When wearables began to storm the market, many thought of it as just a new fad and that it would soon die down after a few months. But innovators have been taking advantage of this fad, and were able to take wearables to new dimensions that could be useful in different industries. The wearables of today are now doing everything from fitness tracking, to games and entertainment, to keeping us safe.
According to Riskband, there are currently 430 different wearable devices on the market. That number is expected to increase significantly over the next few years. Here’s what you’ll expect to see in 2017:
3D BIOPRINTING
Source: 3D print
This year, we’ve seen a lot of new innovations that have come out thanks to the power of 3D printing. Remember those 3D printed braces? But what about 3D Bioprinting?
3D bioprinting is the process of using 3D printers to produce tissues and organs and this technology is already being used but is still being further developed. Soon people on the transplant list won’t need to wait for a viable donor anymore.
WEARABLE HEALTHCARE
Source: Wearableo
Wearable fitness trackers are the most popular kind of wearable these days, but in the future, we can expect that wearables will shift from fitness to focusing on overall healthcare. There will be wearables that would have vital signs monitors for newborns and the elderly in developing countries, smartwatches that can work as blood pressure monitors, hearing aids that can be controlled via smartphone and many more.
These kinds of technologies are great for rescue operations, and emergency equipment.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Source: Makerfairerome
Virtual Reality is definitely going to be the next big thing! Many companies, including big players like Google, Samsung, and Facebook are investing a lot in this new technology. Many may think that this technology will only be utilized by gamers, but this technology goes beyond just gaming. Soon, it may be used in different fields such as in education, medical, and even in the engineering field.
MORE IN-DEPTH FITNESS TRACKING
Source: Graphiq
Today’s fitness trackers can already do a lot. They can measure everything from counting the steps you’ve taken to checking your heart rate. But as the Japanese says, “One should always practice kaizen (continuous improvement)”. The integration of third-party software will be able to help advance the current fitness tracker data. This will also open doors to monitoring the users activity level, sleep, nutrition, as well as chronic diseases.
HIGHER FOCUS ON PERSONAL SAFETY
We can expect that we would have different safety devices such as panic buttons that are disguised as watches or necklaces that can give us a sense of security. It will act as a personal body guard and help keep people safe at work, school, or anyone who is on the go.
PET TRACKING
Source: Tracking Sticker
Pet owners can be rest assured that their pets can be tracked down if ever they get lost. Smart collars will be designed with devices that have GPS tracking capabilities, measure their activity level, as well as monitor their wellness stats.
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