Samsung just revealed the first class of gadgets to emerge from its Creative Lab projects. They’re creative alright!
Topping the list of shiny new things from the Korean electronics giant is a smart belt called WELT. Yes, you heard that right. Samsung describes WELT as “a smart wearable healthcare belt that looks like a normal belt.” It’s capable of measuring the wearer’s waist size, counting the number of steps they take, and recording the amount of time spent sitting down. The data is then sent to an app that will offer recommendations for exercises and nutrition. Honestly, the thing could look a lot worse—like a LOT worse.
The other two projects are slightly less laughable. One is a set of hand-motion controllers for VR headsets called rink.
The other is a weird watch strap that lets you listen to the sound from gadgets like the Samsung Gear 2 without headphones. You just press your finger on your ear like a cool Secret Service agent. That one’s called TipTalk.
All three gadgets will be on display at CES, and we’ll update you once we’ve tried them. Easy as it may be to make fun of these strange devices, Samsung tends to make ridiculous-seeming gimmicks sort of work. Whether or not the company will talk people into buying a smart belt remains to be seen.
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