Whisper it, but if the trend a
t London's Wearable Technology Show is
any indication then the future of wearables may not be in fitness.
Yesterday, Apple announced a medical research platform in the form of
Research kit and less than 24 hours afterward, the dominant theme is not
about pleasing marathon runners. "There's a kudos in sport," says
Smartlife's Martin Ashby -- one of the exhibitors at the show. "
But the
future of wearables is in health and wellbeing." It's a bold statement
from the CEO of a smart sportswear company, but is it true that
companies are looking to ditch fitness fans in favor of hospitals? If
you're curious to read what others believe, keep reading.
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Wearable Technology Show 2015
According to Ashby, the first generations of smart clothing, like the
OMSignal and
Hexoskin
had to be unfeasibly tight to ensure a strong data connection. The
latest iteration of Smartlife's product is a zip-up merino wool jacket
that is designed to be not only a little more comfortable, but also to
look slightly less ridiculous on non-athletic bodies. If you aren't a
hardcore sprinter, then cloth sensors can monitor your heart rate
without worrying about losing contact through exercise. That opens up
the technology to hospital patients and the elderly, enabling facilities
to offer rudimentary patient tracking and ECGs without the wires.
Another startup at the show, Bainisha, has developed a prototype
flexible sensor that can be stuck onto your spine. The measurements
taken are then pushed wirelessly, enabling professionals to measure your
posture. With these "
digital tattoos,"
users can then have their doctor study the way they stand over several
days, offering helpful suggestions to reduce back strain. In addition,
the company is offering its know-how to various companies, including one
that's conducting research into the most aerodynamic way for
performance cyclists to ride.
Freelance research outfit
Cambridge Consultants
is also getting into the game, unveiling a smart insulin injector. The
KiCoPen is designed with a tiny generator on-board that's capable of
powering a Bluetooth radio over short distances. When a patient opens it
up, it sends a transmission to their doctor, enabling them to keep
track of their insulin usage. In addition, the company is working on an
implantable sensor that can transmit monitoring signals on common
wireless bands that could be used in medical environments. The company's
Dipak Raval believes that we'll see a lot more of this over the next
few years, and that Cambridge Consultants can "do a lot more than this"
in the future.
Activinsights isn't a name that you'll be familiar with, since its
anonymous-looking hardware is handed straight to the medical profession.
The hardware is then passed out to sick people for a week at a time,
enabling doctors to get an accurate portrait of their lifestyle. The
company's Stephanie Sargeant believes that it may not be necessary for
users to always have a device strapped around their wrist to improve
lives. Just a week of activity data offers "a lot of detail," enabling
doctors to make a "low-risk intervention" to combat conditions like
sleep disorders and obesity.
That said, not every part of the industry is making a last-gasp sprint toward the doors of the emergency room.
Atlas, a company that we first encountered when we took our live show to
Austin
last year, is doing its best to worm its way into the hearts of gym
goers.
Using algorithmic secret-sauce, the device can tell an extension
from a curl, and can offer helpful insights to improve your
weight-lifting technique. Yes, we've seen tech like that before, but the
fact that Atlas is chasing such a specific niche shows that the ideas
of a one-size-fits-all wearable device may be drawing to a close.
Photography by Nicole Lee.
by
Daniel Cooper
@danielwcooper
22 hrs ago
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