If you’re like me, halfway through a typical long run you get a yearning that’s both thirst and hunger. The only thing that can satisfy it? An ice-cold…tomato? That’s what Japanese food producer Kagome is banking on with its newԱ.
The Wearable Tomato resembles a mechanicalbackpack that, with the push of a button, dispenses one of seven medium-sized tomatoes in its reserve. Weighing a hefty 17.6 pounds, it’s not suited for lithe runners, which is why Kagome also created a mini version that tips the scales at six pounds and dispenses 12 cherry-sized tomatoes.
“We wanted to find a way in which tomatoes can be consumed at sport scenes, so we developed this robot to make this food more mobile,” said Shigenori Suzuki, a researcher for Kagome, .
Okay, this device is weird, but to be fair, tomatoes are nutritional powerhouses. , the fruit contains vitamins A and C and alpha-lipoic acid, the latter of which studies have shown help the body convert glucose into energy. That would come in handy during your next marathon—provided you can keep down a raw tomato.
Kagome has no plans to sell its two products to consumers. But as we all wait for our own Wearable Tomato, the company will be suppling 50,000 tomatoes for depleted Tokyo marathoners this Sunday.
$TBD,