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Meridian sensors to detect inventory shortages

Self-service kiosk manufacturer Meridian announced that it is launching two separate projects with Mzero Remote Sensor prototypes.

December 1, 2014

Self-service kiosk manufacturer Meridian announced that it is launching two separate projects with Mzero Remote Sensor prototypes.

The company will conduct two beta tests on-site for the first project at Meridian's corporate headquarters in Aberdeen, North Carolina. The two-sensor network beta tests will utilize Meridian' s automated locker solution mBOX Locker System to detect the opening and closing of the door. The second sensor will test the temperature in Meridian's courtyard. If the temperature drops below 40 degrees, the beta test team will receive an alert.  

"This is incredibly helpful for me," Meridian Director of Safety Vic Graham said in a company announcement. "Our courtyard has a concrete sidewalk and a sprinkler system; temperature notifications will help me to know when there is a potential safety hazard due to freezing so that it can be addressed."

The second project, a pilot test, is an attempt to solve an ongoing problem for ice cream distributors, Meridian said. Customers typically notify an ice cream distributor after running out of ice cream, causing an inventory shortage. The Mzero Remote Sensors will attempt to correct this by notifying a distributor when the last vat of ice cream is pulled from storage, allowing proactive order and delivery.

Mzero Remote sensors will work with Meridian's performance and monitoring software, MzeroManage, by using SMS and GSM to communicate data to an SMS adapter. The adapter will send the information via the MzeroManage Web dashboard and throughout any already existing enterprise back office systems.

"What's unique about our software and our sensors is that they are integration ready," said Paul Burden, SVP of software development for Meridian. "Our solution will work with most any existing IT infrastructure."

Small solar panels will power the sensors, but they can receive energy via battery or hard wiring, depending on configuration needs. The sensors are traditionally attached to offline devices and can measure inputs such as temperature, motion, weight and more. The sensors send signals when conditions trigger any number of preset parameters.

"I like the idea that we are connecting previously unconnected devices," Meridian CEO Chris Gilder said in the announcement. "When you have a business, the ability to receive instantaneous feedback gives you a huge advantage; we know that Mzero Remote Sensors will be a game changer for all sorts of organizations."

"Mzero Remote Sensors make way for the 'Internet of More Things,'" Gilder said. "The use cases are endless — inventory alerts for ice chests or propane tanks at convenient stores, notifications for shopping carts at large retailers and so on; these tests will give us important feedback as we refine and open up this product to many more possibilities."