After learning what gadget to use for improving the eating habits, it is now time to see what special ice cubes can help people prevent alcohol intoxication.
The risk of drinking too much alcohol are way too many to be listed here. I’ll just say that the hangover from the morning after is one of the few problems that doesn’t kill you, unlike the rest. Since I’ve started this on a happy note, let’s see what these LED ice cubes can do for you, to ensure that you won’t make an abuse. A few years ago I heard a joke about a doctor telling his patient that he had both good news and bad news, the bad news being that his lungs were shrinking because of smoking, and the good news being that thusly, there’s more room for the liver that’s expanding because of the heavy drinking.
Dhairya Dand, a student at MIT’s Media Lab, had to learn the harmful effects of alcohol the hard way. After attending a party that ended with him being hospitalized, Dand created these gadgets that will help him to keep alcohol intake under control from now on.
We all say that we’ll never drink again… till next time! So maybe it’s a good idea to have something that blinks chaotically when it’s time to switch to soda. The obvious components of these “ice cubes,” as seen in the first image, are an LED, an IR receiver and a battery. The not-so-obvious one is the accelerometer that estimates the number of sips taken from a glass and combines them with a timer to show the level of intoxication. All these components are molded into an edible jelly case that keeps the circuitry safe. My next question would be… Why in the world is the case edible?
A green cube, a yellow one and a red one entered a bar. Um… no. Actually, all three of them are put inside a glass with the poison of choice. They will light up according to the surrounding music, but also depending on the data read by the accelerometer. Should the drinker drink that one too many drink (I’m doing this to confuse you!) the red cube will light up and a text will be sent a previously designated friend. I assume that’s what the IR receiver is for.
Now, just for the fun of it, if you ever get your hands on such smart LED ice cubes, prepare a cocktail that is shaken, not stirred, à la James Bond. It would be interesting to see how these little gadgets react then, given that they have an integrated accelerometer.
If you liked this post, please check this ice tray with Pi shaped ice cubes and these whiskey stone ice cubes, for the fashionable drinker.
