“I think if we’re honest with ourselves, when we look at true IoT [Internet of Things] technology, connectivity, and intelligence has really been focused on the internet of expensive things,” said Steve Statler at a recent webinar. Statlet is a senior vp at Wiliot, a company that makes IOT stickers.
IOT stickers?
Wiliot makes stickers that can sense the fullness of a container. Not only can these stickers identify where products are in a warehouse and how full the containers are — that is, how much product they contain — but they can also recognize when the water content of produce falls. That gives a quality metric as well as quantity.
Stickers can tell when a product such as a medication is used in the home. This can measure compliance, alert consumers when they’re about to run out of a product, or identify unused products that need to e disposed of.
Since the sensors are in the form of stickers, they can be used on any containers and added to any machinery.
Making IOT ubiquitous
Wiliot sees this as something that can be useful not just in medication and important documents, but even in clothing. Robots can’t fold laundry yet, but the makers of Wiliot figure these Wiliot pixels can be built into clothing to control laundry. No more lost socks or color changes in your laundry room!
Being able to get information from products with this technology will make IOT practical for everything, not just for expensive things. That will be a real game-changer.
Manufacturers should be getting ready not just to use Wiliot pixels in the factories, but also to include them in the products they make.
When will this go to market? Soon, says the company.
In the meantime…
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