The wearable technology list is getting more profound in the consumer electronic market. There are many wearable technologies examples that have become new means of addressing industries’ needs. These devices are convenient to wear all day long. One can wear them directly or loosely attached to other common gadgets/items we normally use. Some of these items include a ring, wristwatch, eyeglasses, badge, wristband, jewelry, etc.
Wearable devices are small in size and can be discreetly worn in any environment. They can be made personalized and embedded into different communication networks. Hence, you can easily monitor them remotely.
Wearable devices are available with diverse appearances, functions, body closeness, etc. The article explores a total of 6 types of wearable technology. It emphasizes its capabilities and features.
What is wearable technology?
Let us start by learning the definition of wearable technology. It refers to electronic devices with integrated sensors that are capable of capturing data. These data belong to persons who wear them and their surrounding environment. These devices can operate when paired with smartphones or tablets. However, they can also work wirelessly. The wearable technology transfers data to the processing unit. The location of the processing unit can be at the external server or can be inbuilt. It sends back the processed data to the user for required insights.
In recent years, there has been a noticeably growing adaptability of IoT and connected devices. The presence of a technically literate population worldwide can fuel the wearable technology demand. The CAGR will be expected to expand up to 13.8% between 2021 to 2028.
Typically, the International Electrotechnical Committee classifies these wearable smart devices. Let us a few of them:
Smartwatch
Smartwatches are also known as small computers or computerized devices. These are worn on the wrist. This wearable device improves communication functionalities. The majority of smartwatch devices in the market are mobile-based. They provide an additional screen to notify the wearer of newly received information. Some of the examples of this information include calendar records, and incoming messages/calls.
Manufacturers have been developing products with GPS, waterproof frames, health/fitness trackers, etc. These advanced watches can record and analyze a user’s hand gestures as well. It is achieved through adding sensitive, and reliable inertial sensors.
As per forecasts by Statista, smartwatches are one of the leading products in the market. It suggests customer spending on wearable devices can exceed 90 billion USD by 2022. And among them, the global smartwatch shipment can exceed 253 M units by 2025.
Smart Eyewear
Smart glasses embed multiple technologies to enhance the consumer experience. Some of them are:
- Smart lenses,
- Head-up displays (HUDs),
- Augmented and virtual reality,
- Optical head-mounted displays (OHMDs),
- And mixed reality (MR)
The functionality and design of different types of smart glasses vary. However, they can be categorized into two groups. The first group can be connected with smartphones to view pictures. The second group enables a wired connection to the smartphone to view images.
The display of the smartphone can be made monocular in case both images are displayed binocular or in one eye.
Fitness Tracker
The second name on the wearable technology list is a fitness tracker. These can be worn on the chest, wrist, and ear. They can track and monitor all your outdoor physical activities. They can effectively measure a range of gym-based metrics. It includes running distance and speed, pulse rate, exhalation, and sleeping habits.
In Feb 2022, Fitbit was the top-performing fitness application in the worldwide Google Play Store. The revenue generated crossed 2.19 M USD alone for Android users. Another app
MyFitnessPal calorie counter ranked 2nd on the list. The fitness and health app reached 1.84 M USD in revenues globally.
Smart Clothing
Smart clothing can be said to have the broadest range of smart wearables. It ranges from sportswear and medical clothing to chest straps to military clothing. Smart clothes are available in the form of yoga pants, shirts, bow ties with secret cameras, socks, etc. All these items might have similar as well as unique features and sensors. The smart biometric wearables have been most in use by racing, soccer, baseball, basketball, athletics and sports leaders. Through this advancement, they can measure the performance of each player more effectively. They can use wearable technology to screen the physical conditions of the players during training. Aside from sports, smart clothing can be incredibly valuable for transportation, building sites, and firefighters. Smart clothing brings in the wide utility of various types of wearable technology.
Wearable Camera
The flexibility, mobility, and user-friendly build of the wearable camera have been attracting customers’ interest. These cameras are capable of capturing first-person pictures and videos in real-time. Wearable cameras are available in two types. The smaller cameras can easily fit in the ear, caps, helmets, etc. On the other hand, bigger cameras come with fitting attachments. The significance of wearable cameras is found in ecological surveillance and fall detection.
Wearable Medical Device
Wearable medical devices integrate one or multiple biosensors to screen wide physiological data for illness prevention and quick diagnosis. Smart health wearable devices are paired with other wearable equipment for better performance. Some of the wearable equipment includes smart clothes, activity monitors, and patches. Together these devices assist in collecting relevant patient information via non-invasive device sensors. Technology can bring needed changes in the medical field for the better.
Conclusion
Technology is progressing non-stop in almost all sectors. These advancements are bringing high-level comfort and convenience to humans beyond their expectations. Development in the areas of wearable technology is especially impacting health space in positive ways. People can monitor their fitness, bp, pulse rate, etc., without needing to visit any clinic. The future of wearable technology seems promising in terms of growth and enhancement. Hopefully, the article was informative and addressed important details on the topic.
