British company Smarter has created a smart camera called FridgeCam that tracks the contents of refrigerators to remind users of their expiring food. The wireless camera also allows users to see the contents of their fridge using a connected app and receive reminders about picking up groceries that are running low. The app has the option of automatic ordering via preferred online grocers.
FridgeCam was revealed by the London-based company as a part of the ever-growing Internet of Things at CES 2017 in Las Vegas this week.
Scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2017, the Smarter FridgeCam was designed to help address the global food waste crisis by notifying consumers of approaching expiration dates and suggesting ways to use food before they go bad.
Additionally, the technology also alerts users when the refrigerator temperature ventures outside the ideal range, notifies them when food items are removed from the fridge, and auto-replenishes ordering via the user's preferred online grocer. Its geo-location reminder on the app alerts the user when a grocery store is nearby, so essential items that are running low can be purchased.
Christian Lane, the creator of Smarter, launched his first company at the age of 19 with the backing of investors from Dragon's Den. He launched Smarter in 2013 with the goal of making people's lives easier through connected technology. He is the recipient of the 2015 Great Britain Young Entrepreneur of the Year, London Design Awards, and other accolades for his IoT contributions.
Smarter's other products, the iKettle, and Smarter Coffee Maker, are sold in more than one thousand stores in the UK and Europe. By the end of the year 2017, Smarter expects to become a globally connected platform that connects consumers to their kitchens, making grocery shopping and food waste a thing of the past.
Self-funded and running a team of twenty employees, Smarter has priced the FridgeCam at $150.