FEATURE
SMART VAPES:
THE NEXT STAGE OF
MOD TECHNOLOGY?
FROM ‘FIND MY VAPE’ TO ‘GEOFENCING.’ JUST
HOW ‘SMART’ IS SMART VAPE TECHNOLOGY?
BY LEO FORFAR
As the centrepiece of the vape trade, the mod is always evolving.
The quest for the ultimate nicotine, flavour and throat hit delivery
system will never end, and chasing that perfect balance keeps
consumers – both struggling smokers and veteran vaper
hobbyists – on the hunt.
With the digital revolution leading global culture, and technology
shaping almost everything we do, it’s no surprise that our mods
are evolving along the same cultural lines.
Maximising our hardware’s potential is crucial to achieving
smoking cessation. As the user’s life literally hangs in the balance,
vape companies have been going all out to make this happen.
Already there are a myriad of device-connected apps calculating
nicotine dosage, frequency of puffs and the ohms level, many
of them synced to devices. Voice-activated devices such as the
SMOK I-Priv 230W and Wismec Active kits are making waves,
adding a new level of efficiency to the experience. The latter
even features a Bluetooth-enabled speaker for playing music, a
function that once migrated from the Walkman to the smartphone.
Now finding its way to the mod, showing how essential the device
is to the mobile vaper.
CANNABIS VAPORISERS AND
A CONTROLLED HIGH
The growth of CBD and THC in the vape market has been one
of the strongest recent catalysts for such innovation. Canadian
cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp filed a patent application
for a smart pen in November last year. The patent is still pending
as of this printing, as cannabis vaporisers are not yet legal.
But a look at the patent application form reveals how much hope
and work is already going into such a pen. It hasn’t passed
through the vetting process yet, but Canopy Growth’s proposed
pen has an impressive array of features.
One notable function of this device would allow is for the user to
track it down should they misplace it. A feeling of panic and loss
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those who have left their mod at a random stand at a colossal
expo will be all too familiar with. This feature is made possible
by the same technology as the Find iPhone™ app as used by
Apple®
Another feature likely to please tech enthusiasts is the availability
of linking ones vape device to one’s smartphone. The company
describes this function as: “A personal vaporizer device or “vape
device” that can communicate with smart phones or devices and
operate in conjunction with applications running thereon to control
and monitor the use of the vape device by a user.”
The pen would also sync up with data collected by devices such
as FitBit, providing an ongoing analysis of the user’s lifestyle
habits.
TRACKING MISUSE OF E-CIGARETTES
It appears some e-cigarette companies and advocates are hoping
that a more sophisticated, controllable mod can alleviate improper
(and illegal) use. One problem that isn’t going away any time soon
is the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers in the US. JUUL is hoping
to roll out Bluetooth-enabled devices at some point this year:
“We are actively evaluating new technologies and features to help
keep JUUL out of the hands of young people,” JUUL spokesperson
Victoria Davis said.
These new technologies even extend to locking mods out of use
specific to location, with ‘geofences’ around schools. Activation of
new devices would require age verification via PIN numbers and
potentially biometric data. Such advances would require thorough
FDA vetting.
Certain institutions outside of the vape trade are already giving
similar technology a trial run. Cybersecurity and environmental
intelligence company Soter Technologies have developed AI
called Fly Sense, which has sensors capable of detecting any
vaping happening in the room. Founder and CEO Derek Peterson
says it was originally used to monitor sound anomalies associated