No ordinary coaster · 5 October 05
An intelligent beermat that alerts the bartender that your glass is empty could be a feature in pubs of the future.
Like an ordinary mat it absorbs drips but the gadget also has hidden sensors that will detect the weight of the drink above it, working out how much is left, before sending a signal to the bar for a refill.
“It has two sensors – one that can measure the weight of a glass that’s resting on it, and a gravity sensor so it can know whether it’s flipped upside down,” explained Professor Butz of Saarland University.
When drinks are low a blinking light at the bar could let the waiter know to check that table. The mat can also sense being picked up and flapped around so customers can signal an order with the urgency judged by the speed it is flapped around at. Additionally drinkers can say how many drinks they would like to order by stacking a bunch of mats in one hand.
The final design consists of a flat, cylindrical body which contains the electronics, and a rectangular recess on the top that holds a conventional cardboard beermat.
The present cost to make one is around $100 but this could be about 10 times cheaper if they are taken into mass production, say the students who work out of Saarland University.
[ File under: News & Food ]