Wearables and the Evolution of Interactive Technology

It was only a short time ago when it would have been pure science fiction to think of a device that could wear that would interact and control other personal tech gadgets. Even less that it would give accurate biometric data in real-time. This is now not only a reality but the recent innovation and progress in the wearable tech space is only the tip of the iceberg. We have become accustomed to seeing these amazing gadgets in our favourite TV shows and movies, but it was the creators of Star Trek who set out to turn Sci-Fi into Sci-Fact. You may think this market is a fad with novel purchases such as smartwatches or Fitbits, or even reserved for the super geeks, but you would be wrong.

The wearable technology sector has seen very significant and rapid growth and is catching up with many of the more traditional tech solutions. The estimates of the current value of this market varies, but most experts put an eye-watering $80 billion valuation by the close of 2021, with forecasted growth to exceed $265 billion by 2026. All this since the 2014 launch of the very first Fitbit. However, wearable tech has been around a lot longer than 2014 and you may be surprised to learn where it all started.??

The History of Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology can trace its roots back to the 1960s where Ed Thorpe and Claude Shannon revealed the first wearable computer. It was a small device that only had four buttons and it was strapped to the waist with toe and earpieces. What is surprising is its intended use as it was conceived to predict a roulette wheels outcome. Knowing casinos desire “that the house always wins”, I would guess this did not go down very well as it was very accurate and gave Ed a clear advantage. The downside was it was not something that could be used with stealth and to say tech in the 1960s was very cumbersome would be an understatement.

Since the 60s electronics have become smaller and smaller creating new possibilities for innovation and so we find ourselves in 2021 at the start of a new tech revolution. Transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, diodes, insulators, and conductors have all become micro-sized through new techniques such as wire bonding and innovation in chipsets. We can expect innovation to continue at pace, as Moores Law states that we will see the chip density double approximately every two years, so the future is likely to see increases in power and decreases electronic device size.?

Graphene in the Electronic Industry

Wonder materials such as silicon and quartz led the first tech revolution allowing rapid advances, now we are seeing new materials enter the affray. One of these is a Manchester success story and is a testament to the 70 years’ worth of steady progress in the field. Graphene has transformed the electronic industry and its full potential is still to be fully recognised and exploited. Graphene uses a hexagonal lattice structure where atoms are placed allowing the forming electrons to be treated independently.

This highly conductive material can then be used to produce boards and circuits measuring one atom thick and will eventually see electronics micro sized to the atomic level.

One of the problems facing developers is the power source, but this is also being addressed. Studies are well underway at?RMIT, David Moore Paints,?University of Toronto?and where it all started, the?University of Sheffield?for the development of solar paint seeing major success. Using Quantum Dots or also known as photovoltaics, Perovskite materials and Synthetic Molybdenum-Sulphide can harness the power of the sun. These new innovations have huge potential for the wider solar energy market but have also caught the attention of the wearable sector. Research has now started on how technologies such as these can be used in inks that will see our clothing become its very own power source, this is one of the final pieces of the jigsaw that will see the full integration of tech into our wardrobes.

Fitness Technology

MedTech, Fitness, Health and Military are some of the sectors that are seeing huge investments in integrated wearable tech. There are some truly amazing products currently available with many more in the development stages. For example, Fitness and Health company?Wearable X?has recently released their Nadi X smart yoga pants.

These allow the user to connect to a smart device helping to guide posture and notifies when correct yoga poses have been achieved as the integrated tech feeds back through light vibrations. Also,?Prevayl?another Manchester success story is emerging as a company to watch and has recently secured a ￡7.5m investment. Prevayl has embraced 5G technology allowing vast amounts of data to be transmitted and processed in real-time.?

The potential, due to its versatility, will see Prevayl impacting across multiple sectors and is one of the most anticipated releases into the wearable sector.

Medical Technology

MedTech is also seeing more and more innovations in wearable solutions such as?Vivalink, who is known for its wearable sensor data platform, has released a temperature and ECG monitor. The onboard cache can store a continuous 20-hour stream of data. There are also blood glucose sensors that provide continuous real-time analytics.?Afon Technology?has developed the world’s first non-invasive solution.?

Another study has proved the effectiveness of a wearable for treating menstrual migraines.?Theranica?has developed?Nerivio?a remote electrical neuromodulation therapy that provides patients with a non-pharmaceutical option.

Technology on the Battlefield

Many gadgets we take for granted today saw their beginnings on the battlefield and the military has certainly embraced the rise of wearable technologies. Thin and flexible heaters that have been printed are being integrated into cold weather kits to help ensure operatives can perform in challenging conditions. These PTC heaters do not have traditional wiring and use silver and carbon conductive inks allowing a more comfortable wearing experience. The flex in the printed heaters is self-regulating with no external controls which eliminates overheating and the potential for sparks, avoiding potentially fatal fires.

There are also biometric sensors, performance monitoring solutions and even tracking devices in the form of RIFD tags.?

One of my personal favourites has to be stealth camouflage that makes the wearer invisible. With the many Sci-Fi references, you may have guessed this is a personal passion of mine and stealth camouflage that makes the wearer invisible is something straight out of a movie, but it is real. The technology first used to conceal such things as tanks is now being developed for special operative uniform. It is widely believed that this technology is much further in its development than we are currently being led to believe with many saying that it is seeing active use today. It uses solutions that companies such as?Nike?are testing that allows images to be projected onto clothing. With mutable cameras positioned around the kit the operatives are wearing, images of the rear view are projected onto the forwarded facing side, giving the illusion of invisibility.??

?Innovation in materials also allows the hiding of thermal signatures; this would cause even Sauron to have sleepless nights. Canada’s?Hyperstealth Biotechnology?is one of the pioneers in this area already manufacturing camouflage uniforms and has patented new Quantum Stealth material, so I am sure there are more exciting developments ahead.

Careers Opportunities in Wearable Technology

As we see the wearable sector is growing from strength to strength it has also brought new job opportunities and career paths. Electronic Engineers, Software Developers, Firmware Engineers, Data Scientists, Garment Technologists and App Developers are just a few of the skillsets that are in high demand. New and exciting opportunities for these professionals are awaiting, however, the skill shortage is having an impact and companies seeking these talents are coming to terms with the premium salaries being demanded.

We are living in such exciting times and with the pace of progress that technology is experiencing, the potential of the future is limitless, I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings.