n unconventional cashless payment tool developed by Bandung-based X-Igent has been named winner of the Indonesia Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge 2016 held in Bandung, West Java, between May 9 and June 28.
Dubbed TopPay, this prototype device provides a cashless, tapless and swipe-less method of payment. Instead of a card that has to be swiped or tapped, TopPay uses a keychain with an attached button. “When we press the button, the system processes the transaction automatically,” X-Igent CEO Yudha Maulana Akbar told a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The keychain was chosen to simplify the payment process as it was less likely to be forgotten when users were traveling.
(Read also: Computex 2016 highlights Internet of Things amid ICT paradigm shift)
The prototype can be applied to parking, street parking, or convenience store payments and consists of two parts, one for the user (the keychain) and one for the merchant (dubbed the Merchant Device). As TopPay uses Bluetooth, payments can also be made from a distance of one meter. “It can actually reach up to 50 meters,” said Yudha, adding that they were still researching the maximum distance, as well as the connection stability.
TopPay is already integrated with DOKU, an independent electronic payment solutions provider that held the competition alongside DyCodeEdu, an iOS and Android professional training provider, allowing users to easily top up their accounts and have the invoice sent to their e-mail.
The team from X-Igent, which consists of Yudha, Rendy Azhari, Muhammad Ikramullah and Lutfi Azhari, spent only three weeks building the tool. “But we had previously created a system that uses similar technology,” said Yudha, who has over eight years of experience in this industry, as well as in network security.
In addition to TopPay, other prototype devices that were recognized in the competition included a smart pet feeder called PEDER from The-X, the Kyuri Planter hydroponic planting system from TaniBox, and DYRECS (Dynamic Residential Control System) by VATRIOT. (kes)
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