This Wristband Looks Like A Fitness Tracker But Actually Measures Alcohol Levels

This wearable gadget monitors the wearer’s alcohol levels by tracking ethanol molecules escaping through the skin.

The ‘Skyn’ wristband is the work of San Francisco-based firm Bactrack, which produces the number one selling breathalyzer in North America.

While the gadgets used to be big and bulky and previously only available to law enforcement, Bactrack introduced slimmed down versions for personal use.

Its hopes that the wearable version will provide an even more convenient way for people to keep an eye on their alcohol consumption.

Just like a fitness tracker, the wristband connects over Bluetooth to an app on the wearer’s phone to enable them to track the amount of alcohol in their blood.

The new gadget has just been awarded the top prize of $200,000 (£138,000) in a competition sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The Skyn beat several competitors to scoop the top spot at The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s ‘Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge’.

Not only could the gadget prevent people from drink driving, it could also help doctors to measure a patient’s drinking history.

The wristband in its current form won’t be used by law enforcement as it doesn’t give a real-time reading - it can take up to 45 minutes for alcohol to be transmitted through the skin.

The Skyn will be available in limited quantities by the end of the year.

Image credit: Bactrack