Not everything needs to be smart. While we’re in the process of sorting out which everyday items can genuinely be improved by technology and which ones are best left alone, we’re going to see a lot of products that are both quite ingenious and downright strange. The Belty definitely belongs in that obscure niche.
A “smart belt,” it features a self-adjusting mechanism that will automatically tighten or loosen the belt, depending on how your body is doing throughout the day. Your stomach kind of muffins around your pants when you sit down? The belt will take care of that, then automatically tighten itself just a bit as soon as you stand back up. Had a big lunch? Yep, this thing will adjust accordingly, with no need for any personal intervention.
Designed to adjust to granular changes in your waistline, the Belty will continually monitor its fit around your waist using onboard sensors, then activate a built-in electric motor to slim and expand the grip as it deems necessary. All the electronic components are installed right on the buckle, which, in the current prototype, is hideously large. Seriously, it’s bigger than the Belt Buckle Flask and that has a drinking flask on it. The actual belt is made with fancy French leather, though, so that should compensate just a little for the unforgivably oversized buckle.
It pairs with an accompanying smartphone app, where you can train it to learn your preferred tightness and looseness, as well as set limits on just how far it can slim down and expand, so it doesn’t accidentally tighten like a suffocating corset. Oh yeah, there’s also an accelerometer onboard, so you can track some fitness stats while you’re at it.
Created by French company Emiota, the Belty is likely to debut towards the end of the year.