Foodbox is a food sharing experiment based in Cottbus, Germany.
Cottbus is the town of my Alma Mater, where I coordinated a student project in food sharing. Over 6 months, we conceived & constructed a tech solution to an everyday problem- food waste. Being the founder and project leader, I was responsible for:
1. Conception:
Food waste is a very visible issue in Cottbus. Due to a high population of students based in Berlin, a lot of food waste was generated within the university campus when the students would empty their fridges when going back to Berlin on the weekend. Our solution? A box, with camera that is connected to the internet so that all members are notified when food is placed within the box.
2. Design:
Starting from ground zero, we created 3d models to get approval from the University. We secured money for the project from the student body in Cottbus and began work on constructing the physical box. We used piZero and connected it with a camera, and programmed it to post pictures to facebook on the press of a button.
3. Implementation:
We secured a prime spot for our tiny box and gave it a roof to protect it (and the food inside) from the elements. We created a volunteer group to help maintain the box. We installed solar panels, freeing the box from power limitations and fire hazard risks. We even got legal permission from the city to run our project.
