to maintain? There are a lot of little parts that could wear down over time and become expensive to repair/replace. What is the life cycle of the product? Will there be a version that is usable even if there's a steeper incline? Will there be a manual version in case the battery or signal isn't working? What would pricing look like for different versions? Would your Trash Train company just handle holding the patent and selling the design or would it also cover B2C installation and include B2B app service? Let us know when there's a Kickstarter or website for later iterations of this project. Thanks.
Spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to avoid moving a few trash cans once a month… I strongly approve 👌. Awesome project
yeah i 100% agree LOL
Guessing this didn't cost a single dollar! Euros, however....😬
Don't forget content generation and the add revenue thats comes in from us watching it here.
Composting and repurposing waste would reduce the amount of rubbish and yield greater beneficial results for the environment. Landfills are filled by people who live in homes and governments are also voted in by people who live in homes. Coincidence? Probably. All I know is the better we technologically become, the worse the outside world gets.
My trash service comes twice a week - so I would get to use this eight times a month, so much more cost effective.
the fact that it moves them like, 20 feet makes this 10x better.
Haha. I really had no other option. My physical energy is limited so I tend to think things through, so there was no better concept.
@@MaxMakerChannel heck yeah, work smarter not harder!
I made it past that to the line that they are only picked up once a month. this is peaklulz
I think a tubular rail is a better idea, using a 40mm steel tube which you bend into the shape of the track. This allows you to use two opposed drive wheels in compression against the pipe in-between. Should be far cheaper and the train would not need to be weighted.
@@ohyou_6599 since its hsing rack and pinion now it doesnt need to weighted either
Well there is like 7 of them plus it's fun and a good vid.
Combining recyling, atomation and reliable train lines is probably the most German thing to do. Love it!
"relieble train lines" and "germany" really do not go together into one sentence at all ^^
we have one of the worst Train infrastructure and reliability in Europe. its so bad, our ICE isn't allowed to drive to its stops in Switzerland because all the delays cause to much turmoil, so the have to stop just behind the border and turn around now
Yeah I'm pretty that this guy's trash can train is the most reliable train line in Germany atm.
@@Gwynplain been living in Germany for 4 years long. Your trains are quite reliable, believe me. In Spain every train will be always late (expect btw 20' and an hour of delay), or it will break in the middle of nowhere and you won't even get refunded. Also some of their workers like to beat up ticketless passengers. I don't think even Morocco could surpass that.
@@TheDraggerPlaymost of Europe's train system is trash. If you look to the east or south or to the UK it isn't necessarily better 🫤😖
@@TheDraggerPlay Well, this ain´t furer´s times anymore but here in México we still got some German Trains they are bad ass F... but is all poor maintenance
I really appreciated you showing the many iterations and not just the final version. Creating something will take trail and error and learning from failure. Many people give up after 1 or 2 attempts and deem the problem unsolvable. Its a great lesson in learning to iterate.
Awesome project.
as a professional train operator i need to say that you need a third light on top of the two, its called spitzenlicht. also a light indicating the end of the train would be usefull (Schlusslicht). Like your train very much, awesome project
AND a train horn! Temporarily a tugboat horn would be ok. 🤣
@@Stefan_Dahn And just for historical detail how about a large gun !? 🤣🤣
I would add a strobe light to the engine and lights to the rear car.
@@JoseMartinez-lf5fg Put rgbs on and make it a gaming set up
Hey beautiful, can I ride your train?
What I like the most with this project is the minimalist approach of the track. Many would have goes crazy with a complete train-like track that would have been in the way of other things, so this approach where the wheels run on the bricks on one side is brilliant and really innovative! well done! (now i really need a house... )
to add a thought to this, another idea would be to space track vertically instead of horizontally so that it can run along a fence, but obviously depends on where a suitable fence can be placed, but I can imagine such a solution could be totally invisible until the trash-train comes riding along the fence. :D
Yep, trash can train takes a "minimalist" approach
@@sgtjonson quite literally by definition, yes this was a minimalist way to approach the problem and minimalism is not always about not having a ton of stuff, it can include environmental impact. the impact to the environment when creating something such as this or even our roads for example, all can be measured or quantified, so by taking the solution that makes the least impact you are taking the minimalist approach.
@@hhjhj393 there's a motorized cable crimper that runs on a thick cable while braiding another cable around and it hauls an ~20kg cable reel with it so maybe you can use it for this purpose but you may need something similar to tracks to keep the wagons in place either that or use hooks and trash bags instead of containers
@@hhjhj393 The track was the easiest part. The hardest was machining all the shafts and power transmission things without a mill. You really need keyways but without a mill its a struggle to find alternative solutions.
I’m a garbage man in a small US city in Missouri. I love this idea. People “forget” to put the trash cans out by the street all the time and then call to the city and say we skipped their trash. Your device would remedy that situation. My only input as a garbage man is automatic trash trucks with a hydraulic grabbing arm need more room between the trash cans as to not knock over the can when they are grabbed by the truck.
Very cool build I will share with other garbage collection personnel.
In Germany this type of Garbage Trucks are not really common, that’s why he probably didn’t think about it
You mean: it needs a selection / points / re-collect system... as in NL we are only allowed to have one container out at the time.... 🙂;-)
I do like the one-rail-system (and one pair of swiveling wheels), rather than having a second rail in the pavement.
