Nuclear Taco Sensor Helmet Gameshow measures your spice-driven discomfort

Inspired by a rather fiery eating contest at last year’s CodeBits conference (and some of the more absurd Japanese TV shows), a team from altLab in Lisbon has created the Nuclear Taco Sensor Helmet Gameshow. The helmet measures your perspiration, temperature, and the rate at which you suck on the two helmet-mounted bottles filled with a mix of water and yogurt to quench your flaming tastebuds. All of these sensors connect to an Arduino board, which translates this data into a threat-level style “discomfort meter” that sits above the hard hat. On top of this, every chili-infused tear you shed gets shown to the masses via a webcam that’s suspended from a boom in front of the brim.

The project took first place in the 2011 CodeBits 48-hour hacking competition, though we’re yet to hear any word on syndication by TV execs. Check out the tongue-in-cheek video of the final presentation below.