The Future of Wearable Technology
Over the last few years, there’s one thing that I’ve worn almost every day no matter the season. It’s the Whoop 3.0 band that has consistently tracked my sleep and workout except for the rare times I forget to charge it. Using infrared light LEDs as well as skin thermometers and motion sensors, Whoop is able to collect data on my heart rate, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns which are then presented to me in an actionable way on their app. Wearables like the Whoop band and Apple Watch have gained huge popularity over the last few years by enabling consumers to make better decisions on their workout and sleep patterns with immediate feedback. However, wearable technology is not just about tracking your workouts and sleep but will be a huge part of the future for many businesses as they provide life-altering solutions for consumers across many industries.
A great example of this is with Apple’s hugely successful AirPods. Currently, these products enable customers to listen to any sort of audio as well as send voice commands through their phones. While unconfirmed by Apple, the Wall Street Journal and a few other news sites have proposed that Apple is working to add new health-related capabilities to their next generation of AirPods. AirPods may include a temperature gauge for your inner ear in the future and be able to give you quick and accurate body temperature readings. There’s no doubt that this would be universally welcomed especially given how important temperature readings are to tracking the spread of the coronavirus through communities. There are also plans to add motion sensors to track your posture and help alert consumers of slouching. Finally, there’s potential for Apple to have AirPods also serve as hearing aids for people suffering from hearing loss. Many people suffer from hearing loss but refuse to wear hearing aids because of the negative stigma associated with the product. AirPods could be an effective solution to this issue as Apple products tend to have a sleeker, younger, and fashionable reputation. We may soon be seeing people of all ages wearing AirPods on the sidewalks and at work throughout the day as they use the product to improve their hearing.
While AirPods may soon change the way we hear, smart glasses are a new wearable product that could change the way we see. Companies are already working to integrate new technology into glasses and create augmented reality (AR) glasses. Facebook in partnership with Ray-Ban Sunglasses already released a version of these glasses late last year. This version enables people to take pictures and videos through their sunglasses and easily post or send the data through Facebook. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg for smart glasses. Companies like Magic Leap have already been making AR headsets that display digital information and holograms directly through the lenses of the glasses. Consumers can look out and see something completely different than what’s really in front of them. The new version Magic Leap is currently developing will include more sophisticated dimming where consumers can overlay holograms over their real eyesight. While the capabilities for this kind of technology are endless, it’s in healthcare that this could make a huge difference. Glasses like these could allow specialist doctors to view injuries and consult with patients remotely. For example, let’s say a patient comes to the emergency room with a severe leg injury. The emergency room doctors could use smart glasses to quickly consult remotely with an orthopedic specializing in leg injuries to get an immediate opinion on the patient’s issue. Additionally, with these glasses, surgeons can overlay digital lines or other images over the patient’s body to make more accurate and safer incisions. These are just a few of the ways smart glasses have the potential to make medicine safer than it already is.
There’s no doubt that wearable technology has already had a big impact on the world today. Over 100 million people already own the Apple Watch alone and that number is even higher when you include other products like the Whoop band. While these products are already helping people sleep better, work out harder, and in some cases track their heart health more efficiently, the potential for wearable technology is much greater. Companies recognize this and that’s why they are investing in wearable audio devices and glasses that will change the way we live going forward.
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