SmartPlate, a connected plate to help your diet

EAT HEALTHY: The first intelligent and connected plate that can identify and analyse the food in your plate to determine its caloric value.

This intelligent plate, currently in development, does the calorie counting for its users, analyses how quickly they are eating and can even warn them when they surpass their recommended daily intake.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) doing its best to warn that obesity is a real public health epidemic, the SmartPlate, the first intelligent and connected plate that can identify and analyse the food in your plate to determine its caloric value, couldn't come at a better time.

This prototype, developed by Anthony Ortiz in Philadelphia, is currently seeking financial backing on the global crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.

The SmartPlate's advantage is that it unites all of the functionality of the various apps and connected devices that already exist to help users with their dietary planning and maintenance.

Thanks to recognition algorithms that enable it to identify the foods on its surface, coupled with weight sensors, the SmartPlate is able weigh the items assembled by its users, determining the portions about to be consumed, and analyse the different components before indicating the calorie count.

SmartPlate has the appearance of a traditional plate, but is divided into three sections, each one equipped with a camera. Connected to the Internet via WiFi and Bluetooth from the user's Android or iOS smartphone running its free app, SmartPlate delivers the nutritional information it has collected from various databases. This information is transmitted to the Cloud and sent to the phone as alerts if, for example, the user has surpassed his recommended daily caloric intake. SmartPlate is also capable of analysing the speed at which the user is eating.

99% accurate, the plate can thus, according to its creator, tell the difference between regular or whole wheat pasta and their sauces.

Customisable and useful for anyone who wants to lose weight or simply eat healthier, SmartPlate provides dietetic advice and allows the user to adapt his diet according to individual objectives. The plate is also recommended for athletes and can be combined with other "tracking" apps.

The microwave-safe plate even comes in different colours.

There are over 35 days left for SmartPlate to reach its US$100,000 (RM357,000) goal, the amount deemed necessary for a summer 2016 roll out. The cost of the plate should initially be set at US$200 (RM714), although according to the current campaign, the price is currently US$99 (RM353.40)— AFP Relaxnews