Imagine if food retailers were able to derive all the information they need about an item from its packaging, including current product quantities and expiration dates.
A new technology titled eCoupled, developed by US company Fulton Innovation, is an intelligent wireless power that can do just that.
It can be printed directly onto packaging. Printed coils allow real-time communication from the package to the store shelf and then to the store’s inventory management system.
Product quantities can be identified and tracked, expiration dates monitored, and new stock automatically ordered when supplies are low to help reduce lost sales.
Wireless power integrated into smart packaging also works on the home front, telling you how much food is on hand, nutritional information and expiration dates – all from a home inventory screen or smartphone.
This means users automatically have an up-to-date grocery list at their fingertips the next time they’re out shopping.
This kind of technology is already being applied to products like cereal, but what other products would benefit from a wireless power linked to an inventory management system?
