Wearable Technology

IDTechEx spoke to John Griffin and Linda Quach, VP Products & Marketing and Director of Marketing respectively at Immersion. They presented their updated corporate deck and we had a wider discussion about the state of the haptics industry and the evolving position of Immersion within it.

Gas accidents such as toxic gas leakage in factories, carbon monoxide leakage of boilers, or toxic gas suffocation during manhole cleaning continue to claim lives and cause injuries. Developing a sensor that can quickly detect toxic gases or biochemicals is still an important issue in public health, environmental monitoring, and military sectors.

Current research on flexible electronics is paving the way for wireless sensors that can be worn on the body and collect a variety of medical data. But where do the data go? Without a similar flexible transmitting device, these sensors would require wired connections to transmit health data.

COROS Wearables Inc have announced a partnership with performance coach Shane Benzie, and Running Reborn. The partnership aims to develop further research into the scientific field of Vertical Oscillation, as well as to educate on the benefits of training with COROS Running Dynamics by pairing this data with professional movement techniques to ensure that training and recovery are optimised.

It is not uncommon to have a favorite bra, or a lucky pair of pants. Now, innovations in E-Textiles and Smart Clothing have taken this phenomenon to the next level. Imagine a pair of pants that can play your party playlist when you get too sad, or a bra that can turn down the thermostat when your indoor workout raises your temperature.

Researchers have succeeded for the first time in measuring brain waves directly via a cochlear implant. These brainwaves indicate in an objective way how good or bad a person's hearing is. The research results are important for the further development of smart hearing aids.

Researchers have designed an AI-powered, voice-activated backpack that can help the visually impaired navigate and perceive the world around them. The backpack helps detect common challenges such as traffic signs, hanging obstacles, crosswalks, moving objects and changing elevations, all while running on a low-power, interactive device.

OPPO has announced the launch of the OPPO Band, the smartphone brand's first wearable device designed to enhance and improve the fitness experience. It's the newest addition to OPPO's smart device line and follows the success of the OPPO Watch series last year.

Replacements for active RFID improve range but retain a problem of life being limited by battery life. Energy harvesting is slowly being adopted to reduce the problem but weight, size and cost are issues.

If it becomes possible to affordably harvest energy in the available space as fast as it is consumed, the battery life problems with most wearables will be solved.

On 22 - 24th of March 2021 IDTechEx attended (virtually) the LOPEC conference, organised by the European Organic Electronics Association (OEA). This premium article reviews a selection of the most interesting and/or commercially relevant talks.

Despite the continued development and commercialization of various wearable electronic devices, such as smart bands, progress with these devices has been curbed by one major limitation, as they regularly need to be recharged. However, a new technology has become a hot topic, as it shows significant potential to overcome this limitation for wearable electronic devices.

Mekoprint is a Danish contract manufacturer. Here, we focus on its recent activities in printed electronics, specifically the manufacture of 'intelligent diapers' (based on a presentation at LOPEC 2021).

As the number of people with chronic diseases and the size of the aging population continue to grow, medical device design engineers need adhesive solutions that are both gentle and secure to help support device compliance by end users.

Food scientists have made an antibacterial gel bandage using the discarded husks of the popular tropical fruit, durian.

In recent years there have been exciting breakthroughs in wearable technologies, like smartwatches that can monitor your breathing and blood oxygen levels. But what about a wearable that can detect how you move as you do a physical activity or play a sport, and could potentially even offer feedback on how to improve your technique?

Sports footwear firm inov-8 has unveiled the world's first running shoe to use a graphene-enhanced foam in the sole, bucking the widespread trend for carbon-plate technology and doubling the industry standard for longevity.

The United States Army announced that it will work with Microsoft on the production phase of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System program as it moves from rapid prototyping to production and rapid fielding.

In late February 2021 IDTechEx attended the Flex2021 conference. Conference talks and attendees were a mix of primarily early-stage companies and academics. This premium article covers a selection of the most interesting and/or commercially relevant talks.