Explosion of Wearable Technology and its Future

The wearable technology revolution is upending long-held data usage patterns in people's daily lives and social relationships.

Fremont, CA: In recent years, the world of wearable technology has seen innovative, disruptive developments that can alter life, business, and the global economy. Google Glass, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Motiv Ring, and Oculus Rift are just a few examples of wearables that promise to transform the way consumers receive, use, and share data. Individuals are witnessing the emergence of totally new types of interface mechanisms, which are ushering in a fundamental transformation in how they view and engage with technology. Recognizing, comprehending, and effectively using today's rapidly expanding wearables landscape is becoming increasingly important to the success of a wide range of enterprises.

The explosion of wearable technology

Wearable technology has taken off in a variety of previously unthinkable possibilities. The technology environment has changed dramatically from the first wrist-sized calculators to the first Bluetooth headphones. Smart glasses with the newest technology bring digital engagement as close as the wearer's nose. In a simple heads-up display mounted on top of wrap-around shades, Solos cycling glasses provide bikers with speed and fitness statistics. Intel's Vaunt promises to blend into the profile of ordinary spectacles, responding to tiny head-tilt gestures and relaying only the most important information to the user—all without the need for a big screen. Smart jewelry, which delivers high-tech functionality through the most subtle of accessories, is on the increase. The Motiv Ring is a small, simple ring that tracks fitness activities, heart rate, and sleep habits.

Future of wearable technology

Designers will have new chances to impact how people engage with the digital environment as the wearable technology field expands and matures. When new technology integrates with or enhances natural human behavior, it is most successful. This is true across the board, not just for wearables. These devices aren't designed to be used in the same manner that a laptop or smartphone is. Designers must examine how they will be worn and how they will gather and convey information to the wearer in the most unobtrusive and effective manner possible. Some wearables even have an impact on how others react to their owners, for better or worse.

Wearables bring technology out of the screen and into the real world, posing new and interesting concerns for designers to address as well as new obstacles to overcome.