@@gijsgijs2365 no the truck has a big hydraulic arm that grabs the cans. The grabber part needs about 2ft of space in between the cans or it will knock the other ones over. If you still have a guy that goes and grabs the cans it’s perfect. But if the garbage truck has an automatic can grabber the distance between each can will very from 1-3ft to allow the hydraulic grabber to operate with out hitting the other trash cans.
@@jamesblinzler7421 Yes, similar to the trucks here in NL = we also have one-person trucks with hydraulic arms to grab the container. However, we ALSO have the requirement that only one container at the time is allowed to be at the street (and not the whole train)... This as 'on Wednesday even weeks' they will catch the green waste container; 'on Wednesday odd weeks' the rest garbage container and 'on last Friday of the month' the paper/tin cans container...
Hence it needs a split/combine system with points halfway the track... 🙂
and in that case also solving the hydraulic arm issue, as there is only one container at the time to be grabbed.
(I would expect that Germany has similar rules... )
But I definitely like the idea!
@@jamesblinzler7421 Oddly, we have a similar system with the trucks grabbing the bins where I live, but they don't seem to need anywhere near that much space between the bins (still need a bit more than the train seems to provide though). The problem is more that the bins need to be right on the edge of the curb. Running track on the public footpath is... not really viable.
Incredible. My grandfather was an inventor and model maker for Texas Instruments and made all kinds of useful things like your trash train.
You could make a video about them!
Small recommendation for the commercial version: you should make the motor portion detachable from the trash cans so that in the event that repair is needed the person can still use the tracks manually.
Not sure if someone else already posted this but wanted to mention it!
Oh yes it’s detachable!
@@MaxMakerChannel And a small wooden hut (garage) for motor partition which protects it and charging terminal. If that hut is light weight then it can be lifted easily if motor needs maintenance.
No, because I would totally get this installed at the house so we don’t have to keep bringing the trash out
If I had any confidence that our trash men would put the bin back on the trolley, I'd buy this in a heartbeat =)
If they don't you can just put the empty bins back on the carts.and then send the train back to home station.
@@kaspernbs 9:43 There is an overlap between people who can live independently and people who can’t lift garbage cans onto the carts. If a person’s lucky, their neighbour is generous enough to help every time; it’s not always the case and/or it can be difficult to ask. They don’t even have to be older to have troubles with this since mobility issues can affect anyone at any age. I hope you’ll be kinder when “just do it yourself” crosses your mind.
Empty bins are not heavy. Also you don’t need to lift it but just slide it onto the platform. Also the bins should be the other way around for easier removal.
Was going to suggest the same thing.. my waste management crew some reason every time will take the trash from the receptacle which i set on the edge of the lawn as does everyone else, but every damn time they put the empty bin directly in the middle of my driveway. So every trash day they come before i head out to work so I get to run into it with my car every time unless i remember to grab it before I go to work, otherwise i have a dent in my rear bumper that matches the corner of the bin..
I thought about making a 5th wheel and adding it to the bin so when i do run into it, i will just push it out of the way to the side rather than having to dig it out from under the car and buy new ones every so often..
@@volkhen0 lulz... At that point it's easier to just take the bin back myself. Added bonus: don't turn my front yard into a mid life crisis train hobby
I’m pretty amazed. The level of ingenuity that went to this is astounding. Mechanics, electronics, programming, welding, machining, etc… you are very talented. Hats off!
Thanks! Its learning by doing.
This makes me want to switch from a software engineer to a mechanical engineer. Awesome video! Big things coming for your channel
@@MaxMakerChannel hey think this is ace, one problem I could for see is the switches being hit by leaves, a suggestion would have a very small positive air flow to clear leaves that can be turned on and off, summer would be fine but autumn would cause some issues, a small blue pipe with forward positive air flow could clear the track easily and stop your end switches being fooled.
Amazing train, just disappointed you didn't put a train driver hat on the bin;)
@@An-Engineered-Journey best thing about software engineering is all the free material. It's hard to watch any mech eng videos without seeing all the dollar signs flying by
Honestly, I love thes videos so much and so does my 5yr old. Everything he sees as a problem or an inconvenience causes him to start planning what machines or inventions he has to make to solve the issue. Obviously at 5, he isn't really aware of the how yet but he has such a mind for this sort of thing. These videos fascinate him and really help him fuel that drive, show him it is absolutely possible if he puts his mind to it and the work in.
Thank you so much for sharing with us. ❤
That was nice to read this morning! I recommend getting Lego for him. That was always my favourite toy.
I don't normally comment on videos, but I just had to on this.
Making it serviceable and easy to take off the rail was genius with the gas strut. I make things myself and really inspires me in the new year to create some cool stuff!
The look of the tractor unit is cute and futuristic looking, charging with pogo pins - another genius idea. When it was struggling with traction I didn't even think of a Rack and pinion
I cant wait to see what comes of it all
Good Luck!
Glad you liked it! I really tried to make this thing reliable for many years. Still there were so many things that didn’t work. Like the belt alignment or clearance issues and so on.
