Pourify

Proof of concept

Physical Design

Flow control

Proving an idea

Picture this, you’re running a bar, restaurant or hotel and are trying to keep tabs on all the drinks going out. It’s a total nightmare.

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.

If you want to move fast you need to fail fast, learn and try again.


Lowering risks

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.


System to solder

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.


Translating data to drops

Two types of sensors were chosen to measure the volume poured. With dual sensors we could also verify both activity and motion data. Part of the work is to tune the sensors and develop the algorithms to interpret the data into poured millilitres. By using both practical lab tests and theoretical tools we could optimize, refine and verify our custom calculation model that was implemented in the firmware. Measurements was validated for different kinds of pours, temperatures and types of liquor, meeting the high requirements of accuracy per shot. The firmware handles data communication over BLE, power management and firmware updates. For the end to end demo we set up a corded Bluetooth-Wifi hub based on an ESP32 platform.


Small scale 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.


About

Founded in 2022, Pourify emerged as a pioneering force in revolutionizing inventory management and elevating guest experiences in the hospitality world. With a diverse team spanning across different locations in Europe, our heart beats for the industry, and our vision is to create products that simplify operations while magnifying profitability. https://www.pourify.com/

Capabilities

Electronic Engineering Firmware Mechanical Engineering

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