Wearables have come a long way in the past few years, but this is an angle I wasn’t expecting. The world’s first edible piece of wearable tech has been announced, and it comes in the form of a wearable smart banana. It was created as part of a marketing promotion by Dole for the 2015 Tokyo Marathon, and it’s creating a buzz in the geek community.
Dole has provided runners in the Tokyo Marathon nutritious bananas since 2008. This year though, a couple of the bananas were more than just a healthy snack. It’s called Wearable_Banana, and it’s unlike any piece of fruit you’ve seen before.
The idea is that runners can strap the banana to their wrist during the race. The banana will display the runner’s running time, heart rate and Twitter feed. At just the right moment when the runner should eat the banana, it displays a message that says “Eat Me.” Or, of course, the runner can choose to save the banana for later.
How does it all work? According to Digital Trends, it’s all thanks to the LED screen and sensors embedded in the banana’s peel. Dole Japan spokesperson said, “The power source is a small battery connected to the wearable banana.”
The Tokyo Marathon took place yesterday. I’m excited to hear how the smart bananas were received. Apparently they only gave out two smart bananas, and the rest of the bananas were just regular pieces of fruit.
I wonder if the electronics incorporated into the banana peel changes the way the banana tastes. This makes me think of all the different fruits and veggies that could be morphed into smart fruit. Maybe kids would be more likely to eat their vegetables if each veggie flashes “Eat Me” in red LED lights. Now I want a smart banana.
YouTube: Dole “Wearable_Banana” Project / The World’s First Edible Wearable (by Dole)
Source: Digital Trends
Photo credit: Nik Stanbridge
