The ability to interface with your body on a granular level is an incredible thing. With wearable technology, you can see everything from heart rate to text messages with a quick look at your wrist.
Wearable technology is any device meant to be worn on the body to collect and compute data. This includes smart jewelry, accessories, clothing and medical devices. These wearable technology examples explore the weird, wacky and wonderful of this market, and how they are transforming the future.
Health, Fitness and Entertainment
Wearable technology can span from health to fitness to entertainment. With microprocessors, batteries and an ability to connect to the internet, data about your movements, location and health is stored on a cloud-based system. Sometimes that information is sent to an app on the user’s phone as well.
1. Health Monitors
By tracking the body, certain wearable devices can provide valuable information on the user’s health and progress. Some things they can track are:
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Caloric intake
- Blood pressure
- Daily activity
- Pill dosage
For example, the Move ECG device can measure an electrocardiogram and send findings on sleep and daily activity straight to the user’s healthcare professional. HeartGuide is another wearable technology example that monitors blood pressure, specifically for those who struggle with high blood pressure.
2. Smart Hearing Aids
Other wearable technologies can aid differently-abled users who need hearing aids. Artificial intelligence-enabled inside hearing aids filter out auxiliary noise and adapt to the needs of the environment. In large crowds, the sound is dampened to protect the eardrum but raises the volume for quiet spaces.
Industry experts are also working on developing wearable auditory technology that can translate other languages in real-time.
3. Fitness Trackers
Most people probably recognize fitness trackers like FitBit that count steps, vitals and activity levels. Strapped around the wrist, these devices store their data on apps. Monitoring stance, stride and caloric burn can improve running speeds and other fitness goals.
More advanced trackers can be built directly into fabrics of uniforms and equipment. Professional sports teams can track the speed of a sprint or the reaction time in a swing.
4. Military Aids
In the military, wearable technology examples range from simulations to health monitors. Some models can be inserted into tactical gear or boots to measure terrain and strength. Their findings can better train soldiers to handle rough conditions.
Virtual reality simulations crafted through wearable headsets introduce military personnel to dangerous situations without actual threats hanging overhead.
5. Smart Clothing
Smart jackets can answer calls and take photos, like the Jacquard model from Levi and Google. However, they are less widely available than products like FitBits and Apple Watches.
In the fitness realm, smart shoes track steps and stride more accurately than wrist technology, perfect for runners and fitness enthusiasts. Smart yoga pants alert users when they need to adjust their position or reached a relaxed state.
6. Smart Jewelry
Watches, rings and pins can all be modified for communication and tracking. A smart ring is a surreptitious choice that provides payment options or unlocks doors.
For high-risk patients or those who live alone, pins and necklaces can immediately alert emergency services of a dangerous fall. Location services ensure that the user will be able to be found if lost, as well.
7. Reality-Altering Headsets
Augmented reality and virtual reality head-mounted displays (HMDs) are mostly geared for the gaming and entertainment industries. By slipping the headset over the eyes and ears, the user enters a digital landscape. Augmented reality (AR) integrates reality and digital information together while virtual reality (VR) is a wholly new, fictional landscape to explore.
Companies like Oculus and Google offer a multitude of games for VR headsets that explore every genre from horror to science fiction.
The Future is Wearable
These wearable technology examples explore how the human body integrates and interacts with technology for the good of everyone. This industry is always expanding into the incredible, so it’s time to discover how they can change your life.
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