bucket
Enable an AI agent to recognise a bucket, assess whether it can safely contain and transport intended contents, and decide how it may be filled, carried, emptied, cleaned or stored.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
5 bundles · 9 layers · 17 findings · 31 questions
Vessel identity and capacity Establishes which physical vessel is being treated as a bucket and what can fit inside it.
Bucket boundary
Separates the standalone carrying vessel from neighbouring containers and other meanings of bucket.
Recognition basis
Record the observed vessel form and intended use supporting classification as a bucket.
- What combination of retaining base, walls, broad opening and intended carrying use identifies this item as a bucket? definition
- What evidence distinguishes this item from a tub, bowl, basket, waste bin or machine bucket? boundary
Internal space
Describes the mouth, depth and volume available for the intended contents.
Capacity and fill reference
Record nominal, measured and working capacities with their fill references and any uncertainty in graduations.
- What volume fits to the brim, and what lower working fill level is justified for the intended use? measurement
- Where did the stated capacity and graduation accuracy come from, and have they been checked? provenance
- Do the mouth dimensions and internal depth admit the intended contents and any scoop or tool used to remove them? boundary
Containment and contents suitability Assesses whether the body retains intended contents and whether contact with those contents is supported.
Retaining body
Examines the base, walls, seams and any intentional openings as a containment boundary.
Retention evidence
Record damage, openings and observations of retention for specified contents and conditions.
- Are there cracks, holes, failed seams or intentional drainage openings in the base or walls? measurement
- What inspection or test supports retention of the intended contents, at what fill level and for what duration? provenance
Contact and reuse
Relates the bucket's material, lining and history to its proposed contents.
Supported contents
Record the evidence and unresolved limits governing material contact and reuse.
- What documentation supports contact between this bucket's material or lining and the intended contents at the proposed temperature and duration? provenance
- What previous contents, residues or unknown history could rule out the proposed reuse? boundary
- What cleaning, inspection or further evidence is needed before the bucket can receive these contents? action
Loaded support and carrying Assesses how a filled bucket stands, is lifted and remains controlled during movement.
Handle and load path
Connects the total carried mass to the grips, attachments and body supporting it.
Carrying readiness
Record how the bucket will be held and what evidence supports that arrangement under the intended load.
- What is the combined mass of the bucket and contents, and what documented load limit applies to the proposed carrying arrangement? measurement
- Are the handle, grip and attachment points secure and usable without observed cracking, loosening or interference? measurement
- Can the intended carrier maintain a controlled grip throughout lifting, movement and set-down? action
Standing and spill control
Assesses base contact, fill level and contents movement during standing and carrying.
Upright stability
Record the conditions under which the loaded bucket can stand or move without unacceptable tipping or spillage.
- Does the base sit without rocking or deformation on the intended supporting surface? measurement
- What headspace or closure is needed to control spillage during the proposed movement? action
- What fill distribution, projecting contents or surface conditions make upright support uncertain? boundary
Access, emptying and storage Describes how the bucket releases its contents and how its mouth and body interact with lids and other buckets.
Controlled emptying
Relates contents removal to the mouth, rim, spout and available support points.
Emptying method
Record a workable removal method and any geometry or residue that prevents controlled or complete emptying.
- Do the rim or spout and available grips support controlled pouring or tipping into the intended receiver? action
- What contents remain trapped at the base, seams or internal features after the proposed emptying method? measurement
- Can the interior be reached for scooping, inspection, cleaning and drying? action
Closure and nesting
Assesses removable covers and storage interactions with matching buckets.
Closure function
Record lid compatibility, seating and the specific function supported by evidence.
- Which lid fits this rim, and are its seating surfaces and retaining features intact? boundary
- What evidence establishes whether the fitted lid merely covers the opening or also provides a specified seal? provenance
Nesting and retrieval
Record whether empty buckets can be nested and separated without damage or obstruction.
- Which bucket bodies nest together without handle interference, rim damage or excessive wedging? boundary
- How can a nested bucket be separated while maintaining usable grips and avoiding damage? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of bucket this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
- Other names and narrower kinds
- ice bucket, KFC bucket, Kubeł, Kadja, tsuri-chōzu, Bagliulu, Hemmoor bucket, Groasis Waterboxx, Samau, fire sand bucket, coal scuttle, milk pail
What it is Filled
A hand-portable rigid vessel with a broad top opening, typically cylindrical or truncated-conical and fitted with a rim-spanning bail or equivalent handle, used to contain, carry or store liquid or loose solid, which may have a lid or fitted closure for storage or shipping.
