Normally, when you think of a smart device in your kitchen that will automatically reorder your groceries for you or remind you that you’re low on milk, the refrigerator comes to mind. But what about the food that goes in your pantry? How do you get alerts for those items? Well, why not let your smart garbage can take care of it?
The GeniCan is a device that attaches to your trash can. Scan the barcode on a box of mac ‘n’ cheese before you toss it, and it will automatically appear on your shopping list. Hold a banana peel in front of the sensor, and the GeniCan will ask what you want to add to the list; once you reply, bananas will also show up on your list. If you’re signed up with one of the company’s delivery partners, you can also have the products shipped to your house.
It was inevitable that garbage cans would become smart. Many public bins already have sensors, so they can send out an alert when they’re full. The GeniCan can do the same, but the idea of adding groceries to your list is a step beyond. It’s a bit like the Amazon Dash Button, which will reorder a particular item (say, toilet paper) when you hit it. The Button is limited to a single item at a time, and comes with a “kid-proof” feature that prevents it from sending 100 packages of toilet paper, in case your child enthusiastically presses it a bunch of times. With the GeniCan, because there’s a second step involved — you still have to buy the groceries — Junior waving a pudding cup package in front of the GeniCan 20 times won’t saddle you with a year’s supply of pudding.
The company recently launched an Indiegogo campaign, and early birds can get a GeniCan for $119; those who miss the first round can buy theirs for $149. The garbage cans — sorry, the devices — should ship in September.
