Wearable Technology

Innovation map for printed photodetectors in large area sensing.

Innovation map of the emerging opportunities for multifunctional hybrid sensors.

Sensors are vital in modern life. They measure a vast quantity of metrics and parameters, acting as the interface between the physical and digital worlds. Printed sensors can be produced in large areas on flexible substrates, reducing costs and unlocking new market opportunities. The new IDTechEx report, "Printed and Flexible Sensors 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets", breaks down key trends by technology approach - highlighting both opportunities and challenges for the industry forecast to reach US$960 million by 2034.

Moxtek is a Utah-based developer and manufacturer of X-ray and optical components. IDTechEx spoke to the Nippon Kayaku Group company about its custom metalens foundry business, which is based around nanoimprint lithography.

Innovation map for the market overview of printed piezoresistive sensors and roadmap of the automotive sector.

IDTechEx have released a brand new episode of the 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' podcast, 'AR and VR Headsets - Time for an Extended Reality Check?'. Host Dr Tess Skyrme and industry expert Sam Dale will be discussing the up-and-coming trends in the AR/VR landscape.

Apple's Vision Pro has recently grabbed all the headlines in the spatial computing world, following years of hype and rumors of Apple bringing a headset to market. The Vision Pro is thought to be merely the opening salvo of the tech giant's strategy, with see-through augmented reality (AR) devices expected to be the endgame.

NEPCON 2024 took place from January 24th-26th at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. This event included parallel expos across various technology themes - and in this article the main findings from the Wearable Expo are summarized.

Sefar are a leading manufacturer of precision monofilament fabrics for screen printing, filtration, separation and smart textiles. The company's products are used in a wide range of industries, from electronics, graphics, medical, automotive, food and life science to aerospace, mining, refining and architecture. IDTechEx spoke with Project Manager and Textile Engineer, Roua Cheffi, about their PresSense fabric.

CES is one of the biggest exhibitions of technology in the world. The article covers the key themes from the event including AI, connectivity, electric mobility, autonomous technologies, and AR usage in the cabin.

Accensors develop a wide range of printed and flexible sensors, capable of measuring parameters such as pH, temperature, pressure, ion concentration, level, conductivity, and more. Their main target market is wearable/healthcare applications. Their primary business model is developing bespoke sensors, including those that can determine multiple medically relevant parameters. IDTechEx spoke to CEO and Founder of Accensors, Eike Kottkamp.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world as we know it; from the success of DeepMind over Go world champion Lee Sedol in 2016 to the robust predictive abilities of OpenAI's ChatGPT, the complexity of AI training algorithms is growing at a startlingly fast pace, where the amount of compute necessary to run newly-developed training algorithms appears to be doubling roughly every four months.

LetinAR is a South Korean developer of optical systems for augmented reality glasses. Its PinMR™ optical combiners are fabricated from plastic, offering cost and durability advantages. They are now finding their way into commercial devices. IDTechEx caught up with LetinAR at CES 2024.

CES is the largest consumer electronics conference globally. Three IDTechEx analysts attended the main event from 8th to 12th January as well as the two media-only days before. This article, focusing on augmented reality hardware and applications, forms part of a series covering the event.

IDTechEx have launched a new monthly podcast, 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx', bringing you up to date technology trends. In each episode our host will interview an industry expert from IDTechEx, offering insights into a range of emerging technologies.

WACKER is a technological leader in the chemical industry and manufactures products for all key global industries. It is active in the silicone, polymer, life sciences and polysilicon markets. This update is focused on its dielectric silicone products for energy harvesting and sensing applications.

In 2024, augmented reality headsets are now affordable enough that some average consumers received a pair last Christmas, yet they are unlikely to form the top fashion craze for the year. In 2013, Google Glass was the first commercial AR device to enter the public consciousness.

Mofiria manufactures and distributes finger vein biometric authentication devices that use complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and organic photodetector near-infrared image sensors.

Mateligent GmbH produce smart materials composed of dielectric elastomers (DE) and shape memory alloys (SMA), which they use to design actuators, pressure and strain sensors, and haptics. IDTechEx spoke with Andreas Meyer (Co-founder/CTO), Alex York (General Manager), Tim Mannchen (Business Development Manager), and Jens Preetz (CEO). This interview focuses on Mateligent's electroactive polymers (EAPs).