In scope
- The bucket's body, base, mouth, rim and usable internal space
- Handles, grips and their attachments to the bucket
- Containment condition and suitability for specified contents
- Filling, carrying, standing, pouring and emptying constraints
- Bucket-specific lids, graduations, spouts and nesting features
Out of scope
- The identity, composition and hazards of substances placed in the bucket
- Cleaning procedures and the wider sanitation system
- Lifting machinery, conveyors and their operating controls
- Storage rooms, shelving and transport routes
- Digital storage buckets and software container abstractions
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise a bucket, assess whether it can safely contain and transport intended contents, and decide how it may be filled, carried, emptied, cleaned or stored.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Check for a base and surrounding walls that retain intended contents when upright; a bottomless sleeve or frame does not meet this interpretation.
- Check whether the main opening permits direct filling and emptying across much of the body width; a narrow-necked bottle or jerrycan needs a different vessel interpretation.
- Check whether the vessel is intended to be moved with contents using its body, grips or carrying handle; a fixed basin is a neighbouring concept.
- Use intended function and overall form together to distinguish a bucket from a bowl, tub, basket or waste bin; a handle or round shape alone is insufficient.
- Check whether 'bucket' names a standalone vessel or a machine attachment for digging or conveying; this draft provisionally covers the standalone vessel.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Leave a bucket of water or liquid where a small child could fall into it.
- Carry hot, corrosive or flammable contents in a bucket not made for them.
- Reuse a bucket that held chemicals for food or drinking water.
- Lift a bucket above people where a failed handle could drop it on them.
Only with a human decision
- Disposing of hazardous liquids or waste collected in a bucket.
May
- Fill, carry and empty buckets within its rated load and the user's instructions.
- Report cracked, rusted or weakened buckets and handles.
Moral aspects Filled
- Toddlers can drown in a few centimetres of water in a bucket.
- In many places buckets are how households carry their water; the burden often falls on women and children.
Who is affected
- Small children
- People carrying water
- Users of the bucket
Owners Filled
Steward
The person who keeps it.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q39546 - registry parent class
- Q7973769 - registry parent class
- Q987767 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.bucket
- Wikidata: Q47107 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47107)
Direct properties required Filled
- Body material and lining: Observed or documented material; coating or lining; unknown
- Usable capacity: L, with fill reference and measurement method
- Opening and body dimensions: mm; internal depth, mouth dimensions and base dimensions
- Empty mass: kg
- Documented load limit: kg, with applicable carrying configuration; unknown if undocumented
- Carrying arrangement: Bail handle, side handles, integral grips, no dedicated handle, other
- Body and handle condition: Observed cracks, holes, deformation, corrosion, attachment looseness or no observed defect; inspection scope recorded
- Containment performance: Retains, leaks, intentionally drains or untested for specified contents and conditions
- Contents suitability: Bucket linked to intended contents and supporting compatibility evidence
- Current fill: L, kg or fill height in mm, with headspace where relevant
- Lid or attachment fit: Compatible component, seating condition and documented closure function
- Residue and use history: Known previous contents, observed residue, cleaning evidence or unknown
Recognition required Filled
- An open-topped round vessel, wider at the rim, with a curved handle spanning the rim.
- Made of plastic, metal or wood, often with graduation marks inside.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Fill to a justified working level while preserving required headspace and load limits.
- Hold specified contents when containment and compatibility evidence support the use.
- Lift and carry using an assessed carrying arrangement.
- Pour, scoop out or tip out contents using the available mouth, rim and grips.
- Inspect, clean and dry the interior, rim and carrying attachments.
- Fit a compatible lid or nest the empty bucket when its features and condition permit.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Drowning risk to young children when left with liquid in it.
- A handle or bail that breaks under load can drop heavy contents on feet.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, applies to buckets intended for food contact in the European Union.
- Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, issued by the European Commission, applies to plastic materials and articles in buckets within its food-contact scope.
Context of use required Filled
- Buckets are used in households, agriculture, construction and cleaning to collect and carry liquids or loose materials.
- Suitability depends on the contents, vessel material, handle strength and whether hygienic contact is required.
Sources Filled
- Bucket - Ordinary-language sense of the open portable vessel, typical materials and handles, and the distinction from machine and computing homonyms.
- Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods: Model Regulations - Industrial pails treated as open-head packagings (design types such as 1H2 plastics and 1A2 steel) when used to ship regulated goods.
- 21 CFR 177.1520 Olefin polymers - Food-contact basis for common HDPE/PP pails and buckets used with food and some agricultural products in the United States.
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food - European food-contact framework that governs food-grade buckets and pails placed on the EU market.
- Wikidata item Q47107: bucket - identity and sense of the item
Open questions
- Does vr.tr.bucket cover only standalone vessels, or also excavator, conveyor and other machine buckets?
- Where does the registry draw the boundary between bucket, pail, tub, basket and waste bin when their forms and uses overlap?
- Which existing Vercy world models already own this concept or reusable parts of its containment and handling assessment?
- Which authoritative sources support capacity, carrying-load and contents-suitability judgments for the bucket types the registry intends to cover?
- Should specialised forms such as collapsible, perforated or pressure-equipped buckets remain variants of this entry, and what additional assessment would each require?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q47107/spec.json