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, a mattress and pillow manufacturer based in Zurich, has been integrating ultra-high frequency transponders into its mattresses for several years. The company has now decided to start using advanced transponders that can be read by any smartphone or tablet, rather than a specially developed device as was previously the case. The new technology will now be used not only for internal transport and washing logistics, but also for communication.

«These transponders are about the size of a penny. To read the new transponders, all you need is a suitable app with the appropriate application software, which we will be making available on the market this fall. This will allow information to be read from the passive transponder, which has no power source or transmitter of its own, and linked via the internet to the information stored in a database. In this way, the mattresses will be able to speak and tell their story. That is, when they were manufactured, what product they are, to whom they were delivered, when they were washed, and in which room they were used. This makes it particularly interesting for the hotel industry, as it provides digital bed management for the first time,»

says Philipp Hangartner, Managing Director of .

But the advantages go much further: in the context of future mattress recycling, a wealth of information becomes relevant, such as the composition of the materials and the proportions in which they were used in the mattress.

Philipp Hanggartner is convinced of the benefits of using innovative technology in hotel mattresses: «Data about the product can also be attached to the mattress itself or recorded in a brochure, but on the day of disposal, this data must still be available and, above all, machine-readable by third parties. Despite the fact that our mineral foam mattresses, which are produced in Switzerland, are completely washable, this data remains accessible at all times.»

This innovation could be interesting for guests and, in turn, for the hotel itself. With the right app—the commercial app for hotels is not available to guests—the mattress can also tell guests a story, with the hotel itself determining the content. For example, how important the hotel considers its guests' sleep to be, why it chose these mattresses, and how they are maintained for optimal hygiene and sleeping comfort. So there is a high degree of potential for individualization here. This gives hotels the opportunity to turn the mattress into a personal calling card for the hotel. After all, no other hotel service comes into contact with the guest for longer and more intensively.

The new RFID HF transponder is incorporated into the mattress by Swissfeel. As an inexpensive alternative, the integration of a QR code will also be offered, although this may only be found hidden under the bedding.

The owner-managed company Swissfeel also invests in research and development beyond the actual production of mattresses. Swissfeel collaborates with universities on the further development of mattress washing systems and also promotes science through scholarships.