designing a prototype for an interactive fridge

[zara]

Hi,
Im a first time user to this site and was wondering if anyone can help dig me out of a whole. I have an assignment due on thursday based on designing an interactive fridge!!! But unfortunately i have left my research to the last moment, thinking that there would be loads of research on the internet that would give me some ideas and i could reference in my essay. Does anyone know where i might be able to find any research on interactive fridges?!!

 

[Tom Jenkins]

I'm not sure what an interactive fridge is! My fridge turns on a light when I open it, so I can quickly find my beer. This is sufficient for my purposes.

You need to expand your question, I think.

 

[Steve Bailey]

A Google search using 'interactive fridge' gets 407 hits. Using 'interactive refrigerator' yields 154 hits.

I'd be interested in a refrigerator that warns me when I'm running low on beer. If it could replenish the supply, so much the better. If it could also tell me that the sour cream has gone bad before I open it, that would be a nice touch.

 

[Contr_Conn]

My fridge also turns the light on. Also it turns compressor on/off based on the internal temperature

 

[Antipathy]

I saw this article about 'talking fridges' some time ago on the beeb website.

It seems like a nightmare scenario of the future to me, having my household appliances nagging me.

 

[93lt1]

Daewoo already beat you to it.

Check this out. Internet enabled refrigerator. I think GE (appliances)also has a something similar in the plans.

http://www.daewoo.ua/english/news/titul_refrigerator.shtml

 

[jvdcande]

93lt1,

that internet enabled refrigerator (or a similar one)has already been shown in a scientific program on the telly over here.

zara,

you might tell your teacher to keep up-to-date. Don't those guys in the schools ever keep track? It seems they try to let people re-invent the wheel over and over again. What's the use of imposing that kind of attitude to youngsters? Creating copycats?

No wonder students don't put any effort in it any more!

Regards,

 

[Vetteboy]

Why a smart fridge? The packaging for the food you eat needs to be disposed of. A smart trash manager would be better. Throw a soup can in and it will be added to your next food delivery from the internet-based grocery store. It could evaluate, shred, recycle, grind, incenerate, etc.

Or for an even more disgusting alternative, how about the smart toilet. It could order food based on what comes out of you, and diagnose your health at the same time. I guess my point is we could automate everything if we want. I could have robot kids that always behave, a robot wife like in the movie "Cherry 2000", a robot dog etc. But at what point does your life become so convenient that it loses it's point?

Our ancestors used to toil each day just for food and shelter. Now people have so much free time they focus on the basics a little too much. Worshipping the Starbucks God. Defining themselves by the furniture they have picked up at IKEA. I guess my point is the Internet fridge is a cool idea, but the world has a lot bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

I really do believe in progress, we just have to watch our priorites and avoid getting sucked in by the "because we can" philosophy of invention. Our time is better spent on things we do "because we should".

 

[Xion]

Everything is going interactive nowadays and there's nothing we can do about it. Marketing people see technology and think how they can use it rather than look at objects and think how it might use technology. I would like a fridge that has an inventory, use-by-date list etc on the front of it. I could look or speak "beer" and it would say "2 Stella, back top shelf, in date" as it would off course have a mini GPS system built in...

But i don't like some of the ideas that are coming out at the minute where they incorperate random things, like an mp3 playing kettle, or an internet browser enabled microwave. It's pointless, at the moment anyway. Until technology is more "universal" and things can truely be linked properly, all these gadgets are just gadgets, a bit of fun but no real use. When technology makes advances like with the Microwave and becomes a standard kitchen appliance it is useful, until then, i'll keep my toaster than makes toast and my kettle that boils water and doesn't tell me what the weather is like outside. Otherwise, in a few years, we'll have 10 mp3 players, 6 internet browers, a few radios but a **** cooker, an innefficient fridge and a dangerous microwave!

 

[zara]

interactive fridge

Thanks for all your help and opinions guys, i dont really like the thought of an interactive fridge, but it is the topic for my essay! I think to many luxuries cause lazyness and increases obesity in the world, bit if theres money to be made than its designed! Thanks to 93 IT1 that site really helped! Lets hope you other guys win the lottery and get an endless supply of beer so you never need an that type of fridge!!!