FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Video Screens as Packaging Labels

Imagine going to a grocery store and finding a turkey... with a video label that catches your eye. The label could also play videos showing proper preparations, serving suggestions, the store's current sale price (perhaps dynamically updated), and recipes using other products such as stuffing mix and cranberry sauce. Can you tell I'm getting psyched for Thanksgiving?...

Siemens has developed a paper-thin electronic label that can display LCD video, recently displayed at a German food packaging conference. The eco-friendly display, which is powered by printable batteries, could be made commercially available as early as 2007. However, because the batteries last for only a couple of months, the labels will only be useful for products with a relatively short shelf life.

What will be interesting is how these labels could interact with RFID tags, displaying information based on location or relevant to the individual shopper.

Sources: Food Navigator, unmediated