Designer Yves Béhar has had a huge impact on modern technology, helping to create the popular Jambox Bluetooth speaker, Ouya mobile gaming system and Jawbone Up fitness band. His latest idea, though, may be the most useful and impressive yet: Meet the Mark One Vessyl, a smart cup capable of automatically recognizing the nutrition and caffeine content of whatever beverage it holds.
The inside of the 13-ounce Vessyl cup contains a number of sensors that drill your drinks down to the molecular level. It’s smart enough to know not just how much and what type of liquid it holds, but what brand – it can tell Coke from Pepsi; Tropicana OJ with pulp from Tropicana OJ without. It can measure exactly how strong the java sitting in your office coffee pot is, which can vary depending on who winds up brewing it. And exercise fanatics will be glad to know that the Vessyl can even track protein intake from shakes (protein shake and milkshake alike!) and interface with fitness trackers and smartphones via low-energy Bluetooth.
Vessyl can hold boiling-hot coffee and teas, and can be placed in your refrigerator to help keep drinks cold. It’s not dishwasher or freezer safe, though, due to the electronics inside. And speaking of those complex electronics, you’ll need to wirelessly charge your Vessyl for about 60 minutes once every 5 to 7 days using the included saucer.
The Vessyl smart cup is expected to hit store shelves in early 2015 for a MSRP of $199, but if you pre-order now, you can score yours for just $99 plus $10 shipping. Be warned, though: If you choose to pre-order, your card will be charged immediately.
You can learn more about the Mark One Vessyl at myvessyl.com or by watching the short promotional video below.
