When shipping valuables, or breakable goods, it's always a concern over whether the package will make it in one piece. And in unfortunate cases where it doesn't, there's a blame game between couriers and shippers over who actually damaged the product, often leaving the consumer frustrated, and unable to truly do anything about it.
Cambridge Consultants may have a solution, low power, tiny, bluetooth sensors that get packed in with your shipments before they head out the door. “The explosion in internet shopping has led to a huge increase in the number of parcel deliveries,” Tom Lawrie-Fussey said, the business development manager at Cambridge Consultants. "We're probably all guilty of signing for a delivery on our doorstep without taking the time to unpack the items to check that the contents are in good condition. We're then faced with the hassle of having to arrange the return of any damaged goods."
As Yahoo! News reports, “As the package makes its way to you, the DropTag measures dropping and shaking in real-time and is able to relay the data to a companion smartphone application.”
This allows not only the drivers, but the consumer to check not only the location, but condition of any packages they have shipped. The ability to check for falls, or breaks, and see just who they were with at the time of the accident is at the tips of anyone's fingertips. The DropTag's info can be remotely accessed at any point during shipping to check this status in real time, combined with a GPS, this allows real time tracking of your packages.
The new bluetooth sensors will reportedly cost around 2$ to manufacture, leaving plenty of room to cheaply package them with your goods as a simple add on to your shipping surcharge.
There's no exact date of manufacture slated yet, but Cambridge Consultants will begin showcasing it at the CeBIT show in Germany in early April for possible distribution.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
