Sensor That Knows If Your Package Was Dropped

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Wow! Do you know how handy something like this would be? The kicker? It only costs $2.

Called DropTag, the gadget combines a battery, a low-energy Bluetooth transmitter, an accelerometer and a memory chip. Stuck on a parcel as it leaves an e-commerce warehouse, it logs any g-forces above a set risky shock level that it experiences. The idea is that when the courier puts it in your hands, you turn on Bluetooth on a smartphone running a DropTag app and scan it before you sign for it.
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There are non "geeky" models of this already available. We put them on everything we ship and they cost way under a $1 and require no "app" to read. If the tag is "green" = good, If the tag is "red" = bad.

Furthermore, how often are people "home" when packages are delivered. I can't remember the last time I was home when a package was delivered and I get quite a few per month. The only way this system has any true value is if the device is ready by the courier at delivery as part of the delivery confirmation for automatic feedback to the shipper and the person/company who shipped the device. Otherwise too many other things can mess this up.
 
BrooksyX said:
Yeah great idea, please add $2 more to my shipping cost..
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probably closer to $3 or $4 for the person receiving the package...

i interpreted that as $2 for the tag itself, which the shipper would probably end up putting a markup on....because they can
 
way to pricey to be mainstream that's for sure but maybe good for high dollar purchases?
 
BrooksyX said:
Yeah great idea, please add $2 more to my shipping cost..
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This.

Just package it better so that whatever is inside isn't hurt if it gets dropped and if something really bad happens to it, then just send out a new one which is probably still less expensive.
 
This should be fucking standard by delivery services -PERIOD- just to make sure their workers are working as effectively as possible
 
I wouldn't mind having the units to try and scavenge cheap bluetooth transmitters from. Or even take the force sensor out and put a different sensor on it to log other things.

I put some of those Shockwatch stickers on my hard-case luggage when flying across the US. They were tripped up to and including 50Gs.
 
SOOOO many rejections would result from this tech on standard ground shipping... ugh do u guys want fedex and ups to go out of business?
 
synapsis said:
I wouldn't mind having the units to try and scavenge cheap bluetooth transmitters from. Or even take the force sensor out and put a different sensor on it to log other things.

I put some of those Shockwatch stickers on my hard-case luggage when flying across the US. They were tripped up to and including 50Gs.
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wouldnt they trip tho since the luggage area is not pressurized? isnt it just a change in pressure that activates them?
 
Uh...would be a waste of money as all packages get the shit beat out of them in transit.
Never worked on or been around a loading dock before?
 
Just give me $2 worth of additional bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts please... or hell 20 cents worth, I don't want to pay for extra large boxes because $2 worth would be quite a bit.
 
Except that for most items and for small parcels as long as they are packaged correctly (cough NEWEGG HARD DRIVES cough) a normal drop is pretty irrelevant.
 
I don't see the point unless UPS and Fedex gave refunds for any box that breaks the threshold........as an Ex UPS employee I'd guess around 10% would break the threshold.
 
It is not *if* something is dropped. Packages *will* be dropped, reardless of what service you use. Most services even have in fine print that your package may drop from 5ft and must be packed to withstand that.

I think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to shipping. It is the sender's responsibility to pack well. These boxes are stacked, moved, dropped, slid, conveyed, etc etc. Just pack it responsibly and you will be fine. I shipped just over 300 packages in 2012 and didn't have one damaged package. I guess it is a pretty small sample size in the grand scheme of things, but I think it does still show that proper packing can minimize problems.

I bought a PS3 once that was wrapped in paper, rattling around loose in a box. Damage on something like that is no one's fault but the sender's.
 
Mr34727 said:
It is not *if* something is dropped. Packages *will* be dropped, reardless of what service you use. Most services even have in fine print that your package may drop from 5ft and must be packed to withstand that.
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If it's not packaged to withstand falling out of a moving truck, being tossed 20 feet to your front porch, being stepped on, or being run over, then it wasn't packaged good enough :)

I've actually received packages with boot prints on them, including one where the card inside was broken in half. (The box must have been at a angle when they stepped on it.)
 
I can see the customer support calls after a few weeks of this new feature "Was your package dropped?" "Yes", "Was the product intact/working when you opened it?", "Yes" "...Then what is the f#@king problem!?".
 
Mr34727 said:
It is not *if* something is dropped. Packages *will* be dropped, reardless of what service you use. Most services even have in fine print that your package may drop from 5ft and must be packed to withstand that.

I think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to shipping. It is the sender's responsibility to pack well. These boxes are stacked, moved, dropped, slid, conveyed, etc etc. Just pack it responsibly and you will be fine. I shipped just over 300 packages in 2012 and didn't have one damaged package. I guess it is a pretty small sample size in the grand scheme of things, but I think it does still show that proper packing can minimize problems.

