Martini has launched a new Smart Cube, which is added by bar staff to consumers’ drinks alongside regular cubes of ice to tell them when you’re ready for another.
As the consumer enjoys their drink, the Martini Smart Cube uses Bluetooth technology to anticipate when the drink will be finished and communicates with bar staff in real-time. Staff can prepare drinks in advance so drinkers don’t have to wait to be served, and it also keeps track of the number of drinks consumed to encourage responsible drinking.
The cube was created by Martini and advertising agency AMV BBDO, and will be debuted as part of the Italian F1 Grand Prix this weekend.
“At Martini, we believe that time with friends is time well spent,” said Martini creative excellence director Laila Mignoni. “Our Smart Cube technology means that you can do just that instead of queuing at the bar. There’s huge potential for innovation within the beverage industry and this is just the beginning.”
AMV BBDO director of creative technology James Rowley added: “Creating an ice cube packed with technology presented some difficult challenges. Bluetooth signal strength is reduced significantly when immersed in liquid. But by tweaking the power and carefully positioning the antenna we managed to get the range to about 30 metres, even in a busy bar environment.”
How does the Smart Cube work?
Prototype ice cube cases were developed using advanced 3D modelling software and then produced using 3D printing. The final product cases were injection-molded in food-safe resin and sealed with silicon. The Smart Cube has sides of 25mm in length and communication between the cube and the bar is via Bluetooth to an iPad equipped with a bespoke web application. The app stores data on the cloud and features analytics to track drinking activity such as the number of a given drink ordered. Consumers are only able to order up to two drinks with the Smart Cube.
Detection of drink levels is achieved using capacitive liquid sensors within the cube case. When a drink reaches a low level, the cube’s transmission beacon switches off momentarily and the LEDs in the ice cube pulse in a unique colour sequence. The LED and beacon are controlled from a bespoke printed circuit board and are powered by a small battery. The cube also draws on Nasa-created technology to ensure the Smart Cube also acts as a cooling aid, just like a normal ice cube. The same technology helps the cube to fleet, in turn keeping the beacon horizontal, which is what ensures that the signal is strong enough to communicate with the bar.
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