LAS VEGAS — The small but humbling act of loosening your belt after a big meal is finally over!
Inventor Bertrand Duplat has developed a motorized belt that automatically loosens its grip when your gut bulges.
“The experience of the belt hasn’t changed in centuries,” Duplat told Cult of Mac at CES International. He calls his invention, which certainly will change your belt experience, Belty.
“When you sit down and eat a long dinner, it loosens automatically. It tightens up when you stand up,” he said.
The self-adjusting belt strikes me as an unlikely invention to come from France, which is known for sensible meal sizes. It seems far more likely to come from Supersize America. And Duplat seems an unlikely candidate to be thinking about motorized girdles. Rail-thin, he cuts a rather Bohemian figure with long floppy locks and a long Demi-monde coat. Duplat explained that he worked for a long time in video games that had real-world components, and wanted to do something in the health-and-wellness space.
He plans to add sensors that detect movement — or lack thereof. If you’ve been sedentary too long, Belty would signal with a squeeze or two that it’s time to get up.
“Comfort first, sensors second,” said Duplat. He is looking for licensing partners to bring Belty to market. Duplex’s bare-bones website can be found here: Emiota.
Buckle up!