Most wearable builds chase a real problem. This one does not, and that is the whole charm. The maker, theJackTorres, put together a smartbelt around a Raspberry Pi and an LCD, turning the buckle into a small media player. It was made for fun with friends, and the maker freely admits it is neither useful nor practical. I find that refreshingly honest.
The hardware side is tidy in concept. A rectangular buckle with a metallic frame holds the integrated display, and it sits on a standard black belt where a traditional buckle would normally go. Cords run from the belt to a pocket, and the internal electronics live inside the buckle assembly, out of sight. The whole thing apparently cost about fifty dollars, which seems reasonable to me for a Pi and an LCD.
What stands out most is the presentation. The screen plays assorted clips, from colorful abstract patterns to a scene from The Little Mermaid, and there is a pear-shaped logo reading BELT alongside a phrase about Disney+. People who encounter the belt react with surprise and intrigue, and honestly that feels like the right response to a talking waistline.
Two things remain open. The battery arrangement has never been described, and that is the first thing I would want explained. Also, no tutorial has been released yet, only a timelapse on Instagram. Anyone hoping to replicate it will have to wait. One small regret from the maker: a rushed shoot of roughly thirty minutes left no room for the planned hip thrusts. Still, as a deliberately pointless Pi project, this is among the better ones I have come across.
Project by theJackTorres. Watch it on their YouTube channel: