Alcohol consumption can be fun, but like most things in life, there is such a thing as too much. When having a good time coincides with getting behind the wheel of a car, it can be easy to fool yourself into thinking you are capable of upholding road safety, when in actual fact, you might not be. In 2011 alone, almost 12,000 people lost their lives in the US due to people driving under the influence, and that number is nothing compared to global statistics. In response to such a high number of preventable deaths, an Italian company called 2045Tech is trying to launch a new product called "FLOOME," a highly accurate breathalyser, compatible with most smartphones, and requiring no batteries at all.
The technology behind the device is remarkably similar to law enforcement methods used around the world, incorporating a fuel cell based design that registers an electrical difference between the two poles in the presence of varying amounts of ethanol. The machine also utilizes a flow meter to calculate volumetric gas intake, used in the final calculation of blood alcohol content. The company reports the device has a standard deviation of under 10-percent compared to professional breathalysers, meaning that this device is highly accurate. Coupled with the fact that no battery is required to operate the device itself, it is also very reliable (assuming you charged your smartphone's battery).
The device comes with a specific app, which has multiple features including a predicted time that your BAC (blood alcohol content) will fall to legal driving levels again, based on your weight, height and gender. It can also remind you to do retests regularly, and calculate your recovery time based on information given. The app is currently available for all iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, but support or other platforms has yet to come.
The FLOOME plugs into the headphone socket of your phone, and is easy to clean thanks to a removable and washable mouth piece. Retail prices are estimated to be around $80, and it will be available in five colors (black, white, "midnight blue," purple, and "gemstone") and also has a special jewel cased option from Swarovski Elements (who doesn't like shiny things?). More information on case be found of the company's Indiegogo pagehere. You can also hit up its Flickr page for some cool pictures. What do you guys think of this? There are already some pocket breathalysers out there, but all seem to have rather steep prices. Do you think this product fits a niche in the market, or will people buy it and forget about it?
