Firm designs smart jar that orders food when stocks are running low

A Toronto-based firm has designed a smart jar that knows what food is inside and will automatically add the item to your shopping list before you run out.Called Neo, the jar syncs with an app that can also reveal the calorie content of the food, help you manage portion sizes, warn when food goes out […]

A Toronto-based firm has designed a smart jar that knows what food is inside and will automatically add the item to your shopping list before you run out.
Called Neo, the jar syncs with an app that can also reveal the calorie content of the food, help you manage portion sizes, warn when food goes out of date and even offer recipe suggestions.
Neo was showcased at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January and now its designers at SKE Labs have launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund production of the kitchen gadget.
“Say Hello to Neo – the world’s first truly smart container,” said the firm.
“Built with Bluetooth connectivity and sensors it lets you track nutrition, syncs with fitness devices, gets recipes and gives you total control of your kitchen.”
The air-tight jar can be used for various food including pasta, pulses, snacks and sweets, soups and smoothies.
It is dishwasher safe and continues to work in the fridge.
Each time an item is added to the jar, users can scan the food’s barcode or manually type its name.
The jar recognises the weight of the food and uses a database to work out the nutritional content of what’s inside.
All the items are stored on the app so users can check what is in their cupboards while shopping, or the jar can be configured to automatically add items to an online shopping list when stocks begin running low.
Depending on the retailer, this food could additionally be ordered automatically, like with Amazon’s Subscribe and Save scheme.
By knowing what is in individual jars, the app also provides recipe ideas and adjusts proportions based on the number of diners.
“No more wondering if there’s enough cereal for breakfast, or how healthy your daily snacks are.
“We created Neo so you can eat healthy and never have to worry about weighing, measuring, guesstimating or running out of what’s important to you,” continued SKE Labs.
SKE Lab’s Indiegogo campaign is hoping to raise $50,000 (£32,400) to mass produce the jar. The campaign achieved more than $13,600 (£8,860) in the first 24 hours.