Paper-based weight sensors transform shelves into smart shelves

PaperWeight AI is a startup hailing from Portugal, born out of AlmaScience, an innovation lab for sustainable technology and green electronics. The aim of the research company is to transform natural materials such as cellulose and paper into functional electronic devices. They have developed a unique shelf event sensor made entirely from paper.

During EuroCIS 2024, we visited their booth in the Start-up hub, where they walked us through their captivatingly simple yet effective solution – and now, six months later, we asked Dr. Yoni Engel, CEO of PaperWeight AI, for the latest update.

Yoni, it is rather unusual to see a paper product at a trade fair for retail technologies. What is special about your paper?

Yoni Engel: While our product looks and feels like regular paper (it is made almost entirely out of paper), there is an ultra-thin layer of printed electronics integrated into it. This enables the paper to detect physical pressure and convert it into a measure of weight. Essentially, this paper functions as a very elegant weight sensor, which can serve as the foundation for smart shelving systems.

And these smart shelves can then be integrated into a smart store?

Engel: Exactly. Our shelf event sensor can be retrofitted into the store's existing shelving layout, with minimal friction. It takes us less than 5 minutes to install this system on a shelf. Currently, the minimum weight the sensors can detect is 20 grams, which is sufficient for most retail applications such as groceries, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more. As a research company, however, we are actively working to reduce that minimum weight threshold. The paper can be applied to any flat surface, including shelves, tables, counters, point-of-sale displays, pop-up bases, and even refrigerated cabinets.

The shelf event sensor can be connected to the store's planogram software. The information is communicated via a bay control unit through Wi-Fi to the cloud. Each shelf in essence becomes an IoT device. From that point on, retailers gain full real-time visibility into shelf activity: Are products being added, removed or misplaced?

How can retailers use this information from the shelves?

Engel: There are numerous applications. The most obvious is inventory management and restocking. For instance, the system can send alerts when a shelf is running low on stock, prompting employees to replenish it before it’s empty.

It also supports planogram management. Retailers can set rules and KPIs for their shelf availability, relying on real data to measure the store performance. It makes it easier to see which shelves the products were purchased from, as products are often available in different places in the store – effectively an A/B test.

As self-checkout and self-scanning become increasingly popular, theft prevention is another valuable use. By combining shelf activity detection with a timer, you can receive alerts if a customer removes an item but fails to scan it within a set time frame, say 10 seconds, which might indicate an error or an intent to steal.

Another use case is omnichannel marketing. The weight sensors can trigger multimedia content at the shelf, creating a more dynamic and engaging shopping experience. If you’re running a special promotion with a temporary POP display, you can monitor how many items are picked up, how many are put back, and how many are ultimately sold.

Finally, the sensors can be leveraged to control dynamic pricing, adjusting prices in real-time based on demand and inventory.

Can you use one sheet of paper for different products?

Engel: Yes, the system can monitor multiple products based on the planogram, and even whether the products are in the front, facing customers, or in the back. If items in the front are depleted and haven't been picked up for some time, the system will alert staff to move the products from the back to the front, ensuring they remain visible and accessible to shoppers.

What would happen if someone took a product and placed it on a different shelf?

Engel: The system would alert you that unusual activity is occurring on a particular shelf, indicating that a product has been misplaced. However, our technology does not offer specific product recognition, so we wouldn’t be able to tell you, for example, that a Mars chocolate bar was placed on a shelf meant for KitKat bars. For that level of detail, a more complex and costly solution would be needed.

What are the benefits of your paper-based smart shelf solution?

Engel: Our paper is significantly more affordable compared to traditional electronic weighing systems. It's also quick and easy to install in stores, as it can be integrated into existing furniture. The paper comes in a variety of sizes and formats, and if none of the catalogue options fit your store, you can provide us with your shelf dimensions, and we’ll deliver custom-fitted sheets.

The paper can also be easily covered with a protective or branded layer, allowing seamless integration into your store's design. You can cover it with almost any material without affecting its performance.

Another increasingly important benefit is that the paper is fully recyclable. The minimal amount of electronics used is not classified as e-waste, making the paper a far more sustainable solution compared to other systems that rely heavily on electronics.

How much interest is there in your solution in the retail sector?

Engel: Currently, we are not aware of any comparable solution on the market, so we believe this technology has the potential to make a significant impact on the retail industry. When we took the opportunity to present it on the start-up stage at EuroCIS, the feedback was very positive. We’ve seen considerable interest from retailers, system integrators, autonomous store providers, and others. Companies specializing in computer vision, in particular, have shown interest because by combining camera detection with our solution, retailers can gain precise, real-time insights into exactly what is happening on their shelves. We are holding intensive talks with major solution providers in the domain of automated check-out stores as well as in the theft prevention domain. We are also currently launching a pilot project with one of Portugal's largest retailers.

What was your experience at EuroCIS?

Engel: At EuroCIS, we observed many companies offering AI and analytics solutions for smart stores. Our solution complements these by providing a database for inventory management. We don't see ourselves as competitors; rather, we aim to partner with these companies to enhance the performance of their solutions. I believe that in the technology industry – especially in retail technology – cooperation is key. The more we collaborate and remain open to the market, the greater the value we can deliver to retailers.