Ah, the great outdoors. Is there anything more “summery” than plopping yourself on a beach somewhere and sunbathing the day away? Paradise comes with favorite book and margarita in hand, after all. The only problem with all of this time out in the sun? Well, it’s all of this time out in the sun. The sun is a powerful beast and can roast you like a stuck pig if you aren’t careful. Luckily, there is a wristband being developed that could make all of the difference between “pleasantly tan” and “holy crap I can’t touch anything for the next two days it hurts so bad please kill me now.”
A team of designers at Strathclyde University in Scotland have taken it upon themselves to solve this age-old solar problem. Their solution? A UV sensing wristband that measures the amount of harmful UV rays your body has taken in and gives you a swift warning when it is time to cover up. It works through an acid-release agent that picks up ultraviolet light, and a dye which responds to pH levels in the indicator. Once the UV exposure reaches a predetermined level, the bands change rapidly from yellow to pink. Then you know the time has come to head indoors and watch Netflix Instant.
Also, the bands come in different base sensitivity levels to account for the various skin tones that populate our planet Earth. These wristbands are intended to be used only one time, though. So you’ll have to buy a pack of ninety if you plan on spending the entire summer outdoors. Â Don’t worry though. Even that won’t break the bank. Â Swedish manufacturer Intellego Technologies, who have opted to handle the release, has stated the bands will cost about a quarter each.
