According to Grandview Research, the market size of wearable technology globally was valued at $40.65 billion in 2020. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.8% from 2021 to 2028. The advancements in technology like IoT have led to the creation of connected devices, and the popularity of these devices is rising rapidly. The rising literacy worldwide is fueling the demand for these products. The prevalence and increase of chronic diseases like obesity and heart diseases that require regular monitoring have also created a surge in the demand.

In this article, we will discuss various examples of wearable technology devices that are changing the way we live. Read on!

What is Wearable Technology?

It was the 16th century when the first wearable watches were invented by a German inventor Mr. Peter Henlein. He created a small watch to be worn by women as a necklace. It was the 17th century when pocket watches came into existence as waistcoats became popular. It was only in the 20th century that wristwatches were developed. Imagine, a wristwatch was referred to as a wearable technology device. The wearable technology industry has come a far way since then.

In simple words, today, ‘wearable technology’ is the term to represent a group of electronic devices worn on the body or implanted. These devices use the internet or Bluetooth to connect with a smartphone or other devices. These devices collect data and share it with connected devices. These are useful for various applications in fields that include healthcare, gaming, fashion, fitness, and others.

Here are some examples for the types of wearable technology devices and how they are making your life better.

Examples for Types of Wearable Technology devices:

1. Smartwatches:

These days, the watches are tech-enabled. They double up as a fitness tracker, and sleep monitor in addition to being the classic time-keeping device. Smartwatches provide us with many other features including enabling us to make & attend phone calls and check messages. Some watches have the feature of playing FM radio or audio & video files with a Bluetooth headset. They generally connect to the smartphone via an app and act as a supporting device. They are often referred to as a ‘Wearable Computer’ on your wrist because of the bundle of features that can use through the touchscreen.

2. Fitness Trackers:

Fitness Trackers are among the wearable technology devices wearable on the wrist. Fitness trackers were primarily launched to perform the function of pedometer, i.e. counting the number of steps but they have evolved to become an overall health monitor since then. They perform various functions including tracking your heartbeat, monitoring your sleep, calories burned, and other metrics. They share the data to the app on the smartphone. In toto, they make a perfect health tracker. Some devices are enabled to regularly share the information on the metrics of the wearer to their physicians to keep them informed and help early detection of any issue.

3. Smart Jewelry:

Have you ever imagined being notified about a phone call or tracking your steps through your jewelry? Jewelry no more acts like pieces of ornaments on your neck or hand, they have become smart. Smart Jewelry are those wearables like necklaces, wrist bands, bracelets, or rings that are tech-enabled to help you track your steps, track monitor your heartbeat & sleep, and some even notify you of incoming calls.

4. Game Simulators:

The rise of VR in gaming has given rise to many wearable devices that simulate an environment and make the experience more realistic, engrossing, and adventurous. The devices include VR Headsets (also called Head-Mounted Displays or HMDs) that create a visual simulation and bands that come with built-in sensors to detect your movements. These bands enable you to control your movements through hand gestures.

5. Smart Clothing:

The advancement of technology with IoT has fostered many inventions including Smart Clothes. Smart clothes are also popularly known as E-Textile as they come integrated with electronic devices that measure the health metrics of the wearer. Smart clothes help measure health-related aspects like heart rate, respiration rate, sleep, the body temperature, and provide you with that information. Smart clothing also includes smart shoes that examine your health, steps, fatigue, and collect other metrics to help you improve health and prevent injury.

6. Smart Glasses:

Ranging from simple smart glasses that are equipped with Bluetooth wireless music and hands-free calling to the glasses that can live stream videos to take photos, to advanced smart glasses that are AR-enabled to give you an immersive experience, these smart glasses are the of eyewear. Smart glasses can enable the user to read text messages and reply to them hands-free. Smart glasses by some companies are equipped with features like internet access and browsing through voice commands.

7. Heartbeat Trackers & Blood Pressure Monitors:

There are fitness trackers for a specific use case like monitoring the heartbeat or regularly measuring the blood pressure. These devices help track the metrics among the people who suffer from related diseases. The fitness trackers record and provide the measurements to the wearer regularly. Some devices are enabled to share the data with the physician.

8. Smart Earbuds:

New to enter the wearable technology market are earbuds. Though Bluetooth earbuds are existing for a while now, they aren’t considered among wearable technology because they do not collect and send data. But some companies are making earbuds smart. Smart earbuds have a built-in gyroscope, GPS, and compass. The sensors in the earbuds relay the information to the smartphone, which enables it to know your direction and movement. Hence, the smart earbuds are equipped to provide directions in real-time.

9. Smart Contact Lens:

Smart Contact Lens is among the recent inventions made possible with IoT. The smart contact lenses currently available in the market are helpful for medical reasons. It helps monitor eyes for various diseases like Diabetes, Glaucoma, and cataracts. It helps in the treatment of farsightedness. Apart from medical reasons, some companies are working on smart contact lenses that are AR-enabled, work on solar power, and capture and store images and videos. Smart lenses are among the implantable devices.

Conclusion:

According to Statista, the forecast of global spending on wearable technology by 2022 is $90 billion. This would only increase with time as wearable technology devices are becoming an integral part of our lives. These devices are indeed changing the way we live our lives and for the better.
Which of the devices in the list have you got your hand on? Do let us know your experience in the comments below.


Image Credits:

Image 1: Photo by form PxHere

Image 2: Photo by PIXNIO

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Image 3: Loïc Le Meur, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons