Background
I believe that every dog owner has the same frustrations of your dog digging in the trash even with a trash can lid. So I want to adjust my dog’s behavior by designing a trash can with a sensor that makes a buzzing noise to stop them before they start their “treasure hunt”.
Introduction
I realize that most trash cans are in a cylinder shape where my dog loves to approach it from all directions which would be hard to capture their coming distance, so I want to make a right triangle shape trash can that can be placed in a corner of my home, and the sensor will be on the hypotenuse side to better measure and capture my dog’s movement.
Tutorial Steps:
- The trash can will be constructed based on three main pieces of acrylic sheets, so measure and cut the neopixel strip based on the acrylic sheet’s length.
- Solder the Neopixel strip, buzzer, and ultrasonic sensor onto an arduino board.
- Alter the code into white color light.
- Set the buzz time to last 3 seconds.
- Cut a slit (that would fit the neopixel strip) in three wooden blocks
- Cut the wood diagonally on the two shorter sides of the wooden block
- Cut the plywood into right triangle shape as the trashcan’s base
- Glue all the parts together
Video Storyboard

- Full shot: Me watching tv and heard noises from the trashcan
- Close up: My dog digging through trash
- Extreme close up: All the mess my dog made, trash on the floor
- Wide shot: The triangle trash can I made in the corner
- Wide shot: My dog approaching to the trashcan
- Full shot: The trash lights up, and make buzz noises
- Wide shot: My dog running away from the trashcan
Material List:
- Arduino Board
- Ultrasonic Sensor: https://www.adafruit.com/product/4007
- Buzzer 5V: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1536
- LED x 1-3
- Jumpwires
- Translucent Acrylic sheet 12×12 (3 pieces): https://www.canalplastic.com/collections/acrylic-sheets/products/2447-white-translucent-acrylic-sheet?variant=32920753934
- Neopixel strip: https://www.amazon.com/BTF-LIGHTING-Flexible-Individually-Addressable-Non-waterproof/dp/B01CDTEJBG/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3TTI0VBO3GULC&keywords=neopixel+strip&qid=1637641223&sprefix=neopixel+st%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQVRRMEhEN0ZDWTBEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzE4Njk5MlBRUUxPMzI2UURMVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzgxNDg3Mkw3T05VNDU5MkNUVyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
- Plywood
Instructables account:
https://www.instructables.com/member/Cherylzxe/
Circuit Diagram:

Mini version prototype:
Google doc link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DHkaT1zCgoM6UfrQU_1pR1NmNOBNPm9e9XlF5phQSXY/edit?usp=sharing