Have you ever been confused about wearable tech after hearing someone discuss it? Simply expressed, the term “wearable technology” refers to a variety of gadgets made to be worn consistently through the day, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These gadgets are frequently referred to as wearables.
Although wearables have grown in popularity during the last few years, the fundamental concept is nothing new. If you’ve previously worn a watch, for instance, you’ve already encountered a basic type of wearable. The ability of today’s wearables to link with your existing technology, such as computers and mobile devices, allows for a wide range of fascinating functions.
Forget Mobile at home? Don’t Go outside without these Wearables
Fitness Trackers
These tools might assist you in analysing your daily activity, whether you’re preparing for a big race or simply attempting to be more active. They can monitor your normal heart rate, how lengthy you sleep for, how many steps you take, and more. You may then sync this data with a different device to view patterns and trends in your usage. For instance, you may calculate how many energy you’ve expended each day or determine how much you’ve walked each day over the past week.
Depending on your demands, fitness trackers come in a variety of costs and form factors. Simple variants that attach to your belt or shoes can be purchased for as little as $50, but more expensive models, including wristbands and even jewellery, can be found. Fitbit, Basis, and Misfit are a few of the fitness tracker brands that are most widely used.
Smartwatches
Depending on your demands, fitness trackers come in a variety of costs and form factors. Simple variants that attach to your belt or shoes can be purchased for as little as $50, but more expensive models, including wristbands and even jewellery, can be found. Fitbit, Basis, and Misfit are a few of the fitness tracker brands that are most widely used.
The majority of smartwatches require a smartphone to operate, so the model you select will also dependent on your phone. For instance, Android Wear devices like the Moto 360 and Samsung Gears are only connected to Android phones, but the Apple Watch can only be synchronised with an iPhone. Some smartwatches, like the Pebble, can sync with virtually any smartphone, but they also often have less functionality than the types mentioned above.
Wearables for Safety
Devices called safety wearables are intended to assist you when you perceive a threat or in risk. In order to be used covertly without alerting a possible attacker, they are occasionally made to seem like jewellery. Most are controlled by a button that either emits a loud alarm, sends out a message to others, or does both.
Devices can send prerecorded voice messages or pre-programmed texts as alerts. Many of them also feature GPS that you can use to instantly share your whereabouts with loved ones, individuals with in area, or even the authorities.
Now you know the fundamentals of wearable technology!
Pros and Cons of Wearable Technology
Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular in the last ten years, including activity trackers, smartwatches, and smart clothes. Businesses and customers are starting to employ a number of gadgets for a range of purposes. It’s crucial to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of wearables because their use is expanding rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down.
Pros
We can track our GPS locations, keep an eye on our fitness levels, and read text messages more rapidly thanks to wearable technologies. The best part is that the majority of the gadgets that let us accomplish this are hands-free and portable, so we don’t need to take them out of our pockets.
Many of the aforementioned pieces of information could be acquired prior to wearables, but doing so sometimes needed hassles and inconvenient technologies. Our smart gadgets are connected to our wearables, which transmits this information to them and enables us to view it both immediately and afterwards. You can use this to set goals and monitor your progress toward them.
Cons
The battery life of wearables is frequently somewhat limited. Some gadgets, like the more straightforward Fitbit trackers, have a multi-day battery life. However, some of the more sophisticated smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, only have a day or two of battery life. Remembering to take your wearable out of your pocket to charge it can be a problem for some people. As a result, some developers are investigating the viability of wireless charging alternatives that would do away with the requirement that the gadget be removed.
There have been rumours that certain wearables occasionally measure data incorrectly. When collecting information like heart rates, this could be very hazardous. This inaccurate reading could cause exhaustion and further health problems for people with cardiac disorders.
It is ultimately up to you to determine whether or not you would find use for a wearable device. Given their growing popularity, it’s crucial to consider both the advantages and disadvantages before choosing one.
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The Future of Wearable Technology
Over the past few years, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR/AR headsets have proliferated in our culture. Since wearables are expected to become more and more popular, businesses are unavoidably coming up with creative new uses for them in our daily lives. Here are just a few potential futures for wearable production.
Reduce Visibility
Wearables are likely to become increasingly less noticeable as they gain in popularity. Devices can end up appearing more like jewellery or apparel than like a fitness tracker or clip-on tracker. They could also be covered up in the shape of a sling or patch to keep them out of sight.
Some businesses have already started doing this, as shown by the wristwatch in the image above, that features a conventional watch face rather than a screen. Additionally, there are safety wearables that resemble a regular ring or bracelet but that, in the occasion that you are in danger, can alert your loved ones to your whereabouts.
Increased Battery Life
Most wearables available today, especially those that demand a lot of computing power and Internet access, have quite short battery lives. Some developers are investigating different battery sources as a result. Energy harvesting, which turns body heat, renewable power, and even activity into power, is one of the more well-liked techniques.
This would completely disrupt the wearables industry if it were to evolve into the norm. Customers would never have to stress about the power dying at inappropriate times or the inconvenience of needing to recharge it frequently. Wearables could increase in popularity in the future by solving these issues.
Medical Gear
Many of the popular wearables available today, such Fitbit and the Apple Watch, are designed to help you get fitter and healthier. However, a lot of businesses are going a step farther and investigating wearable gadgets that track and address medical issues. For diabetics, an artificial pancreas that can automatically provide insulin and check blood sugar levels is currently being developed (see illustration below).
In order to take this a step beyond, the medical sector is considering developing gadgets that can be inserted beneath the skin. Users would be able to monitor any form of medical activity, which is now not possible for the majority of individuals. Blood analysis, pharmacological effects, and various other vitals may be included in this. This kind of technology may take some time to arrive on the market, however it has the power to drastically alter many people’s lives.
Authentication
Additionally, it appears that wearables are moving in the direction of authentication, allowing users to perform actions like opening their homes, entering concerts, and even making purchases at stores without having to go through the checkout procedure. The MagicBand is a wearable device that Disney presently uses in its theme parks to grant visitors access to rides, hotel rooms, and other services.
Even smart tattoos are being developed that might be utilised for these things. They resemble high-tech fake tattoos that can send and receive data to gadgets like scanners and smartphones. By expediting a number of processes in our life, such as hospital appointments and security clearances, wearables have the potential to significantly alter how we interact with our surroundings.