5.26.2005
Business opportunity: The Vienna dog dropping problem
Austria Lawmaker Wants to ID Dog Droppings
This article is fascinating on several different levels. But let's take it at the business level. Here in the U.S. we are doing things like the Grand Challenge. In Vienna, however, the challenge is much smaller, and it seems like it is solvable with today's technology. The article states:
Surely Vienna would be willing to pay, what, $50,000, for a robot that can sniff out and clean up this mess. The city would probably need to buy 20 of them to handle the whole city, but that is still a bargain.
Perhaps what Vienna needs to do is have a Grand Challenge of its own and see if robotic creativity can solve this problem.
This article is fascinating on several different levels. But let's take it at the business level. Here in the U.S. we are doing things like the Grand Challenge. In Vienna, however, the challenge is much smaller, and it seems like it is solvable with today's technology. The article states:
- Vienna's sidewalks are littered by dog droppings, and campaigns trying to persuade owners to pick up after their pets have made little difference. The city is home to almost 50,000 registered dogs, but the true number is believed to be much higher as many owners ignore the registration requirement.
- removing just a single dog heap costs the city euro3 (US$3.80) to euro5 (US$6.30), Juraczka said, adding that amounted an "intolerable situation."
Surely Vienna would be willing to pay, what, $50,000, for a robot that can sniff out and clean up this mess. The city would probably need to buy 20 of them to handle the whole city, but that is still a bargain.
Perhaps what Vienna needs to do is have a Grand Challenge of its own and see if robotic creativity can solve this problem.
// permalink - - 
Comments:
<< Home
Archives
Interesting idea, but you assume that the city of Venice Wants to clean up in the most efficient manner available.
I'd bet you could do this with biotech more cheaply than with robotics, possibly by releasing some RFID'd GM moth or wasp which was attracted to feces instead of the appropriate pheromone or plant scent.
For that matter, you could do it cheaply with cell phones, traditional logistics IT, and a lack of moralistic attitudes. Set up a cell phone number which dog-walkers can call when their dog leaves droppings. The call is automatically refundable and anonymous, and transmits the coordinates of the caller at the time of call (determined by triangulating from local towers) to a local professional cleaner, who adds this dropping to thier automated "traveling salesman" program for eliminating local droppings. When the worker cleans up a dropping, it is removed from the local list. Workers clean overlapping areas and are credited for each clean-up (but penalized for alleged cleanups which don't occur, which can be recognized by complaints from citizens) So long as the workers work efficiently, which competition should seem to promote, simple heuristics should keep their traveling salesman problems managable AND lead to rapid clean-up, which is much better than slow cleanup for everyone.
This should bring prices well below $5.
I'd bet you could do this with biotech more cheaply than with robotics, possibly by releasing some RFID'd GM moth or wasp which was attracted to feces instead of the appropriate pheromone or plant scent.
For that matter, you could do it cheaply with cell phones, traditional logistics IT, and a lack of moralistic attitudes. Set up a cell phone number which dog-walkers can call when their dog leaves droppings. The call is automatically refundable and anonymous, and transmits the coordinates of the caller at the time of call (determined by triangulating from local towers) to a local professional cleaner, who adds this dropping to thier automated "traveling salesman" program for eliminating local droppings. When the worker cleans up a dropping, it is removed from the local list. Workers clean overlapping areas and are credited for each clean-up (but penalized for alleged cleanups which don't occur, which can be recognized by complaints from citizens) So long as the workers work efficiently, which competition should seem to promote, simple heuristics should keep their traveling salesman problems managable AND lead to rapid clean-up, which is much better than slow cleanup for everyone.
This should bring prices well below $5.
# posted by 
: 2:44 PM, May 26, 2005
: 2:44 PM, May 26, 2005
I'd favor not cleaning it up at all -- until the more civilized inhabitants press for statutory penalties sufficiently severe to cause the culpable pet owners to behave responsibly ... or move to a kennel, themselves, where they arguably belong. - blzbob
# posted by : 3:52 PM, May 26, 2005
: 3:52 PM, May 26, 2005
Great Blog, check out this business. This is the Goose that lays you Golden Eggs! business free home mlm opportu
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
# posted by : 3:01 AM, October 04, 2005
: 3:01 AM, October 04, 2005
This years is worth poker cards and no needed deposit bankroll from poker portal. Free money capital for new poker donkey.
Give All possible poker bonuses $ 50 no deposit & cake free poker cash bankroll.
More green free 25 dollar signup bonuses online card poker are bet and just holdem, give's all new players.
First site with normal bonuses is that free poker money 25 glory be worry all time.
poker cash without deposit $220 Titan token - $250 guaranteed prize fund for you and high gamblers.
We have great oportunity free money for start play and this is not to me free chips at party tables or texas rooms. That mean that cd poker platform is most in progress.
More country like Belgium Togo and Dominicana want free instant poker bankrolls and that is no suspect.
Enjoy free poker profesionall free signup poker bankrolls with capitale with password to made hudge victory.
Mike have No deposit POKER signup bonuses only for two person, Free poker money no quiz is soft decide to capitale italy.
Texas rule and hamburger with this cards be fine and daily freerolls with buy-in 4$ for rackback no deposit tour.
Scarry poker movie deposit first poker blog try it ist's $50 bankrolls, great omaha news.
Post a Comment
Give All possible poker bonuses $ 50 no deposit & cake free poker cash bankroll.
More green free 25 dollar signup bonuses online card poker are bet and just holdem, give's all new players.
First site with normal bonuses is that free poker money 25 glory be worry all time.
poker cash without deposit $220 Titan token - $250 guaranteed prize fund for you and high gamblers.
We have great oportunity free money for start play and this is not to me free chips at party tables or texas rooms. That mean that cd poker platform is most in progress.
More country like Belgium Togo and Dominicana want free instant poker bankrolls and that is no suspect.
Enjoy free poker profesionall free signup poker bankrolls with capitale with password to made hudge victory.
Mike have No deposit POKER signup bonuses only for two person, Free poker money no quiz is soft decide to capitale italy.
Texas rule and hamburger with this cards be fine and daily freerolls with buy-in 4$ for rackback no deposit tour.
Scarry poker movie deposit first poker blog try it ist's $50 bankrolls, great omaha news.
# posted by : 7:48 AM, July 11, 2009
: 7:48 AM, July 11, 2009 
<< Home
- 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003
- 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003
- 10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003
- 11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003
- 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004
- 01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004
- 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004
- 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004
- 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
- 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
- 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004
- 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004
- 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004
- 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005
- 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005
- 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005
- 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005
- 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005
- 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005
- 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005
- 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
- 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005
- 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005
- 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005
- 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006
- 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006
- 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006
- 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006
- 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006
- 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006
- 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006
- 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006
- 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
- 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006
- 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006
- 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006
- 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007
- 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
- 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
- 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007
- 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007
- 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007
- 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007
- 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007
- 08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007
- 09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007
- 11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007
- 05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008
- 06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008
- 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008
- 08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008
- 09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008
- 10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008
- 11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008
- 12/01/2008 - 01/01/2009
- 01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009
- 02/01/2009 - 03/01/2009
- 03/01/2009 - 04/01/2009
- 04/01/2009 - 05/01/2009
- 07/01/2009 - 08/01/2009
- 01/01/2011 - 02/01/2011
- 08/01/2011 - 09/01/2011
- 10/01/2011 - 11/01/2011
- 11/01/2011 - 12/01/2011
- 12/01/2011 - 01/01/2012
- 06/01/2012 - 07/01/2012
Atom RSS
Home Page