Meet Tomatan, the “wearable” robot from — where else — Japan, that feeds you nice, refreshing tomatoes while you run. Tomatan is worn like a backpack, weighing a breezy 18 pounds, and features mechanical arms that reach down and feed the runner tomatoes at just the press of a button. Mmm, sweaty tomatoes.
Why tomatoes instead of, say, bananas, or GU Energy Gel packets, or even cheeseburgers? International Business Times explains:
Well, according to Kagome, which claims to be Japan’s largest supplier of tomato juice and tomato ketchup, people running the Tokyo marathon really need this.
“Tomatoes have lots of nutrition that combats fatigue,” Kagome employee Shigenori Suzuki told Deccan Chronicle.
What can you take to combat “looking like a total goof” because you’re running a marathon with a robot on your back that’s feeding you tomatoes? The Japanese have yet to invent a robot for this specific problem.