Using RFID to get your beer glass filled.

Cool use for RFID: beer glasses that tell the waiter when you're about to run out.


http://www.merl.com/projects/iGlassware/

iGlassware 

 Since restaurants often make much of their profits on drinks, it is critical for servers to offer refills in a timely fashion. We propose wireless liquid level sensing glassware to aid in this task. Specially instrumented glassware detects fluid levels via a high-resolution capacitance measurement. A coil embedded in the table inductively couples power to the glasses, and provides a path for data exchange. Our prototype glass uses a standard microprocessor and a small number of passive components, making it extremely inexpensive.


Background & Objective:  It is a common problem - you are in a bar or restaurant with your drink almost gone and you are desperately hoping that one of the staff will notice and offer you a refill. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't.  If they don't, you leave a little less happy with your experience and are less likely to return, the waiter or waitress gets a lower tip, and the restaurant has lost the chance to sell you a drink. Meanwhile, thirsty customers may stand waiting at the door for lack of a table. Everyone loses.  It is such a little thing; yet doing it right or wrong can easily make the difference between economic success or failure.

    It is thus critical for servers to offer refills in a timely fashion. We propose wireless level sensing glassware to aid in this task. Ideally, instrumented glassware, or iGlassware, should have the following characteristics:
 - Extremely inexpensive
 - Washable by standard restaurant dishwashing equipment
 - No maintenance issues (e.g. battery replacement)
 - Familiar glassware appearance (no wires, not bulky, etc.)
 - Support multiple glasses per table
 - Globally unique IDs for each glass
 - Able to recognize a glass of remaining ice as empty of fluid
 - Reasonable measurement resolution.

By using a combination of RFID and capacitance sensing technologies, we are able to achieve these properties.

Collaboration:  MERL will be working with Mitsubishi Electric business units for OEM product commercialization. In addition, MERL is interested in input from leading companies in the restaurant/hospitality industry in order to refine the technology and assess market potential.


Future Directions:  MERL is now refining the prototype systems in preparation for field testing and potential product commercialization.






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