The smart sensor will register how long it will be before a product spoils or passes its expiration date.

The UF engineers say their sensor can also record and wirelessly transmit information to retailers about when and where glitches occur as a product is being shipped.

We think this sensor will make the perishable supply chain both safer and more efficient, said Bruce Welt, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering and a faculty adviser on the project. Hopefully, that will translate into lower-cost, better-quality products for consumers.

With Bill Eisenstadt, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, leading the technical development, six seniors majoring in engineering developed what Welt calls a sensor platform that’s capable of tracking and interpreting not only temperature, but also humidity, the shock of a product being dropped and other variables.

Eisenstadt said a patent application has been filed and the team has received a $15,000 grant to continue developing the technology.