I Asked My Coffee Machine a Question, and It Answered Me!
If you could chat with your coffee machine, what would you ask?
I am not talking about pacing in the kitchen at 3 am with a half-empty bottle of Red Label and asking its advice about recent life choices, but rather when you’re trying to make your morning coffee and it’s refusing to cooperate.
A while back, I faced a similar problem with an espresso maker that I had recently purchased. And while I love that machine, it has a few quircks that require occasional visits to the instructions manual.
I had been using QR codes to attach documents and receipts to new appliances, so when the steam nozzle on that machine got clogged after using it to make hot chocolate, I scanned its QR code, opened the PDF manual, and started scrolling through and searching for how to clean it.
Typically, if I didn’t find the answer in the manual in less than a minute, I would Google it.
But that time, I decided to try something different.
I opened ChatGPT, uploaded the PDF manual, asked my question, and it provided me with the answer in a couple of seconds.
And that made me wonder: what if there was a custom AI assistant attached to the coffee maker, which can answer all my questions based on its operating and troubleshooting instructions? Wouldn’t that be a huge time saver?
A few weeks later, a prototype was ready for testing.
And the workflow was very simple: to add an AI assistant to any physical item, all I needed was to create a new QR code, upload the AI training documents, configure the chat settings, print it and attach it to that item.
Using the prototype, I added an AI QR code to my coffee maker, scanned it, and then typed my question.
And it only took a couple of seconds to get the answer.
I had just chatted with my coffee maker, and it helped me fix a problem with it.
And I didn’t have to read through the manual or search the web!
During the following weeks, I added AI QR codes to dozens of items around my place: washer, dryer, thermostat, bluetooth speakers, TV remote, etc.
Whenever I had a question, I just scan the QR code and chat with the item.
I even attached one to my car’s key fob because I didn’t want to go through a 595-page PDF manual every time I had a question.
It turned out that my car had a sassy personality, and we stayed up chatting past midnight.
These QR codes are linking physical items with relevant on-demand content, and turning them into interactive smart companions.
And they aren’t just adding utility, but also personalities!
A camera can now tell you what error 02 means.
An audio mixer can tell you how to set gain levels.
A washing machine can tell you the best settings for mixed colors.
A telescope can tell you how to calibrate it.
A Peace Lilies can tell you how frequently I should water them.
A book can explain chapter 3 and discuss it with you.
And my car can invite me for a joy ride when I am feeling down.
The possibilities are endless, and I can’t wait to see how others will use it.
👉 Sign up for early access at Disical.com.