For a commercial version, you could make it more modular. It shouldn't be limited to a trash train. If people have a yard, they need to haul leaves, clippings, dirt etc. Maybe loose sections of rail that can be easily moved around?
I think the tracks will be the most difficult thing to design. They need to be easily customisable but also cheap. You need straights, bends and inclines. That is a lot of different angles.
@@MaxMakerChannel You could try flexible rails with lawn pins to stick in the lawn or in gravel etc. Maybe make the wheels steerable and guided by the rail
@@MaxMakerChannel something like this? ruclips.net/video/VJ3hDABgr2c/видео.html *edit* hah i should learn to watch till the end
At that point you might as well make a self-propelled cart and forget the rail
@@MaxMakerChannel Make them like Brio wooden train tracks.
I watch YT on my TV so I had to do a bunch of extra steps here just to come and say "thank you" for this. I love your dedication to avoiding a slightly annoying task, it's honestly amazing. Definitely checking out the rest of your videos now.
Thanks for watching! I am glad you enjoyed it.
Wow this was way more complicated than I thought! I really admire engineers for the awesome solutions they find to problems.
Definitely a market for this. There are lots of elderly that could use this. Plus, if you could put timers on it, people who go on vacation could also use it. Installation could be an issue but if you sold enough, the price per unit would gradually come down making it an option for even more folks who just don't want to take the trash out.
true, but when youre on vacation, you arent filling your trash cans so theres really no use
if you really wanted to you could just put them outside as you leave
😂😂 It only costs you 20k to take the trash out
Yep. There actually is a HUGE untapped market for this. The potential could be unlimited…
Not enough to put a timer, if this is going unattended you need all kind of safety systems to make sure it does not drive into someone or something.
I dare say a bigger and more lucrative market is Apartment blocks. They already spend thousands of dollars a year just to have someone come and 'put the bins out' and also return the next day to move them back, all because the residents can't be relied upon to do it themselves. But there are still hurdles to solve... around here the bins need to be placed on public land out front of the building... places where permanent fixtures, like rails, would not be allowed.
I can't help but think how useful this is for those who live independently but have a disability which makes a task like this something you have to rely on others for. 👌🏻Brilliant project. Got yourself a new sub 👍🏻😁
How about we check on our elderly neighbors and see what kind of help they might need? This is the kinda thing thats lacking in the new generation.. nobody cares about their neighbors or respect their elderly. Most end up selling their homes to go live in a assisted living because nobody helps them out with shit. Not even a neighbor who can roll out their track once a week as if that's a tough task
@@floofsale you've clearly made an assumption or you cannot read, either way, I didn't say anything about the elderly, so take your triggered rant elsewhere.
Independent disabled people(under 50) don't always want help and it's insulting to them to even think that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to drag a full bin out, when your in a wheel chair?? Because I do.
As someone who cooks cares and provides for my elderly mum, by myself. You can shove your comment up your misrable bum. ✌🏻
@@floofsale Almost like Capitalism and the growth of corporations means most people are being worked to death and can't afford to also be a caretaker, who knew.
@@floofsale I mean, the new generation kinda has a school to go learn. So most won’t even be home to help out the elderly neighbor. Also, they have to help out their elderly mom or dad daily.
What happens if you get run over by the train and the misses finds you when it’s -30C at 3am?
Awesome project! Here are a couple of ideas for the commercial version:
- smarthome scheduling, where bins are brought out on predefined time
- some pressure/weight sensors to detect when bins are emptied, thus triggering return
I think programing a app would be too expensive. Also for the maintenance of it.
@@MaxMakerChannel integrating it into Home Assistant would be very easy. Of course, automation creates a whole bunch of new issues - specifically regarding safety.
Great project!
@@MaxMakerChannel Ive seen many youtubers programm overkill apps for the stupidest things. Even i made a simple one like 5 years ago. It doesent cost anything (well maybe licensing does or something)
I really recommend looking at home assistant to help automate this. You can use esphome to script it with a very simple integration, and it would allow you or anyone else who builds something similar to automate it for their needs. You could even add wireless sensors to the carts to detect collision and stop the system.
@@MaxMakerChannel Super easy to integrate it with home assistant, and for safety I would add sensors in case a person or animal approaches
This is so cool with the diy train, definitely can be used as a tool for elder people who can’t move heavy things and people with mobility difficulties, this could work in Europe because of the short driveways and hiding the train in the yard but here in the states, most houses have longer driveways which can make the train a bit more difficult to hide but could work nevertheless
This makes it very convenient for you, but this also is a great showcase for those disabled or having difficulties in general and this project is great for them to suggest something similar. Well done.
yeah usually there are services for people to pick up the bins
even some abled people pay a couple of bucks for garbage collection to get the bins themselves
but yeah this solution would be a lot cooler
As a commercial product you would definitely need some safety sensors to ensure it would stop if someone or something was in the way. Even on this unit I would recommend it, especially as you are using this as an aid for seniors. Limited mobility means more difficulty getting out of the way quickly, and even though someone has to activate it manually, 1) you should assume they will hit the button and walk away, not watch it, and 2) seniors also can often have reduced reaction time and coordination, so if someone were to step around the corner in front of the train they may not actually manually stop it in time even if they are paying attention.
And we see from the end stop segment of the video it does have its inertia.
