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Functional inks bring additional information, entertainment to products

Date:
October 3, 2016
Source:
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT)
Summary:
Traceable consumer products and entertaining solutions are about to become part of our everyday lives, particularly in food packaging or, say, textiles and household appliances. For example, using a code a mug can notify a consumer of the temperature of a drink, or packaging can notify of the 'best before' date and the product origin and country of production. Functional inks may help advance this technology, scientists say.
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Traceable consumer products and entertaining solutions are about to become part of our everyday lives, particularly in food packaging or, say, textiles and household appliances.

Through the TagItSmart project, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing functional inks which can be used to add variable codes to products. For example, using such a code a mug can notify a consumer of the temperature of a drink, or packaging can notify of the 'best before' date and the product origin and country of production.

Functional inks are used for the printing of 2D codes on various products. "The idea is that that ink reacts at a certain temperature or within a certain time and provides the consumer with a message containing varying, additional information based on a dynamic code," says Project Manager Liisa Hakola.

"We are also developing a leakage indicator suitable for packaging, which reacts to oxygen entering vacuum-packaging. Using this technology, for example food packaging can indicate whether its contents are fit for consumption or spoiled. If the leakage indicator is a code, it can be used to access additional services and information based on the situation and time of reading."

Practical IoT applications are being developed under the TagItSmart project over a period of three years. VTT will also explore consumers' opinions of the applications. In addition to VTT, Upcode is representing Finland on the project.

New applications will become available to consumers by the end of the project at the latest.

Watch the videos: https://youtu.be/oLV13iKRswU


Story Source:

Materials provided by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). "Functional inks bring additional information, entertainment to products." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 October 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003092606.htm>.
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). (2016, October 3). Functional inks bring additional information, entertainment to products. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003092606.htm
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). "Functional inks bring additional information, entertainment to products." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003092606.htm (accessed March 27, 2024).

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