Wearable Technology

As technology becomes more advanced and personal, it seems to be seamlessly fitting into our daily lives and altering the way we work, dress and work out. The idea of smart clothing, though not new, appears to have come of age now, and it may well spell the future of wearable tech. From biometric shirts and contactless payment jackets to the accessories we use- wearable technology has become the trend.

The less obvious wearable tech is, the more popular it’s bound to be. Many companies have started toying with smart jackets and the Levi Strauss-Google Commuter trucker jacket seems to be making a lot of noise. GPS sports is out with its smart compression shirt that can track motion and heart rate metrics of athletes in real time, paving the way for easy monitoring of fitness levels and reducing running injuries. Komodo Technologies’ smart compression sleeve lined with sensors uses ECG technology to check on heart rate, sleep, measure body temperature and even UV rays. The best part is that smart clothing appears to be like the everyday T-shirt or jacket that you wear- that’s why its appeal is immense.

Samsung’s recent wearable includes a belt that lets you know when you’re piling on the avoirdupois, an amazing business suit that hides NFC buttons in the cuffs, smart clothes for various workouts and even golf shirts that track swing. These are amazing not just because of technology, but because they look like everyday clothes that people wear.

Google Glasses was impressive with its mini- computer like functions but its technology was felt to be intrusive and rather creepy. Google apparently agreed for its new Glass EE is directed at industrial applications. Sans the electronics, workers appear to be at home with the EE glasses and wear them as they normally wear safety spectacles.

Invisible wearable tech is also doing rounds with sports companies integrating fitness trackers into the soles of shoes. These super-intelligent trainers with Bluetooth connectivity can record running metrics and are great for pre-event training too. The new wearable from Fitbit analyses heart rate during the different sleep stages and helps doctors to get valuable sleep insights to improve the quality of sleep.

Smart jewellery is discreetly making itself felt in quite a fashionable way. Smart rings are sleek to look at, come in cool colours and are available in different sizes. Light and easy to wear, it can count steps taken, distance traversed, measure heart rate and for good measure is even waterproof and iPhone compatible. Contactless payments wearables are set to get a great makeover after Fitbit bought up Startup Coin in May 2017. Before long, smart rings, watches and Moov devices will be able to handle payments.

A mood sensing wearable tech? That’s right- the Zenta bracelet from Vinaya and the Feel wristband actually care about how you feel. Fitted with mood and breathing apps to biometric sensors, this one could be spilling happiness in the near future.

AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are about to come together with Microsoft’s HoloLens and its window holographic platform. With new players set to jump onto the magic bandwagon, headsets could well take a new turn.