Underground Waste Container Access Control
Who opened it, when and which fraction — including where the container sits in the ground, there is no power and the signal is weaker than on the surface.
iCober SAC provides battery-powered access control for underground and semi-underground waste containers — with no mains supply and with no need for a permanent network connection.
Why access control in an underground container is harder
Electronics that are a routine install in a bin store have to handle three things at once inside an underground container.
- There is nowhere to take power from. Running a supply to a container buried in the pavement means groundworks — and those usually kill the whole idea.
- The conditions are harsher. Damp, temperature swings, water running into the pit. The device has to survive that for years, because nobody looks inside every month.
- Service is expensive. Getting inside means lifting the container. Every replacement is equipment and people on site, so battery life stops being a datasheet figure and becomes a budget line.
Then there is coverage. The container is in the ground, so the signal has concrete and metal to get through — and the radio sits inside.
How we solve it
iCober SAC is fitted inside the container and powered from a replaceable battery. The installation needs no mains supply and no extra infrastructure at the site.
- battery powered — up to 2 years at typical usage, with an enlarged battery option up to 5 years
- IP67 ingress protection, operating range −25 °C to +60 °C
- identification by card or phone: RFID/NFC 13.56 MHz and RFID 125 kHz
- memory for 1000 users in the reader itself
- LTE-M / NB-IoT connectivity in the Online version — LPWA technologies meant for low-power communication of IoT devices
- battery replaced through a sealed connector, with no soldering and no dismantling of the housing
No signal does not lock the container
This is the difference that matters most underground. The access decision is made in the reader, from the list of permissions held in its memory — connectivity is not needed for it.
Events recorded while coverage is unavailable remain in non-volatile memory and are sent automatically once connectivity is restored. Each keeps its own timestamp, so the opening history has no gap.
Where there is no coverage at all, or none is needed, the same reader runs in the Offline version — permissions are then loaded on site.
Fill-level monitoring in an underground container
An underground container cannot be inspected from street level. Fill-level measurement solves it in one of two ways, depending on what is already in the field:
- measurement built into the reader — one device does access control and measures the fill level
- a separate iCober Bin Sensor — when the measurement is to cover containers without access control as well; wireless Time-of-Flight measurement and battery power that lasts years
Data from both solutions is brought together in the same place — in iCober Cloud, or through the API straight into the system you already use.
Where it already works
- Vinkovci, Croatia — 39 fill-level sensors and 4 access control readers in semi-underground containers
- Orašje, Bosnia and Herzegovina — access control in the Online version, integrated with fill-level measurement
Details of the device itself — on the iCober Smart Access Control page.
Questions we hear most
Does access control in an underground container need a power supply?
No. The reader runs from a replaceable battery, so the installation needs no mains. Where a mains supply happens to be available, it can be used.
What happens if there is no coverage at the container?
The container opens normally — the decision is made in the reader, from the list held in its memory. Events from that time remain in non-volatile memory and are sent once connectivity returns, each with its own timestamp.
Can the system work entirely offline?
Yes. In the Offline version permissions are loaded on site with an administrator card, with no network connection at all.
Can one device both control access and measure the fill level?
Yes. Fill-level measurement can be built into the reader. A separate sensor makes sense when the measurement is to cover containers without access control as well.
Can the system be fitted into an existing container?
Usually yes, but it depends on how the particular container is built — how the lid opens and where the reader can sit. Photos and dimensions are the quickest way for us to assess it — send them over and we will give you a clear answer.
Do you have underground containers?
Tell us how many there are and where they stand. We will look at what can be added without rebuilding your existing infrastructure.