Getting home to find out your shelves are bare will be a thing of the past.
As the Internet of Things continues to make its way into our homes, the idea of a connected kitchen is quickly becoming a reality. Just when you thought you may’ve seen it all, from cooktops and ovens to sous-vide devices and utensils, you’ll soon be adding a Bluetooth-enabled canister to your high-tech counter as well. That’s because SKE Labs has launched an Indiegogo campaign for the world’s first smart jar.
Neo — which we happened to stumble upon back at CES 2015 — is capable of keeping tabs on what and how much you’re eating, notifying you of when you’re running out of something, reminding you if an item is about to expire, as well as recommend recipes based on the ingredients on hand. The device also syncs with activity trackers and matches up food consumption with personal nutrition goals. This is all done through the device’s Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and built-in sensors.
Along with its embedded sensors and BLE radio, Neo is packed with a wirelessly rechargeable battery and an LED light ring that changes color to indicate battery status, motion associated with filling or emptying, and communication with its mobile app. The jar is both dishwasher and refrigerator safe, and can be used for a variety of foods such as pasta, sweets and smoothies.
Each time an item is added to the jar, users can scan the food’s barcode or manually type its name. The container then recognizes the weight of the contents and uses its real-time database to measure the nutritional value of what’s inside. All the information is stored on its accompanying app so users can check what is in their pantry while shopping. The jar can even be configured to automatically add items to a shopping list when supply runs low.
Good news for those tired of getting home to find their shelves are bare! Currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo, if all goes to plan, Neo is expected to begin shipping in November 2015.
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 