By Trish Svoboda

Kansas State University’s Technology Development Institute (TDI) partnered with two Wichita-based companies, Viaanix and Anchor Fabrication, to create advanced worksite storage cabinets.

Viaanix, specializing in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, was approached by a nationwide rental company to design a storage cabinet that offers connectivity and tool tracking to reduce asset loss and search time. While Viaanix had the necessary software and hardware, TDI assisted in designing and fabricating the cabinet. The cabinet, featuring wireless asset tags and antennas, connects to the internet to track tool locations and inventory, enhancing rental companies’ ability to manage and monitor equipment.

“We had spoken with TDI in the past regarding other opportunities but had not previously worked with them on a specific project,” said Jatin Talreja, founder and CEO of Viaanix. “When this opportunity presented itself, we knew that we had a solution on the hardware and software side, but we were going to need assistance to design and construct the cabinet to hold the technology. We immediately thought of the engineering team at TDI to help us overcome this challenge and meet the tight time constraint we had been given.”

The project had a 12-week timeline, requiring the cabinet to be designed, constructed, and incorporated with the technology in time for an upcoming tradeshow demonstration. Viaanix is now working on marketing the product.