Bizarre wearable banana tech to feature at Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon is this weekend, and no doubt some participants will use the opportunity to rack up more Nike Fuel than ever. But two runners wil be employing a somewhat different technology solution: a smart banana. The Japanese arm of Dole, the biggest fruit and vegetable company in the world, has created what it describes as the “world’s first edible wearable.”

The GPS-powered banana uses an LED display to show race times, heart rate, and messages of encouragement that spectators can send via Twitter; it’s connected by wire to a separate device that the runners will have to carry. And, yes, they’ll be able to eat the banana once the race is over. “The banana will be peeled first to remove its content, and then resealed after a LED display and a smaller banana is put inside,” a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. It’s unclear exactly what variety is being used, but Dole will also be handing out its premium $6 Gokusen bananas along with Lakatan “sports bananas” at the race.

Of course, this isn’t the first overwrought tech-related PR stunt by a fruit company in Japan. Kagome, for instance, has been demonstrating a hands-free wearable tomato-eating machine that will also make an appearance at the marathon. You can see footage below.