Goal of the project is to simplify the process of food management. Our focus was on the technical and the communicative aspect.
Goal of the project is to simplify the process of food management. Our focus was on the technical and the communicative aspect.
The central technical item within the concept is the printable RFID tag. The RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology is well known and has proven itself in the field of data acquisition. A new technique will soon allow printing of these data storage units. On the one hand this will decrease the production costs and on the other hand widen the range of use.
We assume that supermarkets and stores will adopt these printable RFID tags in order to be able to determine their stock quickly and simply. And as goods no longer need to be scanned, the queue time at the checkout counter will be reduced. To acquire the data from the RFID tags, the household equipment simply needs to be equipped with an RFID reader.
We integrated this futuristic scenario into our concept and equipped the refrigerator with RFID readers. Therefore, we are now able to collect all types of information on various products. The storage space for perishable goods – the refrigerator – now plays a key role in the process of food management. It collects all data and visualizes the information with the help of a touch display. Besides basic information like quality, quantity, expiration date or ingredients, additional information like recipes or diet plans are available due to the connection between the different storage rooms. Furthermore, the refrigerator warns you about food allergies, if you picked up something inappropriate to eat. The connection between our system and local supermarkets allows you to check their storage state or prices and even lets you create a digital shopping list.
In conclusion the printable RFID technology widens the use range of RFID tags and can enrich the process of food management. The examples given above are just the tip of the iceberg. An intelligent oven for example, could receive a message from the refrigerator. The message could contain the chosen dish for supper and the oven could set itself to the proper settings and help the cooking process.