Maybe switching it to require the button to be held down for the whole movement would work - kind of like controlling a stair lift
@@nathansvlog that should safety any safety concerns, and is definitely the simpler solution (and with less components to go wrong). Just a bit less convenient.
Or people could employ common sense?
@@prodbybabygod7411 yeah... Good luck with that!
This is a fantastic idea! I'm surprised no one thought of doing this sooner. It would be cool to have these set up on a timer so when it's trash day it automatically goes to the corner first thing in the morning and all you need to do is press a button to recall them. The only issue I can see with this is the trash truck isn't always gentle with them when setting them back down.
I've got an idea for that..... Massive magnets you can "turn on" to retrieve the bins to the tracks 😂
Yes ... our guys just throw the things back in the general direction of where they picked them up ... there's no way they would spend the 3 seconds required to set them back down onto a train system!
Somehow I think this isn’t a problem in Germany
@@mamba101 it is. not a huge problem, but i wouldn't trust these people to set the can back onto the platforms, the ones here sometimes set them back the wrong way around or just vaguely near where they got them
@@Maric18sounds like a skill issue
Having lived in Stuttgart for 3 years I can REALLY appreciate this system. Yet another example of Excellent German engineering!
Love how you ended up building real train stuff, went from a quick diy to understand the true mechanics of moving stuff on tracks, nice!
Clever build. I had a grandfather who built what was essentially a ski lift to carry his mailbox from the bottom of a very long steep and curved driveway up to his covered porch at the house. It was very handy after heavy rain or snowfall.
Cheers
As a longtime BMW enthusiast, I say this is probably the ultimate example of German Engineering. Complex, expensive, prone to failure, difficult to maintain... and in this case could have been done with a couple pulleys and a cordless drill. Very nice.
As a german, your comment made me chuckle. The same thought crossed my mind when watching the video. 😏
Yeah, but are you the one outside in bad weather sitting cross-legged on the ground holding the drill?
Use a crank handle?
Amazing project. Now all you need is a train yard with parallel tracks for Restmüll, Biomüll, Papiermüll und Gelbe Tonne. Surely you don’t want all cans move in front of the house each time but just the one that’s being picked up that day!
in the name of accessibility for older folks, I think you got yourself a great product. Could even program "routines" to automatically move the garbage bin out on collection day.
Will definitely have to figure out solutions for batteries and such since not everyone has Metabo cordless tools, but you got yourself a functional prototype for sure.
The system would probably include at least two batteries and a charging unit. Metabo isn't the only swappable battery manufacturer as theres Makita, Milwaukee, and Dewalt to name a few in the states. Definetly an interesting product that I could see people using when they have really long driveways as well. A friend of mine lives on a relatively steep hill with about a 50yd driveway which kinda sucks.
This would be amazing with programmable routines. Needing to be there to press the button makes it moot for someone who doesn't need it as an accessibility aid.
Its charging of course at the station. Also this is not just for the collection day, but every day of the week when I bring out the trash or others living in the same house.
@epicrandomness2463 I see it the same as you. A cable system is better. Have you got ideas how the cables could go around corners?
@@MaxMakerChannel I'm not Epic Randomness, but I think that a good way to make it go around corners is using a ground-level power supply (the thing used in trams), idk if it would be affordable to build and commercialize this way but I believe it's the best way to connect it directly to the mains and without any cables being visible.
For the rails, as an avid abandoned mine affecionado i would actually recommend Straprail you see in older mines quite often (~1800's). Basically a sheet of metal nailed on timbers. Surprisingly sturdy and considerably easier to build. Considering they (unless its a wet mine) survived for over a 100 years and where abused to hell and back, i think for that application they are ideal.
Thanks for the input! Will check it out!
I would recommend that you exchange out the swivel wheel on the cars for staight castors. In your configuration, the swivels are going to have a lot of undue lateral force put upon them because when the train reverses direction, the wheel throw can't relive itself because the cars are "fixed" in place. Eventually, the bearing in the swivels will wear our much faster than normal because of this.
Straight, fixed wheel would be ideal for your set up. The curves it takes are slight enough, they won't care.
Source: 15 years experience as a theatrical technical director who's put a LOT of heavy scenery on wheels.
I'm glad you said something because all I do is sweep puke and I coulda told him that.
I’ve been trying to convince my fiancé that someone else would have this idea. You did a fantastic job. Brilliant! There is absolutely a commercial market for this.
I actually wanted to do this myself when I lived in the snow belt and had a long driveway to the street. Also wanted to include a remote to open and close the garage where the train could park. Never did it though and we moved a few years later. Also considered installing a pneumatic tube mail delivery for snowy and rainy days.
Well there ya go, just gave him another project idea to work on next 🤣 I would put one and attach it onto the back of my mailbox so when the mailman put the mail in there it just gets sucked up into the tube and the mail man would be confused af 😂
@@Styphoryte actually you put the mail in a large container that travels thru the tube. You just gotta train the mailman to push the send button. The large ones are about a foot in diameter. Believe it or not the usps used to use these in NYC back in the day to send tons of mail many miles between stations and the city has hundreds of miles of unused tubes underground that were abandoned when the usps quit using the system.
