14 DAY TRIAL // We're not quite certain if we mean the title and subtitle as sarcastic or not. If nothing else, though, we definitely feel that the item we're about to cover is among the most amusing of the year.
True, 2015 has only just begun, but that only means that future strange or at least unusual inventions have something to measure up against.
That being said, don't let the name of the newcomer fool you: Belty might sound all cute and cuddly, but the belt is anything but.
Oh, you'll probably spend a fair bit of time caressing it, or carrying out whatever equivalent action you feel doesn't take away from your coolness.
However, Belty just isn't small enough or even streamlined enough to qualify as cute. Especially with that motor inside.
The Belty motorized belt
Featuring “autoadaptability,” it uses tiny motors which can automatically expand or retract it, depending on how much pressure is put on it.
No longer will you have to feel awkward by having to adjust your belt when sitting down, or after having just one too many steaks during a feast.
Belty was developed by French company Emiota, and it's probably the strangest fitness tracker ever, and that's saying something.
Yes, it's a fitness tracker in addition to having the ability to self-adjust. It uses a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to collect data. Meanwhile, it can wirelessly sync with an app on your mobile phone.
The goal is different from that of other fitness trackers though. While wrist bands or smart band-aids record time jogged or the number of steps, or other biometric signals, Belty keeps tabs on your waistline.
In other words, it's probably the worst present you could ever give a Hobbit, who considers a solid girth to be a positive trait. To a point anyway.
Fortunately, Belty can still oversee or at least record your exercise routines, so it's still a viable substitute for a smartband.
Availability and pricing
The Belty motorized smart belt still needs to go through some design changes, so it's not available yet. We don't know when sales will begin because of that, and the price is also unknown. Expect a hefty one though, since apparently it will be a premium item.
We wonder if wrestling championship belts will ever integrate this capability.
