Scientists have collaborated with Microsoft to develop a material that detects food or beverages’ presence when placed on the top.

Highlights

• A lot of our gadgets are online today
• Researchers have developed an intelligent cloth that can detect food
• The fabric may also offer recipes based on what’s readily available
• Furthermore, the study revealed that if the tablecloth is connected to a smart device such as Amazon Echo, it can transmit instructions to the consumer based on the items they’ve put on the table. While this tablecloth is not expensive, it may take some time to become commercially available.

Smartphones are just the tip of the Iceberg. Today, everything is connected to the internet, from smartwatches to smart toasters, or even intelligent vacuum cleaners! Technology is changing our lives at an alarming speed, and we’re becoming more and more comfortable with an ‘assistant performing our tasks. Consider rethinking your assumptions if you thought that all things “smart” had been invented. A group of researchers from different universities worldwide have joined forces with Microsoft to create a cloth that can detect food and beverages when placed on the top.

The bright tablecloth, “Capacitivo,” comprises electrodes woven using conductive fabrics. This was tested using around 20 different foodstuff objects, and the cloth was recognized with a sensitivity of 94.5 percent. The invention was showcased at the 33rd Annual Symposium on User Interface and Technology in October 2020. Researchers have posted their work online along with a brief introduction video and a brief introduction. Check it out:

“We present Capacitivo, a contact-based object recognition technique developed for interactive fabrics, using capacitive sensing. Unlike prior work that has focused on metallic objects, our technique recognises non-metallic objects such as food, different types of fruits, liquids, and other types of objects that are often found around a home or in a workplace,” Look up the introduction to the study.

Furthermore, the study revealed that if the tablecloth is connected to a smart device such as Amazon Echo, it can transmit instructions to the consumer based on the items they’ve put on the table. While this tablecloth is not expensive, it may take some time to become commercially available.

 Today, everything is connected to the internet, from smartwatches to smart toasters, or even intelligent vacuum cleaners! Technology is changing our lives at an alarming speed, and we’re becoming more and more comfortable with an ‘assistant performing our tasks. Consider rethinking your assumptions if you thought that all things “smart” had been invented.