OmNom final post!

Positive emotional feedback reinforces good waste disposal practices. I created a waste bin (which I’ve named OmNom) that can communicate its wants and needs, making waste disposal more fun and rewarding while reinforcing users’ good habits. By providing understandable emotive feedback to influence users’ behavior, I’m capitalizing on the phenomenon in which
people anthropomorphize nonhuman agents, often in an attempt to understand the motivations of nonhumans.

OmNom is a product that brings your waste bin to life. OmNom consists of an LCD screen, Arduino Mega, a variety of sensors, LEDs and a Piezo buzzer. OmNom will roar happily when you open him and will beg for food while left open. If you leave him open for a while, he’ll get silly and stick his tongue out at a you. After you feed OmNom, he’ll thank you audibly. As OmNom gets full, his eyes will change color, transitioning from green to orange, based on how full he is. When OmNom is completely stuffed, his eyes will blink red and he’ll audibly alert you that he’s full and needs attention. When you open OmNom while he’s full, he’ll whine unhappily. After you empty OmNom, he’ll cheer happily and his eyes will turn from red back to green. If the room he lives in is dark, OmNom will be sleeping, his eyes will be blue and he won’t make any noise. The emotive feedback OmNom provides promotes proper waste disposal by making the experience less of a chore because you feel like you’re maintaining a pet that really appreciates all you do for it.

Final Paper

OmNom Presentation