Wtf where I live we have parcel lockers
The most interesting thing here was the display of problem-solving skills, absolutely incredible. That's the funnest part of projects like this. I make animated Halloween props for my yard ,so any type of video like this one is helpful for addressing locomotion or animation problems. Thank you for posting.
Couldn't agree more!
I think this is something that could really sell. I would totally invest in this. I always fear us not getting the trash cans out on time early in the morning.Maybe thinking up a way of having it on an automatic scheduling system would be a great upgrade.
Or you could put them out the night before...
@@wyomins we tried that but what happened is that people drive around dumping their trash in other peoples bin. in our city if your bins get over stuffed you get fined.
@@Ourjourneyonline that is pretty low.
Richtig cooles Projekt! Toll zu sehen wie innovativ Ingenieure in Deutschland sind und durch praktikable Erfindungen den alten Menschen hohe Lasten im Alltag abnehmen. Ich finds großartig wenn du deine Erfindung auf den Markt bringst. Da schlummert großes Potential drin! 👍
Danke für das Lob!
Ja , ich stimme dem zu - EINFACH GENIAL!
as an IT systems engineer I approve of this project, having said this you can one up your setup by automating the start stop cycle with either a smart plug or some IoT item. Very cool!
That reminds of a crypto call Iota that’s all about automation for smart cities ❤❤❤
did he ask for ur approval
@@kamkent7880 did anyone ask u to write anything
Where I live the Redback Spiders would love to live amongst the 'trash train' metal track and carriages. My simple advice is apply copious amounts of lithium grease to stop the spiders setting up a home base
Fortunately most of us dont live in australia :P
Legendary Leokimvideo
There he is!
Perhaps he can make a sanding-gear that will dispense the grease while the train is in motion.
P p
Mortein surface spray is the stuff you want
I think you do a great job of showing how much work and troubleshooting goes into making a project like this. I don't think most people understand all of the iteration and failure that happens along the way. Great video!
Well said!
Your enthusiasm and knowledge is admirable!
It was a riveting watch and I wished there was more .
Thank you so much for sharing.👍
This is the first video I’ve watched of yours, and to see Way Out West get a shoutout was beautiful. I think this type of personal engineering will only become more popular as creators like you share their knowledge and experience. :)))
there are millions of people engineering personally .. hence the views
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 nice troll
@@gmy33 Billions of people forgetting to put the cart out is why the views.
@@sandspar :-)
You could put it on a calender based timer but then you have to rember to actually put out the trash. This is brilliant and certainly would help the elderly or physically disabled, slap a markup of 80% + labor and you have a business right there.
or even Hey Google take the trash...
Why not just have a chute from your house that goes down to the trash bins, including some fill level sensors, alignment sensors and gas sensors to avoid spills or prevent stink from building up.
@@zipp4everyone263 A chute? the trash bags would tear and it would end up making a mess everywhere
@@KiLLJoYRUclips if you make it poorly, yes. If you make it so that the sharp bits are on the outside it shouldn't.
Awesome, we only have 3 tubs to put out each week but a massive 5degree incline to descend, so your inspiration of a rack and pinion system (like many mountain rail tracks) was spot on 👍🏻
If it's a straight run, use a counter weight and cable.
@@TheRainHarvester Cable hauled inclines can also go round corners! A different issue would be that the weight of the bins would change depending on how full they were so your counterweight would need to take that into account. You'd probably need some sort of braking system on the rope/pulley etc.
Do it!
As a train driver the first solution regarding the traction problem that came to my mind was, just put 100 kG of Steel weight onto it. And since you said it takes about 30 kG of force to pull it, that assumption was kind of spot on :D Since on the railway we have a friction coefficient for steel on steel of about 0,33, meaning a 90 ton locomotive can create 30 tons of puling force before the wheels start to slip.
But to me the whole thing seems to be a "rich people´s problem". I´ve got my trash bins placed in front of my house, because it´s the most convenient spot for them. Shortest way from the streetside to their place, not blocking space for cars and motorcycles in the driveway, and i can throw in trash from the veranda without the need to put on shoes and walk arround in the driveway. And i don´t care how it looks from the outside, since i live in my house and therefore won´t see it most of the time :D
Huge respect for wearing a proper PAPR while welding. I think people too-often forget the potential hazards of welding fumes!
I noticed that too. And you're right.
As someone who has experienced Zinc chills, i strongly agree - wear the gear!!
This is really cool! Something to keep in mind for a commercial version (or even for your version, especially if you have children, pets, and/or elderly around): you need to add both an alert sound that warns anyone nearby that the train is about to move, and also some sort of safety shutoff were someone be too close to the tracks.
It has a force shutoff. So when there is too much resistance it shuts off.
@@MaxMakerChannel You could play train sounds for the immersion.
As slow as it's moving, I think a bumper would be enough. Maybe a tilt sensor in case it comes off the rails. If you're feeling overcautious, ultrasonic distance sensors are about US$200 each and can detect objects about 400 mm away.
@@PrograError instead of a beeper, maybe a little tune? Like an ice cream truck
@@Compgeek86The garbage song!
This is bloody amazing. We need more people like you on earth!
Ditto to that!
