The last garbage can redesign we looked at addressed the problem of suction and stuck bags. The Bruno Smartcan is looking, rather ambitiously, to solve a slightly more sophisticated issue involving suction.

The Bruno design features a battery-powered vacuum integrated at the bottom that, once swept towards, automatically activates via sensors. But it not only sucks up the offerings; it then whisks them up through a tube and deposits them into the garbage bag itself. Because the nozzle is center-mounted at the bottom—the precise location where the foot pedal usually is—the lid is made to open when the user waves their hand over the top, triggering a motion sensor.

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While the can will take standard-sized kitchen garbage bags, the company behind it is also selling their own custom bags; they're reckoning consumers will buy them for their convenience, in that they fit into a "storage pod" at the interior rear of the can that makes them easier to dispense. 

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Also in an effort to introduce convenience—extraneous ones, I think—they're offering an app that reminds you of when garbage day is, and when to buy new bags.

Frankly speaking, I'm skeptical of the vacuum feature. First off, since the aperture needs to be narrow to generate adequate suction, that means it does not correspond with the width of your average broom. I'm guessing you'll require significantly more passes than shown in the video to get your average collection of dust bunnies to disappear.

Secondly, though they briefly mention a filtration system, there's no mention made of the internal tube; how does one clear it if becomes clogged? Pet hair, for instance, could create a problem.

Thirdly, I'd like to see how the vacuum ejects its contents into the bag. Will it generate a dust cloud that's going to coat the underside of the lid, making itself known each time you open the lid?

My doubts aside, enough consumers have become convinced of the can's worthiness that it's already been Kickstarted; at press time it was at $65,000 on a $50,000 goal, and the can—which will eventually retail for $229, aside from the few $159 Early Bird specials left—is expected to ship by October of this year. I eagerly await the reviews, to see if the developers can make this thing work as advertised.