Emir Talha Fidan (32780) Ilker Bakikol (31706)

By 32780 Every year, inefficient waste-collection leads to unnecessary pickups, added CO₂ emissions, and overflowing public bins. Our Smart Trash-Bin Fill-Level Monitoring System uses a VL53L0X Time-of-Flight sensor mounted inside a 41 × 35 × 60 cm³ bin to measure the fill height, displays the percentage full on an SH1106 OLED, and—when a user-configurable threshold is exceeded—sends alerts via a Telegram bot.

This document walks through each step—hardware assembly (breadboard layout), Arduino IDE firmware, Node-RED flow, Telegram-bot config, and ESP32 simulation—so you can reproduce and extend the system today, then evolve it for outdoor use tomorrow.

By 32780

• Arduino IDE (v2.x)
• Libraries
  • * * Adafruit_VL53L0X – Time-of-Flight sensor
  • * * U8g2lib – SH1106 OLED driver
  • * * WiFi.h / HTTPClient.h – Wi-Fi & HTTP POST
  • * * UniversalTelegramBot.h – Telegram Bot API
• Node-RED (v3.x) on 192.168.10.50:1880 — receives HTTP alerts, dashboards fill percentage, logs events
• Telegram Bot (“TrashAlertBot”) configured with token `xxxx:YYYY` and chat ID

By 32780

• ESP32: VIN ← 5 V (from powerbank USB→5 V regulator), GND ← GND, SDA ← GPIO 8, SCL ← GPIO 9.
• VL53L0X: VCC ← 3.3 V (ESP32 3V3 pin), GND ← GND, SDA/SCL as belove.
• OLED (SH1106): VCC ← 3.3 V, GND ← GND, SDA/SCL as belove.
• LED: Anode ← GPIO 2 (with 220 Ω resistor), Cathode ← GND.
  • All I²C peripherals (ToF sensor, OLED) share ESP32’s SDA/SCL pins and 3.3 V/GND rails.
  • Secure ToF sensor at bin’s top interior, facing directly downward without obstruction.
  • Mount OLED on exterior lid for clear visibility.
  • Use onboard LED—no additional external LED wiring.
  • ESP32 uses internal antenna for Wi-Fi; no extra antennas needed.

By 32780 Below is the main sketch. Please replace `YOUR_SSID`, `YOUR_PASS`, `NODE_RED_URL`, and `BOT_TOKEN` with your actual credentials.

#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_VL53L0X.h>
#include <U8g2lib.h>
#include <WiFi.h>
#include <HTTPClient.h>
#include <UniversalTelegramBot.h>
 
#define I2C_SDA 8
#define I2C_SCL 9
#define LED_PIN 2
 
#define BIN_HEIGHT_CM 60.0
#define DISTANCE_OFFSET_CM -3.0
 
// Wi-Fi
const char* ssid       = "YOUR_SSID";
const char* password   = "YOUR_PASS";
// Node-RED endpoint
const char* alert_url  = "http://YOUR_IP_ADDRESS/bin-alert";
 
// Telegram
const char* telegram_token = "BOT_TOKEN";
String chat_id = "CHAT_ID"; 
 
U8G2_SH1106_128X64_NONAME_F_HW_I2C display(U8G2_R0, U8X8_PIN_NONE, I2C_SCL, I2C_SDA);
Adafruit_VL53L0X lox = Adafruit_VL53L0X();
WiFiClientSecure secured_client;
UniversalTelegramBot bot(telegram_token, secured_client);
 
unsigned long lastAlertTime = 0, lastSignalTime = 0;
const unsigned long signalInterval = 30000;
float lastDistance = 0, lastPercentage = 0;
bool updatesEnabled = true;
 
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Wire.begin(I2C_SDA, I2C_SCL);
  // Initialize display
  display.begin();
  display.clearBuffer();
  display.setFont(u8g2_font_ncenB08_tr);
  display.drawStr(0,10,"Init Display");
  display.sendBuffer();
  // Initialize sensor
  if (!lox.begin()) while (1);
  pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
  // Connect Wi-Fi
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print('.');
  }
  Serial.println("\\nWiFi OK");
  secured_client.setInsecure();
}
 
void loop() {
  VL53L0X_RangingMeasurementData_t m;
  lox.rangingTest(&m, false);
  if (m.RangeStatus != 4) {
    float d = m.RangeMilliMeter/10.0 + DISTANCE_OFFSET_CM;
    float p = constrain(100.0 - (d/BIN_HEIGHT_CM)*100.0, 0.0, 100.0);
    lastDistance = d; lastPercentage = p;
    // Update OLED
    display.clearBuffer();
    display.setCursor(0,12);
    display.print("Dist: "); display.print(d,1); display.print("cm");
    display.setCursor(0,30);
    display.print("Fill: "); display.print((int)p); display.print("%");
    int w = map((int)p,0,100,0,120);
    display.drawFrame(0,45,120,10);
    display.drawBox(0,45,w,10);
    display.sendBuffer();
    // Alert on ≥80%
    if (p >= 80.0) {
      digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH);
      if (millis() - lastAlertTime > 15000) {
        sendWarning(d, p);
        lastAlertTime = millis();
      }
    } else {
      digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW);
    }
  }
  // Periodic update
  if (millis() - lastSignalTime > signalInterval) {
    if (updatesEnabled) sendRegularUpdate(lastDistance, lastPercentage);
    lastSignalTime = millis();
  }
  // Telegram commands
  static unsigned long lastBot = 0;
  if (millis() - lastBot > 1000) {
    int n = bot.getUpdates(bot.last_message_received + 1);
    while (n) {
      handleNewMessages(n);
      n = bot.getUpdates(bot.last_message_received + 1);
    }
    lastBot = millis();
  }
  delay(500);
}
 
