PepsiCo's Gatorade Brand Developing Smart Water Bottle
PepsiCo's Gatorade brand is developing a microchip-fitted "Smart cap" bottle and sweat patch that communicate digitally and provide constant updates on how much athletes and consumers should drink, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The disposable sweat patch tracks sodium loss on the forearm and communicates with the bottles’ lights which flash when the user should drink.
Xavi Cortadellas, innovation director at Gatorade said the patch “is basically a Band-Aid with electronics,” and added that pro-athlete tests will accelerate this summer ahead of the launch.
According to FOXBusiness.com, The new water bottle is the centerpiece of Gatorade’s “Gx” sports drink customization platform, which Cortadellas and his team envision as a “complete ecosystem” for athlete hydration. Gatorade sports scientists test pro athletes on an individual basis to determine unique hydration needs. Next, they create a “fuel profile” for the athlete, customized by his or her unique physiology, by sport and even by the local climate. The company has developed several new sports drink formulas, available in small “flavor pods,” that address a player’s specific biological requirements.
Some professional sports teams are already using the “smart cap,” but the product won’t immediately be available to the general public. Gatorade will begin selling a customizable version of its water bottle on its website in September 2016. Consumers can personalize their bottles with their names and buy the “flavor pods" of their choice. Pricing isn’t fixed yet, but Cortadellas estimates the simpler bottle will sell online for between $20 and $30, FOXBusiness.com reports. WSJ reports the smart cap version will be available in 2017 or 2018.
The disposable sweat patch tracks sodium loss on the forearm and communicates with the bottles’ lights which flash when the user should drink.
Xavi Cortadellas, innovation director at Gatorade said the patch “is basically a Band-Aid with electronics,” and added that pro-athlete tests will accelerate this summer ahead of the launch.
According to FOXBusiness.com, The new water bottle is the centerpiece of Gatorade’s “Gx” sports drink customization platform, which Cortadellas and his team envision as a “complete ecosystem” for athlete hydration. Gatorade sports scientists test pro athletes on an individual basis to determine unique hydration needs. Next, they create a “fuel profile” for the athlete, customized by his or her unique physiology, by sport and even by the local climate. The company has developed several new sports drink formulas, available in small “flavor pods,” that address a player’s specific biological requirements.
Some professional sports teams are already using the “smart cap,” but the product won’t immediately be available to the general public. Gatorade will begin selling a customizable version of its water bottle on its website in September 2016. Consumers can personalize their bottles with their names and buy the “flavor pods" of their choice. Pricing isn’t fixed yet, but Cortadellas estimates the simpler bottle will sell online for between $20 and $30, FOXBusiness.com reports. WSJ reports the smart cap version will be available in 2017 or 2018.