Wearable technology, also known as "wearables," is a category of electronic devices that can be worn as accessories, embedded in clothing, implanted in the user's body, or even tattooed on the skin.
Wearables are most associated with the health and wellness sectors. Smart watches, like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, have pioneered the way we track everything from heart rates to our daily steps. Constantly checking in with them have become part of a daily routine for millions of people across the globe. These watches inherently encourage healthier lifestyles because of the data they collect. Knowing how far you ran encourages you to push yourself further to beat your old record. Seeing that you’re almost to your daily 10,000 step goal encourages you to go for a walk around the block. Even tracking your current sleep habits could lead to changes that help you sleep more soundly at night. In a sense, wearable technology is one of the best ways to better the health and wellness journey.
Gaming is one of the biggest emerging frontiers for wearable technology. Virtual Reality (VR) headsets are the most popular form of wearables in the industry. They instantly immerse gamers in other-worldly experiences from the second they strap in. VR wearables are bringing awe-inspiring experiences like fighting with lightsabers and driving their dream cars to gamers all over the world. Haptic Devices, which are rising rapidly, provide tactile feedback to a gamer in real-time. The device takes advantage of a gamer’s sense of touch by providing force or vibrations to a user. In short, haptic vests, gloves or suits make gaming more realistic. A gamer can now feel actual recoil after shooting their virtual weapon or can even experience the feeling of dribbling a virtual basketball. Though still in its infancy, haptic technology is poised to make the future of gaming, and wearables, more entertaining and realistic.
It only makes sense that wearable technology has started to permeate fashion culture. Athletes wear full body suits, equipped with hundreds of little IoT sensors, to measure their every move. The data gathered will help them to better optimize their swing, shot or kick. The consumer wearable technology clothing industry is still relatively new, albeit already intriguing. Smart jackets are being made to automatically cool or warm the body based on body temperatures taken from sensors throughout the jacket. Smart rings are giving people a stylish way to track their steps or measure their sleep habits. Our pants might one day become smart enough to use the thermal energy our bodies naturally produce to charge our cell phones. Wearable technology in fashion is showing us that tech can be smart and sophisticated all at once.
