In the early days of wearable technology, Sony Ericsson and the London College of Fashion put on a contest to design digital clothing. The winning entry was a cocktail dress with Bluetooth technology sewn in to light up when calls were received. Today, wearable technology has two main categories: personal use and business use. And the hot markets for wearable technology include E-textiles, wearable computers, smart glasses, computer-mediated reality, clothing technology, healthcare, augmented reality, smart and connected products, and smart rings, to name a few.
According to IDTech, the wearable technology market is expected to reach $150 billion over the next decade. In their report, there are 39 different categories of wearables. Wearable technology is not only becoming more wearable, but it’s also becoming fashionable, as with fashion electronics. At the same time, wearable technology, regulated by the FDA, is becoming safer while promoting such contemporary goals as weight management, physical fitness, stress management, sleep management, mental acuity, and more. Cats and dogs are also candidates for wearable technology as PitPat monitors pet activity.
There is a slew of websites dedicated to wearable technology news and reviews, and most wearable technology is sold on websites like Amazon or the Wearable Technology Store. Companies driving wearable technologies include WT, or Wearable Technologies, a pioneer and global leader in innovation and market development of platforms for wearable technologies. The company’s website provides an overview of the recent use of wearable technologies including wearables for the football Super Bowl, industrial wearables, new technologies that will be used to create tomorrow’s wearables, and technologies and components used in wearables.
Finally, Wearable Technology Ecosystems are being developed to help develop wearables market opportunities, provide roadmaps to the future, distribute case studies, and measure vendor market share. These ecosystems include support for app developers, service providers, original equipment manufacturers, and other technology providers.
Following is a review of the Wearable Technology Show 2016:
