## The System · Smart Tag

The Smart Tag: Cheaper Than the Sticker It Replaces

Fig 8. Smart tag (copper/nickel tape, <1¢) + 50×50mm hardware prototype

The container shell acts as a dielectric, so we couple capacitively: a simple copper / nickel metal tape on the exterior serves as the external plate of a capacitor.
As the internal field fluctuates, it induces a displacement current on the tape through the container wall: non-invasive readout.
The material is ubiquitous, flexible & chemically stable, conforming to curved surfaces and standard packaging lines.
Less than 1¢ per unit: already part of the packaging, so scaling up is cost-effective.