The computerised fridge which pays the food bills via the Internet, has self-ordering milk cartons and a system to warn when produce is gone off, is ready to take its place in the kitchen of the future.
The household appliance that doubles as a communications centre also compiles the shopping list, and, ultimately, may replace wandering around supermarket aisles as an inevitable part of replenishing supplies - for it brings Internet shopping for food a significant step closer. For technos, and "kitchen managers" (to adopt the description of its designers) for whom the technology is primarily intended, the "Screenfridge" is likely to be the coolest household accessory available early in the new millennium.
Computer company ICL and household goods manufacturer Electrolux have joined forces to create the fridge/freezer which is likely to reshape the way people store food and change the way they shop.
It is expected to cost the combined price of "a typical fridge freezer and a modest computer", an Electrolux spokeswoman told The Irish Times.
A 13-inch colour screen will display information about the food inside, advise on expiry dates, temperature and even alert users when produce is running out.
By using a barcode scanner, food can be registered going in and out. The shopping list will come in the form of a computer printout.
The prototype is to be unveiled in Cologne later this month at Domotechnica, the world's largest appliance trade fair. After further market evaluations, it is due to go into production later this year.
Voice and face recognition may only be around the corner.
The product plans follow research indicating a need to make appliances "more communicative". The kitchen is considered one of the main communication hubs in the household.
Connection from the fridge via phone and Internet to supermarkets will allow bills to be paid online, though Internet food shopping is not yet routinely available.
Some supermarket groups, nonetheless, are already evaluating this option for use in Britain. So the chances are they will soon be in tune with the talking fridge.
--(Additional reporting: PA)
