Pourify approached Above with the vision to provide real-time insights to hospitality business of every drop served. Together we turned the idea into a physical and digital prototype that helped validate the feasibility at an early stage, a Proof of Concept. The team specified and designed the hardware and system architecture and built fully functional prototypes that could be tested out in actual bar environment. When exploring a new concept you need to learn both what you should do and what you want to avoid. A small team with all the skills necessary was set up to work in close collaboration with Pourify. Only with the combined perspectives of firmware, electronics, mechanics and the clients understanding of the customer, could the right solution be found.

Being able to test a working prototype provides critical insights into the user experience, it also enables all parties to identify and minimize risk for future design challenges. At the same time product value and a stronger case for future investments can be built up. Within this scope our team also delivered early BOM cost estimations and a PRD draft to plan out the design and production, making sure Pourify were well prepared to take the concept further.

Above planned and designed the tech platform including sensors, SOC and power for the spout and hub. For this project we selected an ultra low power chip from Silicon Labs, with built in Bluetooth connectivity and a combination of sensors. The PCB was designed for a small batch of prototypes, with the extended purpose of validating the tech platform for future mass production. All components was manually assembled and soldered for the prototypes, making full use of our electronics lab facilities. Throughout the project several iterations and alternatives were evaluated as we gathered insights for future production.

Water, acids and alkalines, the bar environment is a rough place for electronics. The materials and the assembly need to encapsulate the electronics and keep it safe over time while still not growing the overall size of the spout so much that it no longer fits the bottle. 
The internal structure is designed to create a laminar flow to not impact the experience of pouring the liquids.

In our labs and workshops we set up a small scale production to cover the prototypes needed to test and verify a large enough quantity. Silicone parts was molded for sealing against the bottle and high quality thermoplastic structural parts was 3D printed to house the electronics.