If you’re the type of drinker who can’t tell when enough is enough, then maybe these ‘smart’ ice cubes can help you out. They’re not really ice cubes in the sense that they aren’t made from water and all. However, they’re supposed to go into your glass along with your drink in order to use them.
Each cube is made up of an accelerometer, some IR receivers, a battery, and an LED light which is molded into a jelly-like substance. This way, its insides are kept dry and the taste of your drink will remain unaffected.
The cube works by keeping track of how many sips the person has had and compares it with a timer to estimate the level of intoxication. The light goes from green to yellow to red to signal when the person has had enough. It’s a rough system that doesn’t consider a bunch of other things when it comes to intoxication, like a person’s tolerance to alcohol or the legal limits, but it’s a pretty good start.
These ‘smart ice cubes’ were built by Dhairya Dand, a student at MIT’s Media Lab.
[via Gizmag]
