Lead Author: Mark Estanislao
Co-Author: Daniel Ross
Editor: Tona Speltz
Wearables, also known as wearable technology, are smart electronic devices that are worn on or within close proximity to the surface of the skin. These sensory devices help detect, analyze and transmit information (e.g. one's vital signs). Said information can also be linked/sync'd to another device (i.e. a friend with the same device, a mobile phone, a tablet, etc). Wearable technology can be classified into four major categories: health, sports and daily activity, tracking and localization, and safety (Dian et al., 2020). The use of smart wearables can provide immediate feedback for the wearer and can bring efficiency and optimization to the applications, enhance the quality of life, and increase productivity or safety (Dian et al., 2020). The wide market penetration of smart wearables has empowered individuals to monitor, store, and transfer personal information about health, physical activity, and surrounding such as body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, calories intake, calories burned, steps counters, sleep pattern, location, and so forth (Gayathri et al., 2017; Lupiani et al., 2017; Talukder et al.. 2019; Wu et al., 2016; as cited in Niknejad et al., 2020). Wearables allow users to take accountability of their actions and tap into their individual wants and needs. In the 21st century, wearable technology has allowed individuals to track data in order to make informed decisions in what is already a consuming daily life of things to do. In essence, wearables can create ease in one's productivity.
References
Dian, F. J., Vahidnia, R., & Rahmati, A. (2020). Wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT), applications, opportunities, and challenges: A Survey. IEEE Access, 8, 69200-69211.
Niknejad, N., Ismail, W. B., Mardani, A., Liao, H., & Ghani, I. (2020). A comprehensive overview of smart wearables: The state of the art literature, recent advances, and future challenges. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 90, 103529.
The upcoming accessory made by Apple. These AR glasses will synchronize with the user's iPhone to display texts, emails, maps, etc over the user's field of vision.
Optimize sport and fitness activities by utilizing this ring that has a micro joystick for one handed control. A user can play/pause music, accept incoming calls, press & hold to make an SOS call and track backwards/skip track, all while being physically active.
A bracelet that wraps around one's wrist or hand and is placeable on a flat surface. GripBeats allow non-musicians to make great music and for professionals to take their music creations to new levels using motion and touch controls.
Research: Rhythmic coordination is an essential part of everyday life and it is involved in higher cognitive tasks like dancing and performing music. Rhythm can also be helpful in rehabilitation of people and increase one's sense of happiness and well-being (Kjaerbo et al., 2020)
Kjærbo, R., Romeu, R., Pérez, M. G., Correia, F. R., Guruvayurappan, V., Overholt, D., & Dahl, S. (2020). Rhythm Rangers: an evaluation of beat synchronisation skills and musical confidence through multiplayer gamification influence. In 17th Sound and Music Computing Conference (pp. 220-227). Axea sas/SMC Network.
With this ring, a user can speak up freely & clearly with HD voice clarity, store and transfer up to 4 GB of data, make quick payments on the go, and serve as a key.
Technology with heart. Love in real-time and a safe platform for all. Using the CaringBand Bracelet and App allows users to send encouragement, support and love to those in need. Such support is sent easily, often and without any extra burden to the wearer.
This headband was created for those who typically sleep less than 6 hours per night. Philips states that this device is clinically proven to improve the quality of one's sleep.
The wristband has the ability to monitor blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and sleeping habits. The Health Monitor feature displays key physiological metric (e.g. heart rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability and respiratory rate) and alerts the user to changes outside their typical baseline range.
Research:
Metrics such as resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) are powerful indicators of cardiovascular health. Though this study focuses on the effects of one's RHR and HRV during the COVID-19's physical distancing mandate, improved sleep and exercise patters appear to be the mechanism for positive health-related behavior changes during physical distancing (Capodilupo & Miller, 2021).
Capodilupo, E. R., & Miller, D. J. (2021). Changes in health promoting behavior during COVID-19 physical distancing: Utilizing WHOOP data to Examine Trends in Sleep, Activity, and Cardiovascular Health. medRxiv, 2020-06.