Wearable tech is the blending of sensors, software, electronics, and connectivity to produce devices that are worn or placed on the body to monitor or track human behavior and activity. This includes devices such as pedometers, fitness trackers, smart watches, hearables, and even implanted biomedical sensors.
Wearables may have potential to empower patients by providing them with data about their health status that they can then communicate to their clinicians. This could potentially help reduce the need for in-person appointments, which are costly for both the patient and healthcare system. However, studies on the impact of wearables on patient empowerment have been mixed, and further research is needed to determine whether they can achieve their intended outcomes.
Some of the challenges with current wearables include power efficiency, data accuracy, seamless integration, and comfortable wearing. The goal for Next-Gen wearables is to be invisible (to fit seamlessly into the wearer’s body and blend in with it), powerful and intelligent (AI driven and utilizing machine learning and neural network approaches), and holistic (multiple sensors for overall view).
Future trends in wearable technology are aimed at improving battery life, comfort, usability and cost, as well as increasing functionality. Examples of these developments include self-powered textiles for wearable electronics created by hybridizing nanogenerators, solar cells, and supercapacitors; stretchable sensors for wireless body sensor networks based on metamaterial textiles; and brain-inspired neuromorphic computing. Moreover, epidermal electronics are being developed that can monitor biological and chemical processes under the skin.
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