// ... (sendWarning, sendRegularUpdate, handleNewMessages functions)

1. Initialization (setup)

1. Serial debug +

   Wire.begin()

   for I²C

2. lox.begin()

   for ToF sensor and OLED splash

3. Connect to Wi-Fi (SSID/password)
4. Initialize HTTPClient & Telegram bot
5. On failure (sensor or Wi-Fi), print/display error

2. Main Loop

1. Ranging measurement via

   lox.rangingTest()

2. If valid, calculate

`fill % = ((BIN_HEIGHT_CM − distance_cm) / BIN_HEIGHT_CM) × 100`

1. Update OLED: distance, fill %, bar graph
2. LED Alert: ON if ≥ 80 %, OFF if below (with hysteresis)
3. HTTP POST to Node-RED every 30 s
4. Telegram: one-time warning on threshold cross; optional periodic updates
5. Handle Telegram commands (

   /start

   ,

   /status

   ,

   /stop

   , etc.)

6. Delay to regulate loop frequency

By 32780 Our Node-RED instance handles incoming HTTP POSTs at `/bin-alert` and:

• Parses JSON (distance, fill_percentage)
• Switch: if `fill_percentage ≥ 80` → trigger email/SMS, else log
• Dashboard: updates a gauge node

By 32780

• Create bot with BotFather → get `BOT_TOKEN`.
• Invite to your group/channel → note the `chat_id`.
• Grant it message-reading rights.
• External Link Trash Bin alert bot
• External Link Trash Bin Channel

Commands:

• /start - Start bot
• /status - Get current bin fill
• /stop - Stop regular update messages
• /startupdates - Resume regular updates
• /help - Show this message

By 31706

• OLED display: real-time distance & fill bar (tested up to 85%).
• LED: lights when fill ≥ 80%.
• Telegram: immediate alert with bin status.
• Node-RED dashboard: gauge plotting fill percentage.

• Distance & Fill Readout
  1. OLED updates in real time:
     • “Distance: 21.8 cm”
     • “Fill: 63 %”
  2. Fill percentage = ((60 cm − measured_distance) / 60 cm) × 100 %.

• Visual & Remote Alerts
  1. At ≥ 80 % capacity (trash within ~12 cm of lid):
     • Onboard LED lights (e.g., red).
     • Node-RED receives JSON payload:

{"bin":"Kitchen","fill":85,"status":"Nearly Full"}

• Telegram message: “⚠ Alert: The kitchen trash bin is 85 % full. Please empty it soon.”

1. Regular status updates (e.g., every 30 s) are also sent.
2. On sensor error, OLED shows “Sensor error” and that cycle’s data is skipped; an error flag can be forwarded.

By 31706

• Portable power: using a USB powerbank delivers ~8 hrs runtime; for longer operation, a solar-powered Li-Po pack is recommended.
• Connectivity: outdoors Wi-Fi drops; consider fallback via GSM/LTE or LoRaWAN.
• Enclosure: no weatherproof housing yet—future 3D-printed case should protect electronics from dust and moisture.
• Sleep modes: ESP32 deep-sleep between measurements can drastically reduce power draw.
• Multi-sensor: adding ambient temperature/humidity could enable smarter waste-decomposition predictions.
• Predictive analytics: log historical fill data (via MQTT or cloud DB) to forecast optimal pickup schedules.
• Firmware OTA: integrate over-the-air updates for remote code maintenance.
• Scalability: mesh-network multiple bins to central server for fleet management.

* Limitations

• Single-point ToF measurement may miss uneven trash piles.
• Reliance on Wi-Fi: network outages disrupt remote updates.
• Continuous power requirement; no battery or power-saving implemented.

• Improvements
  • Multiple sensors or servo-mounted scanning for holistic fill measurement.
  • Offline data buffering and reconnection logic for network resilience.
  • Deep-sleep between measurements for battery operation.

• Future Enhancements
  • A GPS module (for geo-tagged alerts)
  • A solar-rechargeable Li-Po power supply (with charge controller)
  • A weatherproof 3D-printed enclosure
  • Load cell weight sensor for complementary metrics.
  • Audible buzzer for local full-bin alarms.
  • Expanded Node-RED flows: email notifications, historical logging/analytics.
  • Interactive Telegram bot commands for on-demand status.

By 31706

Deploying multiple units in smart buildings or campuses enables optimized waste collection scheduling, reduces overflow incidents, and contributes to smarter urban infrastructure by leveraging low-cost sensors and Wi-Fi connectivity. This project demonstrates a practical IoT solution for everyday problems, with clear pathways for scaling and enhancement.

By 31706

• STMicroelectronics VL53L0X Datasheet
• U8g2 SH1106 OLED driver – https://github.com/olikraus/u8g2
• UniversalTelegramBot Library – https://github.com/witnessmenow/Universal-Arduino-Telegram-Bot
• Node-RED Documentation – https://nodered.org/docs/