KUCHING: A group of secondary school students from Sekolah Menengah Tunku Putra-HELP has turned heads at the recent STEM Innovation Competition (PinKS@UiTM 2025) at UiTM Sarawak, Kota Samarahan branch here.
With their smart invention, specifically a mobile dustbin affectionately named BinGo!, they have captured the attention of many.
Created to address mobility challenges faced by the elderly and persons with disabilities, BinGo! is more than just a dustbin.
It represents a step toward a more inclusive and accessible future for its users.
The team was led by their teacher and advisor, Nadhirah Khalid.
“BinGo! is a smart dustbin that can navigate itself to a user’s location, so people no longer have to go to the bin to throw the rubbish but the bin comes to them,” she explained.
BinGo! is a smart dustbin thoughtfully designed to serve individuals with limited mobility, including the elderly and people confined to small living spaces.
“This is especially helpful for those with disabilities or elderly individuals who may find it hard to move around frequently,” she said.
With an ultrasonic sensor embedded into its design, BinGo! can detect nearby motion.
Once it senses someone approaching, the lid opens automatically allowing for contactless disposal of waste.
“We wanted to address not just convenience, but also hygiene.
“With the sensor-based lid, users don’t need to touch the bin, which reduces the risk of spreading germs,” Nadhirah added.
Moreover, the idea originates from a school-wide interest in building assistive technologies.
When the team received an invitation to join the competition about one and a half months ago, they immediately saw the opportunity to bring their concept to life.
“They spent about a month for discussions, brainstorming ideas, sketching the designs, and sourcing the right components.
“It was not easy; there were challenges like finding the right sensors and refining the prototype, but it became a meaningful learning journey for the students,” she added.
Throughout the development process, students not only worked on the technical side of the innovation but also developed important soft skills.
“They learned how to manage a project from scratch, from handling setbacks to meeting deadlines. It was a journey of learning by doing,” she said.
The students and their teacher are not stopping at the current version of BinGo!.
“In the future, we want to add voice activation. Just imagine someone saying, ‘BinGo!’ and the bin rolls over to them.
“That’s the goal for this project, to make technology more helpful and interactive,” she added.
The idea of voice-activated bins could significantly expand the tool’s usefulness in a variety of settings, including hospitals, care centres and even homes with young children or individuals that easily get infections.
“So many people could benefit from this not just the elderly.
“It could be used in hospitals, in homes or anywhere people need more convenience and safety in waste disposal,” she said.
According to Nadhirah, BinGo! could also pave the way for similar innovations that bring accessibility to everyday tools.
“It’s more than a dustbin. It’s about reimagining how everyday tools can be inclusive and smart,” she added.
Though it began as a school project, the significance of BinGo! has grown into something more impactful.
With the right support and development, the team believes it could be refined and scaled up for real-world use.
“We hope our project can be used in any place where it’s needed.
“It’s not just for school competitions; we want it to benefit the community,” Nadhirah added.
She also mentioned that the project has opened her students’ eyes to the power of STEM and the real-world problems it can solve.
“This project showed the students that innovation isn’t only about complicated gadgets.
“It’s about understanding people’s needs and creating something meaningful,” she added.
The team plans to continue working on BinGo! even after the competition ends.
Their next steps include adding new features, improving mobility, and refining the software interface.
What made BinGo! stands out wasn’t just the technology but it was the heart behind the design.
“Sometimes we overlook how even the smallest innovation can make a big difference in someone’s life.
“That’s what we wanted to show with BinGo!” Nadhirah said.
With ideas like these coming from young minds, it’s clear that the future of innovation in Sarawak is bright.
