Goals:
The intelligent waste container point is a clearly new product on the market for condominiums, individual home owners and larger organizations. Intelligent waste containers and recycling stations can produce different data from the waste disposed. The data in turn will be utilized to maximize recycling, optimize waste transport logistics, minimize waste amounts and encourage recycling via smaller waste management costs.
ProEkola, the intelligent waste point, originated as one of the corporate pilot projects in a previous Digital Renewal Project. Now ProEkola has received funding from the Otsakorpi Foundation for further development as a student-company joint development project. Students from XAMK University of Applied Sciences, Ekami Vocational School and businesses will together further the waste point development.
The ProEkola intelligent waste container station already exists, XAMK University design students worked on its design, and Ekami Vocational School students built the prototype. Now the waste container point will be made into a prototype MVP version, including electrification and software development.
This true product development project enables students to participate in a diverse range of student-corporate tasks to develop a new product and services.
Tasks:
- Finish the ProEkola prototype for presentation and piloting (finishing the waste point, including electrical work, so that the beta software may be utilized).
- Other acquisitions and services needed for the waste point
- Preparation of presentation materials for the ProEkola waste point
- Recruitment of students to present the ProEkola and gather user experience and data for potential economic product viability and elaboration of further development steps
- Establish a student team to further develop and test the software application. The student team will receive support from experts, including the business project partner, XAMK University Game Lab ecosystem, and the Business Lab
RESULTS
- ProEkola intelligent waste point prototype as a MVP.
- Production of presentation materials.
- Student-led gathering of user experiences, data and elaboration of product business viability and planning of future development steps.
- The next version of the software application developed as a cooperation between students and company experts, so that financial viability may be tested and the waste point may be piloted with real-life customers.
- End report studying the digitalization of the recycling and waste chains (from consumers to final waste disposal) and preparation of recommendations for further development work.