SpotSee launches IoT impact-detecting product and interface

At a time when the demand for transparency in the supply chain is as high as the interest in e-commerce, Dallas-based “internet of things” (IoT) company SpotSee has released a product that not only tracks the whereabouts of air cargo, it even reports when the cargo gets jostled in transit.

SpotSee’s new ShockTrak impact-detecting hardware can be connected with an adjoining web-interface, allowing customers to monitor their cargo’s condition in real time. If there are any sharp bumps or collisions involving the cargo, the unit can notify the shipper and also logs the incidents on it ShockLog impact recording unit.

The company has a repertoire of IoT products that monitor the condition of freight throughout its transit, said CEO Tony Fonk. Each iteration of the company’s cargo-tracking products has distinct features to suit various cargo types, e.g. pharmaceuticals versus electronics. However, not all are connected through their private cloud network, which Fonk says the company intends to change in the future.

SpotSee’s cloud receives data from the ShockTrak hardware through cellular and satellite signals, giving customers live access to their data. Users can set also set custom alarms for changes in temperature, humidity and tilt or roll.

These innovations are no longer an obscure, science-fiction concept. If the typical ambiguity surrounding the point that damage occurs to a shipment in the supply chain can be identified, poor operations practices can be better mitigated for and remedied, and cost savings and efficiency could be improved substantially. If companies do embrace the implementation of these products on a large scale, it will mean a disruption to the industry’s status-quo.