The functionality of a smart fridge is something a lot of people would love to have. How often have you stood in the grocery store and tried to remember whether you needed butter or some other staple?
While smart refrigerators are awesome, they’re less than affordable for many people. Just for reference, the Samsung Family Hub has an MSRP of $3,600. The Fridge Eye hopes to solve that problem by providing smart fridge functionality at college mini-fridge-level prices.
The Fridge Eye is a battery-operated smart camera that you can attach to the inside of your refrigerator or cabinet. It snaps a photo of the interior of your fridge or cabinet each time the door is closed so you always know what groceries you have and which ones you need.
The Fridge Eye is designed with reducing food waste in mind. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average person wastes between 225 and 290 pounds of food per year. Over time, that’s enough to feed more than 2 billion people. Much of this food waste comes as a result of purchasing too much of a given product or not using what you already have. The idea behind the Fridge Eye is that if you can find out at a glance whether you have cheese or milk or some other item, you will be a more eco-friendly shopper.
The Fridge Eye is water-resistant and featuresh a fish-eye lens that takes a full picture of everything around it. The product also has a feature called Common Item Recognition, although it is still in beta testing.
The Fridge Eye started out on Indiegogo and is slated to retail for $79, with free shipping to the United States. However, an early bird special is in effect that offers the product for 38% off upon release.
Installation is as simple as downloading the app, configuring the Fridge Eye, and attaching it inside your refrigerator or cabinet. The batteries that power the Fridge Eye can be recharged through a USB-C connection, further adding to the eco-friendly nature of the device. No launch date has been given for the Fridge Eye, but interested customers can likely expect to see it for sale soon.
