Invention Stories | Nick Batsikiouras - The Smart Diet Scale
Nick Batsikiouras is the inventor/owner of the Smart Diet Scale, a product that lets you calculate the nutritional value of your entire meal on your plate, all at once. Innovate3D is happy that we were able to help Nick with his invention, which has already been recognized by the health and wellness industry, as well as by large national cable TV networks.
The Basics of the Invention
The Smart Diet Scale, consisting of the scale itself and what's called a "Smart Plate" (a color-coded plate divided into four quadrants), weighs and calculates the nutritional value of up to four separate items on your plate, all at once.
The scale works in the following manner:
- Place food in each of four color-coded quadrants on the "Smart Plate."
- Put the plate on the scale.
- Use the scale's voice-activated software to tell it what type of food is in what color quadrant. For example, if there is chicken in the yellow quadrant, say: "yellow, chicken."
When all the food on the plate has been called, the Smart Diet Scale will calculate the portion, displaying the number of calories as well as the nutritional value of the entire meal on the user's tablet, computer, laptop or smart phone.
The Smart Diet Scale software also helps users stay on course when it comes to a diet or goal. Track daily, weekly or monthly goals, nutritional and calorie intake, with graphics, charts, exercise programs, body fat calculations, special diets, recipes, and restaurant nutritional information. The Smart Diet Scale is currently capable of calculating the values of 25,000 food items and 250 restaurants with 6,000 menu items.
The Inspiration Behind the Invention
After struggling with his weight for years, losing ten to thirty pounds but just gaining it right back, Nick finally managed to lose 100 pounds in 2011. This time, he has managed to keep the pounds off. He tried any and every diet and weight loss method imaginable, before he learned portion-control and started exercising three to five days a week for 15 to 30 minutes per day. He also counted his caloric intake every day, apart from one day a week, which he called his “cheat day”.
Counting calories, weighing food, keeping a written food journal, and looking up every meal you eat take a lot of work and time in itself, and this is why a lot of people fail: It simply takes too much time and effort to keep track of your daily calorie intake and calories burned.
As Nick was going through his weight loss journey, he thought to himself: “There must be an easier, faster way of tracking my daily calories.” Knowing that the combination of calorie intake and calories burned is the key to losing weight and to maintaining a healthy, fit body, Nick put on his thinking cap, and invented the Smart Diet Scale. The Smart Diet Scale is the world’s first food scale capable of calculating and tracking the nutritional value of an entire meal on a plate all at once. It is easy, fun to use, and saves a tremendous amount of time.
The Invention Process, Concept to Finish
Nick began working with Innovate3D in 2012 to get his invention prototype created. Based on the help he received from Innovate3D, he describes the invention process as involving a lot of great people to deal with, and where the biggest challenge was getting the right team together.
The Smart Diet Scale was unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES), held in Las Vegas in January. The product will be available in two different version, including Smart Diet Scale Pro, which, in addition to the features of Smart Diet Scale, also is wi-fi ready, with a tablet built directly into the Smart Diet Scale. It has a LED touch screen, camera, and microphone so you can call out the food that is on your scale.
Four major companies, each pulling in $20 billion in sales, have already expressed interest in the Smart Diet Scale. Two of these belong to the health and wellness industry. In total, over 20 distribution companies expressed interest in selling the Smart Diet Scale to the world's largest online and retail stores, at the CES show alone. Nick has also been approached by a multinational consumer electronics corporation, wishing to discuss ways to integrate the Smart Diet Scale into its technology, as well as by representatives from two large national cable TV networks.
The Future of the Invention
At this point, the Smart Diet Scale is patent-pending in the United States and internationally. The Smart Diet Scale should be available to the public by May 2013. Retail price will be approximately $99.00. Updates on pricing and availability will be posted on the Smart Diet Scale website.
Nick Batsikiouras believes users of the Smart Diet Scale will greatly improve their chances of achieving their health-related goals – and improving their lives. It is a great tool not only for weight loss, but also for people with diabetics, or anyone else that wants an easy way to keep track of their caloric intake, for example, athletes and bodybuilders. Nick's goal is to help reverse the childhood obesity epidemic.