What Is Wearable Tech In 60 seconds?
2 July 2021
Even if, like me, you’ve had a fitness tracker or smartwatch for years, you might still be surprised at how well the wearable technology or “wearables” trend has taken off. What started with Fitbit and the like has now mushroomed into an entire industry of wearables that are designed to help us lead healthier, more efficient lives.
Looking to the future
Let’s look at my top five predictions for how the wearables trend will evolve in the future.
Exoskeletons will transform industry
Exoskeletons – effectively, robotic suits that humans wear – already exist. They’re used by some manufacturers to help human workers perform better (for example, lift heavier weights without injury). Hyundai Motor Group has been testing its Hyundai Vest Exoskeleton, which helps to reduce pressure on workers’ necks and backs, in the factory setting. Hyundai says the exoskeletons help to reduce injuries in the workplace and increase worker efficiency. My prediction is exoskeletons like this will become the norm in manufacturing and industrial settings around the world.
Prosthetics will become more intelligent
Wearable technology also encompasses the new wave of prosthetics and robotic limbs currently being developed. These are increasingly being kitted out with technology that enables the limb to become more intuitive – for example, by responding to the nervous system or brain signals. MIT’s Media Lab is involved in a research project that combines special amputation surgery with intuitive prosthetic development. Special robot prosthetics are being designed for ten volunteers, and the hope is the volunteers will be able to operate their prosthetics via the nervous system. In the future, intelligent prosthetics like this, which respond to the individual’s commands more intuitively, may become the norm.
Labs will be 3D printing human tissue
If we can create replacement limbs, why shouldn’t we create replacement organs? Researchers are already working towards this goal. In one example, a team at Rice University in Houston claims to have made a significant breakthrough in the bioprinting of viable human tissue, giving hope that it will be possible to print fully working replacement organs in the future. This, combined with advances in robotics and prosthetics, could revolutionise the world of medicine. So, if I need a heart transplant in the future, it’s feasible that I could be given a choice between a robotic heart or a lab-grown heart.
Say hello to AI for the human brain
Companies like Facebook are racing to develop brain-computer interfaces that could, in theory, allow you to type your Facebook status update using only your mind (telepathic typing, to use the vaguely creepy technical term). Elsewhere, Elon Musk’s Neuralink company is working on a brain-computer interface that would help people with severe brain injuries. Announcing the plans in 2019, Musk predicted a future in which humans could have the option of “merging with AI.”
All this could have serious implications for data privacy
Wearable technology already creates a huge amount of data on the wearer, so it stands to reason that the more we embrace wearables, the more data will be available about us. Of course, this begs the question of whether we should want companies like Facebook to know more about us than they already do. Even if we’re okay with that (and many of us aren’t), we’ll all need to become much savvier about the data we’re forking over to the purveyors of wearable solutions. And the companies offering these solutions will need to make genuine strides in how seriously they take data privacy.
Where to go from here:
If you would like to know more about , check out my articles on:
- 5 Predictions For Wearable Technology: From Fitness Trackers To “Humans 2.0”
- The 9 Biggest Technology Trends That Will Transform Medicine And Healthcare In 2020
- What Is The Internet Of Things (IoT) And How Will It Change Our World?
- These 25 Technology Trends Will Define The Next Decade
Or browse the Early Tech Innovations to find the metrics that matter most to you.
Related Articles
The Simple ChatGPT Trick That Will Transform Your Business AI Interactions
I believe ChatGPT and other generative AI tools can help pretty much any business.[...]
The Third Wave Of AI Is Here: Why Agentic AI Will Transform The Way We Work
The chess pieces of artificial intelligence are being dramatically rearranged. While previous iterations of AI focused on making predictions or generating content, we're now witnessing the emergence of something far more sophisticated: AI agents that can independently perform complex tasks and make decisions.[...]
How Generative AI Will Change Jobs In Cybersecurity
Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures are in place is more important than ever when it comes to protecting organizations and even governments and nations from digital threats.[...]
The 10 Most Important Banking And Financial Technology Trends That Will Shape 2025
As technological disruption and economic uncertainty continue to reshape the financial landscape, alongside dramatic shifts in consumer behavior and regulatory requirements, 2025 promises to be both challenging and opportunistic for banking and financial services.[...]
The 6 Most Powerful AI Marketing Trends That Will Transform Your Business In 2025
The quiet hum of AI servers is rapidly drowning out the traditional drumbeat of marketing departments worldwide.[...]
AI Everywhere – Scaling AI In The Cloud With Intel® Xeon®6
Today, the omnipresent AI that we’re starting to take for granted has become a critical tool for business.[...]
Sign up to Stay in Touch!
Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.
He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations.
He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.
Bernard’s latest book is ‘Generative AI in Practice’.
Social Media