D.O.N Co. Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Japan) the company behind the inner-down specialist brand TAION, announced VITAL BELT the world's first abdominal belt-type sensing wearable device. VITAL BELT represents a new form of "healthcare you wear as a belt" combining concepts cultivated through years of apparel development with cutting-edge millimetre-wave sensing technology. It introduces an entirely new approach to daily health monitoring that is both non-invasive and effortless.
For the past decade, TAION has grown as a brand centred on inner down delivering new value to clothing through innovations such as down wear equipped with heating modules. As we explored our next generation of gadgets, we became increasingly aware of pressing social challenges, including the growing medical burden the advancement of a super-ageing society and the rising awareness of self-care. Against this backdrop, we strongly recognised the need for a wearable device that enables people to monitor their physical condition daily with a focus on preventive care (pre-disease management) and everyday safety management. Focusing on the waist area as a location where subtle changes in physical condition can be easily detected, this led us to the development of a belt-type wearable device.
VITAL BELT is the world's first device to perform millimetre-wave sensing at the belt position. Until now there has been no concept of using millimetre waves for close-range irradiation to sense human body movement. Unlike conventional smartwatches or ring-type devices VITAL BELT does not require direct contact with the skin. It enables the measurement of respiration pulse and body movement even when worn over clothing. This new approach enables the visualization of physiological data that has traditionally been difficult to capture. Multiple patents (IP) have been obtained for vital sensor attachment methods at the belt position.
By cross-analysing data from wrist- or finger-based wearables with breathing and motion data captured by VITAL BELT there is potential to achieve significantly more precise health management. The device aims to detect subtle changes such as breathing patterns early signs of stress and postural imbalance. Looking ahead the abdominal sensing position opens possibilities for future applications including： Observation related to fetal activity and gut conditions Cellular activation through frequency-based approaches that raise deep body temperature, Conditioning applications based on the brain–gut connection. These developments could extend VITAL BELT into both medical and wellness fields.