We do, they are called sanitation workers, or automobile assemblers.... 🤣😂
Awesome! I love this from a home automation perspective. Would definitely hook the train up with a trash calendar, that remotely triggers it. Maybe with some motion triggers outside, so that it does not trigger while a person is disposing their trash. Would love to see it available commercially in the future. Amazing work, thanks for sharing it!
Such a delight to watch your development process! I really wish the US would adopt the cordless tool Battery Alliance scheme. I'm so locked into these damn Ryobi's but lusting after these other tool brands...
Just wait until they digitally license-lock the batteries and accessories with this "Tools-as-a-Subscription Service" where you have to pay a recurring fee to keep using, buying, replacing, or recharging tools and accessories
@@the_1drummajor Put your tinfoil hat back on, stay off the internet, and go hide in the closet, or else the "5G Death Beamz" will get you...
It must suck to live as a paranoid conspiracy theorist... 🤷🏻🤦🏻
Chris, you DO know that there are battery adapters available to use brand X batteries in brand Y tools, right? Not EVERY model out there has an adapter available, but a bunch of the popular ones do..
@@davelowets You want me to pull the cord, chuck the computer out the window and go jump off a bridge? That isn't a conspiracy theory, a pattern of what I just described about already exists with consumer brand companies like Keurig and their proprietary K-Cup pods and their 2.0 machines, Home Depot with their potentially worthless digital anti-theft embedment technology on their merchandising products, Dymo and their 5 series requiring proprietary paper to work with their printers, and possibly many others I haven't yet to name off the top of my head. If you don't believe me just look this all up.
While I commend your brutal bluntness, I think you are the one that needs that tinfoil hat on and do your research bc you don't seem to know about this kind of stuff enough here to be making any sort of valid argument.
@@davelowets in the US? No, I did not know that.
Sir, that is very impressive. Your ingenuity is outstanding. You went from
one improvement to the next, to the next. It was enjoyable to watch you solve
different issues as they arose and of course each version came out better,
faster, stronger than the one before. (No wonder 2.7M views in 3 weeks.)
Well done.
Respectfully Sven.
This is brilliant. This would be great for my 92 yr old mother who struggles to get her recycling and garbage bins to the curb! I hope to see one to buy soon.
this is really cool, i like how you were always careful about the environment and stuff like that. this is something that could be really great for someone with mobility issues and would give them some more independence .
But he has several garbage cans going to the dump!
Hopefully one day I can market this.
@@brianyoungberg9904 If it's anything like the situation around here, there will only be processing plants for handling certain kinds of waste (reasons vary, but it basically amounts to 'there has to be somewhere for the resulting material to go after the recycling plant and there has to be enough money in it to keep the lights on). Here, for example, basically any paper can be recycled... provided it's at least the size of a standard postal envelope. Anything smaller has a bad tendency to either blow away or come off the line and get jammed in the machinery. The prescribed solution for small papers is to shred them and put them in the greenwaste bin (for composting).
For card packaging, most of it is treated the same as paper, but sometimes you'll get cartons with foil lining or other such things. There's no real practical way to process this, so it goes in the landfil.
Plastics? A couple of types can be processed just fine, fortunately the most common ones... but again, the sorting machines can't handle bottle caps (even plastic ones), they tend to escape the line and jam up the machinery. Similar problem with 'soft' plastics. Some of the 'hard' plastics are just basically impossible to recycle. Oh, and if you mix the wrong plastics at certain points in the recycling process in sufficient quantity they explode. So a lot of That goes in the landfill too. (some other cities here have the ability to process More types of plastic, mind you).
Aluminium cans are also recycled, of course.
foodscraps and garden waste mostly go in the greenwaste bin. Gets composted on a grand scale, basically.
Everything else? if you can't reuse it or pass it on to someone who can? it's going in the landfill.
A fair bit of effort is being put into reducing waste packaging, but you run into problems when so many consumer goods are imported from places that just don't care.
Oh, as an added bonus: one use disposable plastic shopping bags are Awful, no argument... but surprisingly, once you start taking into account the energy cost and environmental disruption of Making them, they actually beat reusable bags made of cotton in terms of environmnetally friendliness. Of course, strong, Reusable plastic bags are better still, and sturdy Paper bags that you can get several uses out of before they give up are better still. (and then there's bags made of, say, Hemp, rather than cotton, which is Much less damaging to grow on a large scale).
Also, no matter what you do, you'd be surprised just how much waste accumulates over the course of a month.
This is great! Have you thought about putting a soft-ish bumper on the front with a cut off switch built in? That way it would stop if something was blocking it's path. The bumper could also be used to stop it at it's charging base.
Yeah was wondering what would happen if it hit something. Would be good to have a safety kill switch connected to some kind of sensor
Your garbage can train would be great for people who ate incapable of handling large garbage cans! What a wonderful idea! Please do manufacture it! Best of luck!
Literally had a very similar idea back in high school for an invention project. I got totally laughed at by the whole class, I guess I get the last laugh now. Plus your version is a lot more sophisticated lol Very well done!
i really hope your project flourishes and you can sell it commercially! it isn't only fun to watch, it's useful! everyone should have a train!
Uh, no, what are the goombas going to do for a job when the roombas replace them?
BRILLIANT! Such a fun project, and definitely viable for commercial applications! Keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
Awesome. I like how this evolved. some great solutions employed in there too.
I built something like this from very simple materials in 1981. Obviously it was not automatic, but a simple pulley system guided the trash cans out to the curb, and when they were done after I got home from school, it was easy enough to pull them back up.
Very many thanks Max. Original ideas and I was just thinking I ought to share this with Tim at “Way out west”, and then you mentioned him so I guess he knows about your channel. Cheers.
Fantastic! I don’t think he does actually, but now he does!
That was great footage of it working in the snow. You are a true inventor and engineer.
That's about the coolest thing ever! I love your Trash Train!! 🚆
I've always had this as an idea in my head, to see someone actually do it is really great. Very impressive setup!
For the next generation you could also have the trash cans move automatically at 5AM on trash day. Maybe have a dial or a control panel on the inside of the house, right next to the window that overlooks the front yard
it would make sense, but put the motors and control in the bins then you want fall over the track collecting the post!🤣
I have contemplated doing this for many years now, but haven't found the time to make it happen. It's cool to see someone do it. Some day If I ever have time I might do something like this. Very cool to see it work, almost like I imagined it. Not sure about commercial selling but maybe . I think maybe you could make money installing something like this for sure.
Today is the best day to start! Installing it would be to cost prohibitive. It would need to be a system that you just unpack and lie down on existing pavement or dirt. The electronics and drive stuff must also be easily serviceable.
@Max Maker I can guarantee you could install it 20 minutes from my house. There are multi million dollar homes with their back yard on a grass landing strip. Those people have hangars in their back yard. I would bet you could get paid very well to install that in their houses. They don't care about the cost, they just want to one up the next guy all the time lol.
Do it @@MaxMakerChannel they could be paid research!
My grandparents are in their 60s and their driveway is rather long and steep. On top of that, garbage collection is weekly. This type of system would be amazing for them!
Nice! An idea for the rack and pinion is to use chain (like bicycle chain) and sprocket. It would allow flexing and bending if you would go for a monorail version people suggest. One rail with a rail with chain on and the other side just rolls on the ground.
My father-in-law is a steam train enthusiast and has a 5-inch train track at home.
I think that system would be much easier for you to upgrade the current model. A battery powered train engine, a 5 inch track and the loading and braking improvements you have made.
I don’t understand exactly. I didn’t go for the two rail track because I didn’t want to have to be so exact about the spacing.
I agree normal rails (or flat bar like we use in Aus) and flanged wheels would work well but I'd go much wider than 5" gauge for stability.
His point about the track being part of the garden border on one side and flat on the other is interesting - it isn't so much a tripping hazard.
@@MaxMakerChannel It doesn't need two tracks. Just adapt a training wheel for a bike. A slightly wider larger wheel is all that's needed.
Always appreciate building something for fun and the challenge, even if the time it takes does not make up for the time saved or benefit. Sometimes its just fun to do it. Nice job Max
Thanks! A lot of fun indeed!
Perfect, one thing extra is to have LED light under each trashcan so when they move on Schedule out, LED is turned ON for those that are scheduled on that day :)
Just amazing what people are capable of. And then to top it off, you documented and narrate so wonderfully. Great job!
Great project! I was going to suggest the rack and pinion, have a look at the railways they used on Welsh slate mines which used this system to go up hills. Also if you mounted the limit switches within the rack the pinion gear could depress them as the gear tooth engages them and then you don't need dangling limit switches (though the switches would be on the rail and not on the "train", so perhaps not ideal) - this is very similar to how it works on model railways
This could really be fun done up for Halloween - a ghost train sneaking out to scare the bejeezus out of the kids! 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻
This needs to be a new standard when it comes to building new homes. This is an ingenious idea.
Because heaven forbid people get incidental exercise.
@@triarb5790 indeed, 'the new standard' is a bit much. Common enough that anyone who actually has good reason to have one can get it at a reasonable price, on the other hand...
@Laurence Fraser No, in the 2020s we shouldn't have to strain or toil. Let us be uploaded to the AI Singularity Hivemind and never move a damn trash can again.
It really needs a big red emergency stop button on the front and back, and some collision detection bumpers. If a child comes into contact, it could get messy.
No problem! It has current sensing on the motor. If too much current is drawn, it stops the train. So if your foot is in the way it stops already. Just like sliding gates do.
I agree, this is a really cool project! I was thinking something similar. It needs obstacle detection such as a laser or simple radar (think Lego mindstorm proximity sensors) as current sensing will offer some protection, but one small animal’s arm won’t make much of a change compared to 7 fully loaded bins.
@@MaxMakerChannel If you tune it to move a train with maximum weight and then it moves almost empty and somebody is in the way, it wouldn't be able to tell the difference right? It could maybe do damage without exceeding the maximum work load, like dragging things (or children, animals) along.
So impressed with your motivation to keep reiterating. Very well done!
Cool project, it's cool watching other peoples' problem-solving processes. Looks like it turned out really nice
I watched this with delight and am so impressed with the outcome. I'm a longtime Way Out West follower and was totally thinking of his setup as I watched yours. I love the RUclips algorithm sometimes. Well done, and thanks for giving my favorite Irish blog a shout out!
