Wearable technology has come a long way from the Walkman. Nevertheless, while wearable tech like the micro-chipped sock is hardly inspiring, the reality is cool wearable life-enhancing tech devices that vastly outnumber digital sock lovers.
5. Lumoback
Stooping and losing one’s posture often happens without thinking. To this end, Lumoback monitors the wearer’s stance and alerts them via a vibrating band around their waist. The device connects to the Bluetooth extension in your iPhone. Moreover, it rates your non-slouching performance, but there is no application for Android devices yet.
4. Jawbone UP
The problem with alarm clocks is they have a nasty tendency to wake you up during a deep sleep. To prevent this, the wristband monitors your sleeping patterns and store’s data about one’s light and deep slumber. The device then averages out the best light sleep time to rouse you from your bed. You can view the collated information on your iPhone or Android by simply unscrewing the jawbone cap (above) and placing the jack into your device.
3. Solar Powered Jackets
This invention is cool and rather simple. The solar powered jacket has solar panels placed on its shoulders or back. Consequently, once its pack of cards-sized battery charges, it becomes an eco-friendly mini generator. The batteries take between 4-5 hours to charge; nonetheless, it does not need a full charge to juice up your cell phone or iPod. Look for this wearable tech to include charges for laptops and tablets soon.
2. Dresses of Desire
While jackets cover you up, the new dresses on the horizon are revealing to say the least. The “Intimacy 2.0” dress, for example, monitors heartbeats, and the faster one’s heart becomes the more the dress reveals.
However, what makes this technology cool is the fact it could save your life one day. For instance, a modified version of this clothing could become like an undershirt. Thus if injured the sensors could detect trauma and change colour indicating where and how severe your injuries are to rescuers.
1. Walking Assistance Devices
Image via Flickr by Nadya Peek
Honda has developed a series of walking machines which displace weight and ease pressure on joints. Sensors placed either in the feet or hip of these machines feed results to the CPU, which then dictates how much support the robotics give.
Though they look clunky, these exoskeletons are only in their prototype phase. This sort of wearable technology brings hope to millions of disabled, aged, or those in need of rehabilitation. Indeed, one day they could assist you or people you know.
Potentially life-changing wearable technology is abundant. Society is only now seeing how these devices will shape the world for generations. Sure, there are the naysayers warning about all sorts of problems, and this is understandable. Nevertheless, as the above wearable technologies evolve, many problems you once faced will also disappear.