Wearable tech: the possibilities for you and your family
Wearable technologies are becoming more and more popular in our digital society, so we’ve investigated some of the benefits with this latest trend.
E-health wearables are becoming increasingly common and we are beginning to see the fashionable technology adapting to serve the needs of a broader demographic. If current trends continue, it would not be out of the ordinary to see whole families making use of wearable technology in the near future. And there are many positive aspects to a future integrated with wearable tech gadgets.
Arguably, the most important aspect of this increase in inter-connectivity would be a potential increase in personal safety and health. With wearables able to track a number of metrics, including heart rates, sleep quality and locations, wearers could be monitored and tracked in case of emergency, much to the delight of parents and loved ones.
Even now, we are seeing members of society begin to tinker with the possibilities of wearables.
Last year, 15-year-old Bronx resident Kenneth Shinozuka developed a sensor, which is worn by his grandfather who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The sensor is attached to the heel and alerts his aunt when his grandfather gets out of bed, so she doesn’t have to continually wake up to check on him in middle of the night.
The use of wearables to track health may also benefit the hip pocket of consumers in the future. Insurance companies are already using data from wearables to record the health and habits of customers. For those making an effort to improve their health, this data could be used to reduce customers’ premium fees.
In addition to monitoring and improving health, athletes of all abilities are also beginning to recruit wearable technology in order to reach higher levels of sporting performance. Today, we are seeing wearables that are able to gather data on calories burned and ingested, daily activity and even rate of acceleration. This data can easily be used to help guide the wearer to achieve a healthier lifestyle, but we are seeing companies who are beginning to take this data even further. The young athlete in the family may be excited to hear that suites such as MiCoach2 by Adidas uses this data, along with data from a sensor inside a Smart Ball, to measure an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in a particular game. This could see a rise in performances in both the backyard and the stadium alike.
The future integration of wearables into our everyday lives may bring forth a multitude of possibilities for the way that all members of the family live and connect with one another. We are already beginning to see the benefits that wearables are having on e-health, among other areas. With the advancement of technology allowing data to become richer, hopefully our lives will too.
Check your address to see when you could be joining the nbn™ network.