Ten years ago, technologies such as smartwatches, smart jewellery, or smart clothes; never existed. Today, they are now everyday items in most consumers daily activities. It might seem like an innovation, but Wearable Tech has a long-ranging history.
There is a noticeable acceleration in the advancement and adoption of new wearable tech innovations. Based on the history of Wearable Technology, normally, it would take hundreds of years between breakthroughs such as eyeglasses and the abacus ring. Today, new wearable tech innovations happen almost every month. In the last ten years, we’ve had Smart glasses (in 2000), Google glass (2012), Wrist-worn PC (2006), and countless others.
Eye-glasses
In 1286, the first eye-glass was invented. Before the production of the convex lens, the short-sighted had to find more ingenious ways to see.
Pigeon Camera
Although at first a novelty, it found real use during the First Wolrd War, being used to capture aerial photographs behind enemy lines.
TV Glasses
A pioneer of modern science fiction, Hugo Gernsback thought that in the future traditional television sets would be abandoned in favour of Tv glasses; essentially, a small portable television screen strapped to the face.
Wearable Watch
The Pulsar Calculator Watch (1975) was one of the first widespread modern bits fo wearable tech. Models ranged from $3950 for a solid gold model.
Bluetooth Headset
Using the then-new Bluetooth technology, Nokia introduced (2002) the Bluetooth headset, allowing users to take calls handsfree. So they could focus on juggling.
Activity Trackers
Fitness and activity trackers have been some of the most accessible wearable tech items of recent years, with models allowing users to view stops taken, walking speed, heart rate, sleeping patterns, and even monitor UV rap exposure.
Solar Powered Jacket
In late 2014, Tommy Hilfiger released a jacket with embedded solar panels allowing users to charge their phone on the go.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch was one of the most anticipated wearable announcements of 2015. As well as texting, fitness tracking, TV control and ticket storage, the Apple Watch can also tell the time.
According to a Mordor Intelligence’s report, “Wearable Tech Market is expected to exceed $74 billion by 2026.” It is simply the technology we wear on our bodies and that is able to collect, transmit and process data. The trend started with fitness trackers. Today there’s a huge array of wearable tech from smartwatches to smart jewellery, fertility trackers to even connected running shoes, and smart clothes.
Wearable tech is not just there for our convenience and our entertainment, but it can also support our health. It can also track our activity levels, heart rates, blood oxygen levels, and many other health factors.
As devices such as computer chips and sensors are getting smaller and smaller, we will simply see an explosion of most things we wear becoming intelligent.
