DropTag sensor keeps tabs on damaged parcels

The sensor system combines a battery, a low energy Bluetooth transmitter, an accelerometer and a memory chip. Stuck on a parcel as it leaves a warehouse, DropTag logs any g-forces above a set risky shock level that it experiences. Once the courier drops the parcel off, the person receiving it can turn on their Bluetooth on a smartphone running a DropTag app and scan it before they sign for it. If the graph shows the parcel has been neglected during transit, delivery can be refused. Tom Lawrie-Fussey, business development manager at Cambridge Consultants, said: "By minimising the complexity of the electronics in DropTag, we've calculated that DropTag could analyse and log crucial events for many weeks using just a single coin cell battery, and could even perhaps be reused. "And, by keeping it simple, we're confident that the bill of material cost would be less than $2 – making it a very affordable solution."