I'm proposing a refrigerator that monitors what's put into it by automatically scanning barcodes as things are put in and pulled out.
Shelves would have weighing capability to tell how much of something had been used.
An onboard computer would keep a list of desired inventory and be able to compare it to what was already in there. There would be an input capability (keyboard) for items that contain no or unreadable bar codes.
A hot sync cradle mounted on the door would download a shopping list to a palm pilot or pocket pc to take shopping.
OK. I'll admit, I see trouble with the shelves and the weighing thing, but other than that... ???-- zigness, Apr 24 2004 smart kitchen does inventory http://www.foodsci....am%20%282000%29.pdf [booleanfool, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] http://www.foodsci.rutgers.edu/yam/Publications/Yam%20%282000%29.pdf-- booleanfool, Apr 24 2004 [bf] if you click on [link] below, you can place that into a working link. Then, you can remove the link from your annotation.-- Klaatu, Apr 24 2004 ahhh.-- booleanfool, Apr 24 2004 ...and then you can have another button hotsynced to an online recipe service and find recipes based on the food you have inventoried.-- snikrepkire, Apr 25 2004 which came first : The splendid pun or the idea?-- jonthegeologist, Apr 25 2004 [fogfreak], I had not seen DrCurry's profile and the list of ideas that didn't quite make it... nope... for good or bad, this one was independent creation...
[jonthegeologist], I was thinking about refrigerators for some reason, and the pun popped into my head -- a nano second later, the idea showed up.-- zigness, Apr 25 2004 random, halfbakery