TOMSK, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – A group of students at Russia’s Tomsk Polytechnic University in Siberia has invented a food container with a heating function that can be controlled by SMS, one of the product’s inventors, Yulia Papina told RIA Novosti.
This particular container is unique as it has heating elements and a GSM-module in it. The container can send and receive SMS. Once it receives a message from the owner’s number, the device switches on its heating elements, and the food in the container is warmed. On request, it can also send the owner an SMS with information about the temperature of the box’s heating plates.
The inventors intend to prepare the first commercial batch of "smart boxes" before the end of this year, Papina said.
"We have gathered all the necessary documents for obtaining a patent, filed a request for a patent search, and now it is being checked if this invention is truly unique. By the end of the year we plan to create the first 15 containers for sale. The cost will be about 1,000 rubles [$27]," Papina said.
After obtaining a patent, the inventors will consider the possibility of producing a range of smart food containers.
Papina also told RIA Novosti that the box’s materials are food-safe. The box, which weighs 370 grams and has a volume of 400 mililiters, is also protected against spam messages and can switch off automatically.