I can really appreciate the time, thought, equipment, money, work, etc. that went into this. I use my Onewheel to take the garbage can in and out every week - same concept and a lot more fun. :) Although you could take your train around the building and build a passenger car - on the leed car of course. :)
Some please may say “he’s so lazy to go to his trash bins” but he really decided to put time and effort to make a project out of something and it’s something he loves doing
Exactly right.
Lazyness is the root of many inventions :-)
_It's an ingenious solution, to a problem, that should never have existed in the first place._ (c) James May, limo challenge.
How special that you've found a passion and talent for building and designing products, and do so both at work and at home.
Ich bewundere die Anstrengung und den Ehrgeiz den dieses Projekt abverlangt hat. Das ist echt eine mega Leistung. Cooles Video auch von den Arbeitsschritten. Vielen Dank 😊
Danke für das Lob!
The best engineering ideas come from a person whos laziness is unparalleled...like mine. I approve this sooo much. Great video!
I could also see this being implied for construction/ landscaping sites. It could be used to haul bricks/ trash or maybe even pallets to and from the driveway
This was satisfying to watch. It’s great to learn about certain environmental factors to consider with respect to soil. I hope you commercialize this - because it’s such an amazing solution.
I really like this concept of a practical miniature railway. The flatbeds on a track system being moved by hand were good enough, but you went the extra mile and made a remote-control locomotive and buffer stops for it!
Hopefully someday big stores will use train systems like this to move pallets to and from the salesfloor.
Now needs a shunting yard and a program that puts the correct colour bin out the right week... Week 1 and 3 is black bin, brown is also week 1, blue is week 2 and 4 and green is week 2 and little green is week 4.
Typical German engineering, perfect. Enjoyed your engineering iteration , the IBM system , "plan your work , work your plan." The German drive gear is a work of art. I like the cog wheel system, reminds me of the little train that goes up to Zermatt. Incredible engineering, great job, two thumbs up. Fun video too, thank you.
Many thanks! I had to choose weather to design it completely in CAD or to do it in the workshop. There were so many unknowns that I thought it wouldn’t be worth it to plan it all the way through. Stuff like the required motor and friction.
This is some inspiration! I'm still too young to own a home, but when I do, I was gonna get a large yard & pretty long driveway, about quarter of a mile because why not? & now I want to build a trash train so I don't have to move the cans. Thank you, I love these videos.
This is really cool I can definitely see elderly and disabled people needing something like this
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your process.
If you do plan to automate its movements, you may need to also consider safety systems (so someone's foot doesn't get crunched by the heavy train)
Very nice! Question: why didn’t you go with a cable car design? Seems like a much more viable design since you do not need the extra weights for grip and don’t need to put the engine on the train itself? Also, put a timer on the thing so it works by itself! Great video!
Until the then unsupervised train crushes the neighbor's cat....
"It only gets picked up once a month" -Wow, that's one of the very few negative things I've ever heard about life in Germany.
This is absolutely crazy. And that is making it 10 times cooler)
First, this is German engineering at it's finest, great work! Second, I use to think that this is laziness but as I matured over the years, this is returning back time to you and your family. One thing we can not build, buy, trade for, get more of is TIME. So if moving cans to the curb relieves you so that you have 10 minutes more with your family, I say great job! Yes, some would say the time/money he invested wasn't worth it. That's ok, I bet Max would agree...it saves him time.
Yes but he will have to pay for the electricity that powers this thing using money, which is also time. Time is money
Did you ever consider having one of the garbage cans sit _on top_ of the drive unit to give it more traction? I think if you could keep the rubber/plastic wheels from slipping, they won't wear out and it would simplify the design.
If I had any of the skill or access to machinery that you have, I would've tried to sandblast the horizontal rail to roughen its surface.
Or just put the driven wheels on the other side, on the flat track maybe.
He needs traction mostly when bringing it back inside (Since there is a slope). And at that time the trash cans will be empty and it won't serve the purpose of giving more traction.
This is absolutely stunning. I may stick around if you do this kind of thing regularly.
Similar things…
Its the little things in life that make all the difference. This is an incredible upgrade and more organized
Amazing Idea and great execution!
Now you need an Arduino where you can set-up the timer to come in and out at the desired timing, so you don't have to take care of this by pressing the remote. The remote functionality could be kept as well for manual operation.
for the endstops, maybe you can magnetically detect the rack, and set the end position with a gap in the rack (ie an angle grinder cut ?)
The thinking being that you would get a continuous contact endstop (ie, no detection=>no movement), and also the endstop would be tied something highly functional to the movement, so of all the weird conditions that could fool the system, "sensor ON == train on track" is highly probably true.
Yes we thought about some kind of crude morse code, but ultimately the proximity sensors were just not reliable enough. At 2mm they register. At 3mm they don’t. So they needed to be so close to any rail that it was likely they would have collided.
@@MaxMakerChannel How about a hall effect sensor? you can even use the different polarity of the magnet to indicate the start and end of the track. Also no moving parts that can fail in the future.
@@MaxMakerChannel add an emergency/redundant stop with signal from the charging circuit
@@MaxMakerChannel How about an optical sensor using infrared? The IR source and receiver are 'track side'; there is an IR reflector on the last car or locomotive; when the IR beam reflects the beam back to the IR receiver, the controller stops the train?