I bought a PS3 once that was wrapped in paper, rattling around loose in a box. Damage on something like that is no one's fault but the sender's.
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I think it's mostly applicable to large expensive items that absolutely must be treated with care and companies pay extra to make sure they are cared for, rather than your random run of the mill ebay or newegg purchase. The sort of boxes I've seen G sensing stickers on are some of the more delicate items in my lab at work, and one that sticks out in my mind were components for a wind tunnel which were packaged in several wooden crates ranging from 3x3x3ft up to the larger ones were about 7x7x7ft and they were covered in G sensing stickers.
 
rewted said:
I see bad things coming from this.
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nutzo said:
If it's not packaged to withstand falling out of a moving truck, being tossed 20 feet to your front porch, being stepped on, or being run over, then it wasn't packaged good enough :)

I've actually received packages with boot prints on them, including one where the card inside was broken in half. (The box must have been at a angle when they stepped on it.)
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These

I've recieved a bare drive from a major vendor...resting on the bottom of a box...with peanuts poured on top :rolleyes: Seriously, would you buy it if the salesperson banged it on the desk 5 times and then said "that will be $100" ?!??

And I don't see any vendor using it unless the unit cost several grand......
 
Tudz said:
I think it's mostly applicable to large expensive items that absolutely must be treated with care and companies pay extra to make sure they are cared for, rather than your random run of the mill ebay or newegg purchase. The sort of boxes I've seen G sensing stickers on are some of the more delicate items in my lab at work, and one that sticks out in my mind were components for a wind tunnel which were packaged in several wooden crates ranging from 3x3x3ft up to the larger ones were about 7x7x7ft and they were covered in G sensing stickers.
Click to expand...

If your lab would buy fantail goldfish instead of comets, they'd be able to purchase less expensive and more durable equipment that would last longer and be lots easier to maintain.
 
SkribbelKat said:
If your lab would buy fantail goldfish instead of comets, they'd be able to purchase less expensive and more durable equipment that would last longer and be lots easier to maintain.
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Except it would be so vastly inferior that it would not suit our needs. Sometimes it's worth paying extra to get something better. And how many times do I have to tell you, our comet pumps are reliable and with proper filtration are easy to maintain.
 
Sounds similar to the tags the Mythbusters used a lot to indicate if a certain G force threshold had been reached/breached. I remember them putting a zillion of them on Buster to see if he "died" or not during certain situations.
 
Relevant picture LOL:

ace-ventura-kicking-box-752.gif
 
ml_paladin888 said:
probably closer to $3 or $4 for the person receiving the package...

i interpreted that as $2 for the tag itself, which the shipper would probably end up putting a markup on....because they can
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Who cares , $3-4 well spent.

This is totally an awesome idea for sensitive parcels and being able to scan it and get the Ok before I sign for it is brilliant.
 
I can see devices like this for sensitive medical devices
/ high buck items.

But to make sure your $40 HDD doesn't drop. Fuck it, waste of
money on something like that. Send it back, let the shipper eat their
failure.
 
I can see this happen.. Zero times.

Because that's what package insurance is for.
 
I don't need a fancy electronic device to tell me if a package has been dropped. Most of the time my two eyes serve well enough in that respect, the rest of the time I can safely assume it was dropped, kicked and thrown at some point.
 
XorCist said:
wouldnt they trip tho since the luggage area is not pressurized? isnt it just a change in pressure that activates them?
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Nope. The ones i have seen are all acceleration based. And yeah, if some dumbass baggage mangler drop kicks your package or luggage, it will be well above 50G's.

Most of the equipment shipped by my company has drop/tilt indicators that show if the shipper mishandled the equipment. It happens a LOT. And when you are shipping equipment that is in the thousands to millions of dollars, it pays to hold the shipper responsible for damages incurred in shipping. And you don't need some fancy Bluetooth device to look at a mechanical drop/tilt indicator.
 
So the package indicator says it's been dropped... Then what? They will just bring you another item the next day that's also been dropped... :p
 
BrooksyX said:
Yeah great idea, please add $2 more to my shipping cost..
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How about if they massively increased production and were able to significantly bring down the cost per unit to say $0.20? What price would you consider acceptable or do you feel feature not worth any additional cost regardless of the price? I personally, don't care much if my package was dropped or not as generally there's packaging inside a package to prevent 'moving' or damage from sudden or unexpected motion. If the product was DOA, then yes I'd be upset but would deal with a standard RMA process with the company that originally shipped the goods.
 
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