Toh-may-toh, toh-mah-to. Poh-tay-toh, poh-tah-toh. Ri-dic-ulous, ri-dic-ulous. The Japanese have done it, guys. They have pioneered the tomato-feeding robot. Thank goodness. I was getting a little worried that it would never happen.

According to Engineering.com online, “Tomatan” was invented by the Japanese company, Kagome, which manufactures and produces foods and juices from fruits and vegetables, especially the tomato. The device, which is worn on a person’s back and holds six tomatoes, has mechanical arms that reach to the runner’s mouth with a fresh termater at the press of a button.

Why tomatoes, you ask? Well, the International Business Times explains. Kagome, which claims to be Japan’s largest supplier of tomato juice and tomato ketchup, claimed in an interview that those involved in endurance sports, especially marathons, in Tokyo really need this. A Kagome employee, Shigenori Suzuki, said that tomatoes “combat fatigue” with their nutrients. A piggy-backing robot that feeds you delicious tomato energy. Sweet, right? Uh … maybe.

Engineering.com speculates this all to be an advertising ploy to promote tomato foods and juices, which no one can entirely throw away. The concept of strapping an 18-pound robot to your back and running a couple miles while it feeds you tomatoes is pretty ridiculous.

Regardless if this thing is for real on not, there’s no denying a lot of time, energy and engineering skill went into developing this thing. Plus, Suzuki, the Kagome employee, is supposedly running with the thing in the 5k 2015 Tokyo Marathon. Talk about commitment.

So the Japanese sort of solved the problem runners have with staying energized on the track.  Whether or not the Japanese can take care of the problem involved with looking like a total fool for running with a tomato-feeding robot on your back is an entirely different thing. As of now, they have yet to invent a robot that takes care of that particular issue, and don’t hold your breath for the solution.

sources: http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/9669/Japanese-robot-feeds-you-tomatoes-while-you-run.aspx; http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/02/this-japanese-robot-will-feed-you-tomatoes-while-you-run/