FedEx Unveils Senseaware Drop-In Package Sensor

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Do you trust your delivery guy with your sensible packages? I know I always wonder if the stuff I send or I am about to receive will travel safely and I’d definitely try one of those drop-in sensors that FedEx has announced. The Senseaware is a cool gadget which will be able to deliver constant online updates related to the package you have sent or are about to receive.

So how does Senseaware works? The device comes with specific sensors that can figure out for you the temperature or the exact location of the package. It will also tell you whether the package has been opened, exposed to light or dropped. The accelerometer is something I’d certainly appreciate as it will be able to tell me if the package has been damaged in any way by unwanted drops during transition.

The Senseaware is about the size of a BlackBerry and comes with temperature and light meters, accelerometer, GPS and a cellular antenna. That’s how the device communicates with the web interface in order to deliver accurate information about the progress of the package in question.

Sure since we’re talking about a new technology that’s about to be made available, you can expect bigger prices at first. The Senseaware costs $120 a month right now but the price is expected to go down as FedEx sells more and more sensors. The current price will be out of reach for regular customers that don’t send and receive that many packages. But companies that ship lots of products will start buying those devices in order to closely monitor the integrity of the shipped goods. The more sensitive the contents of those packages, the more interested will customers be in acquiring such a gadget.

The official trial of this Senseaware technology is expected to take place in Spring 2010 and if everything goes well we might see FedEx roll out the product worldwide very soon after the trial runs. In the mean time the competition should start working on similar products, wouldn’t you agree?