Are you too fat? Samsung's WELT smartbelt will have the answer when it hits waistlines in Jan
The WELT smart belt is designed to monitor your girth, steps taken, and time spent sitting.
Samsung's unfortunately named WELT smartbelt has now passed its $30,000 funding target on Kickstarter and is slated for delivery in January, just in time to work off the excesses of the holiday season.
The app also tracks rapid variations in the wearer's waist size.
The WELT was one of several wearables Samsung's Creative Lab debuted at CES 2016 and is now doing the rounds at IFA 2016 to coincide with its August 30 Kickstarter campaign. As of Tuesday, it had reached its funding target, with nearly 400 backers and $41,000 in funding with a month left.
The WELT, short for wellness and belt, blends fashion and fitness with an eye on the waistline as a key indicator of a person's health. It functions as a belt but includes a magnetic sensor embedded in the buckle.
It's meant to help people make healthier choices by keeping a tab on the size of the waistline, steps taken, time spent sitting and eating habits.
The WELT sends data to a smartphone app, which offers personalised health goals based on the data. The device measures waist sizes between 28 and 44 inches.
Presumably following the app's guidance will result in a slimmer waistline over time, although it also tracks rapid variations in the wearer's girth to measure the impact of excessive feasting.
WELT Corporation, the company spun out of Samsung's Creative Lab, says it is planning to support both Samsung's S Health and Apple Health, but for now it's only integrated with the WELT app for Android, with an iOS app in the works. The company also notes that these health platforms don't measure overeating or waistlines.
The cheapest $69 offer has already sold out, but there are several other options ranging from $99 to $179 for a single belt, as well as packages for multiple belts of up to $9,900 for 80 belts. The belts are available in Classic, Classic Men, Classic Women and Premium.
The Welt battery will last up to 20 days and can be charged via a mini-USB port in the buckle.
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