Yes, it’s finally here. A smart glass, for beer. Yes. Tel-Aviv based startup Glassify – a joint venture between Weissbeerger, the first ever real-time analytics of consumer behavior and alcoholic beverages consumption, and Innovation Furnace, a glass manufacturing company, has come up with a glass that does more than just serve beer.
Now, instead of having the bartender ask you which beer (and how many) you’d like, there will be an additional question of whether you want it in a regular beer glass or in a smart beer glass. There isn’t a big difference between the regular glass and the smart glass in mold structure, or in the cost of production. What makes it special – is the chip at the bottom of the smart glass. The smart beer glass is just like any other normal beer glass, with a NFC chip and a QR code embedded in it.
So all one has to do is order beer in a smart glass. The magic begins to unfold when the glass is kept near the smart phone with NFC on; it automatically detects the smart glass. It is not necessary to have an app pre installed; just scanning the smart beer glass for the first time will prompt you to download it. The Glassify Smart Glass app is available in both iOS and Android, for free. They just have to tap the glass on their mobile. The quick reader code will be scanned when swiped on the mobile which will record the information then.
Technology Makes It Smart
Near Field Communication Chip – There’s an NFC chip attached to the bottom of the glass. This chip entails at least one transmitting device and another to receive signals for communication. This chip connects to the smart phone app and collects data on the user.
QR Code: The two dimensional bar-code (which was invented initially for automobile industry in Japan) provides easy access to personal identifiable information through the app, and also enables payment via PayPal (for the drink of course). The information collected is then sent to a remote cloud server which can be accessed by breweries and bars. So it is the work of these two when paired up with smart phone makes it unique.
Some Cool Features
The Glassify app provides personalized discounts and offers on drinks and food combos. The charge for each drink is automatically loaded on to the app and payments can be made through the app, or via card. The Glassify app lets users prebuy the drinks and even send it to their friends, which they can redeem it immediately or save the drink for later use. The app also stores the previous orders and offers discounts based on your order history. The glass is also careful enough to make sure that it doesn’t turn you into an inconsiderate drunkard – by limiting the number of glasses a person can have to five. When further order are placed, it redirects users to Uber.
Glassify made its pilot run in Europe and USA – offering 50% off on the second drink during the promotion. The firm observed an 80% adoption rate. The glass has use cases beyond beer – you can use it to have fresh juice and soft drinks too. In this task of collecting data and manufacturing smart glass, Weissbeerger handles big data, analytics, software and Innovation Furnace takes care of manufacturing part. The revenue sharing agreements sees them split the profits equally.
There’s now an app for beer. The world is a happy place!