IntelliStick has released its first product, a dipstick replacement sensor system that allows fleet operators to remotely monitor their truck’s engine oil in real time. According to the company, the IntelliStick gauges oil condition by measuring additive condition and oxidation or acid build-up while scanning for water, coolant or fuel intrusions.

The IntelliStick won the Editor’s Choice Award from Popular Mechanics magazine in 2007. Professor Robert Kauffman of the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) developed the system in conjunction with the U.S. military. According to the company, the sensor communicates with any Bluetooth-enabled PDA, cell phone or laptop.

"Rather than changing oil on best-guess mileage and time intervals, or relying on off-site, untimely laboratory analysis, the IntelliStick sensor directly measures the actual, real-time condition of engine oil to know the absolute best time for a change," said Kauffman.  "This is the first time that operators can get a continually updated, laboratory-grade picture of the actual state of their engine oil."