Third Aurora Experiments with Talking Packaging

Tech startup Third Aurora is reportedly working on a packaging prototype that will enable consumers to talk to the products they're about to purchase.

If the prototype comes to fruition, frustrated shoppers with product-related questions will no longer have to wait idly for store assistants to help them. The product will tell them the answer instantly, and all they have to do is ask.

Third Aurora, led by digital marketing expert Dave Chaffey, posted a video last week to the company website. It shows Chaffey using his phone to identify a bottle of red wine, then asking questions, each of which are seemingly answered by the bottle in a Siri-like voice.

In fact, Chaffey shows through his phone that the voice belongs to a virtual chatbot character, but adds "He's not usually there. We added that little guy for the demo, otherwise there's nothing to see."

The concept was challenging for Third Aurora, which had to bring together a complicated mix of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, language processing, and cloud data, Chaffey explains.

This is not the first test for Third Aurora, which is the driving force behind Winerytale, which is raising capital for a first-mover push into global wine markets.

The demonstration is short, but it establishes proof-of-concept and demonstrates a tangible solution that requires no special equipment other than a smartphone to act as the conduit for communication, the company said in a statement.

"It's an exciting concept and an elegant solution," Chaffey said. "And it fits the ethos that the best place to find the answer is from the source."