Wireless Self-Heating Food Storage Container

Step into the future of food storage with our exhibit showcasing a revolutionary self-heating transparent container. Using cutting-edge technology from Kodak, our container seamlessly combines style and functionality to keep your food warm while on the go. The primary technology behind this project is Kodak's transparent heating films. Kodak has developed a groundbreaking technology involving the printing of a catalyst, followed by the electroless plating of copper into transparent films with resolution levels reaching as low as 2 micrometers! The precision with which these copper traces are printed enables them to be so narrow that the entire film appears transparent to the human eye. In the past, this technology had been used to create an invisible antenna that can be laminated onto a window. It has also been used to create a narrow, transparent heating pad. We are using the heating capabilities in our project. What sets our project apart is the use of an inductively coupled coil implemented in the transparent films. Our two main components are: the inductively coupled wireless power system, and the heater to keep the food warm. We have designed a receiver coil on one side of the film that when paired with its transmitter base, will receive power to be delivered to the heater. The heating mesh on the other side of the film has been designed to have an optimal resistance that will dissipate the most power possible, maximizing the efficiency of our system. These films seamlessly integrate into a custom-made inner layer for the containers, ensuring a sleek and functional design. To ensure a food-safe system, a plastic inner layer is fit over the heating film and the container. This layer acts as a protective barrier over the heating film, maintaining transparency while ensuring that the system remains food-safe. Collaborating with the new makerspace in the SHED building on RIT's campus, we utilized a thermoformer to mold the PETG plastic into the perfect shape for our design. The choice of materials is carefully considered to contribute not only to the visual elegance but also to the overall functionality of the container. In essence, our project has 3 main goals: to create a functional prototype for tradeshows, to maintain transparency for showcasing Kodak’s heating films, and to develop a food-safe system that is appropriate for keeping food warm on the go.