Wearable Technology 2015
From New Media Business Blog
Contents |
Introduction
Wearable technology offers businesses and consumers alike a new way to interact with the world. These sensor-enabled devices have the capability to collect and share meaningful information and act as an integral part in the shift to the Internet of Things. The term “wearables” has been used since the 19th century, however, it was only recently that consumers became aware of wearable devices and the market for wearable technology experienced a significant growth. Currently, the global revenue from wearable devices is estimated to be at $9.2 billion and projected to reach $30.2 billion by 2018. The amount of additional data generated by these wearable devices will allow for both industries and consumers to be more productive in their life.
While the majority of current wearable devices are targeted towards a general consumer, wearable computing has the potential to change the way businesses interact with their employees and customers. Wearables will have a large influence on many businesses, especially in industries that are typically hands-on or currently lagging in technology adoption, such as in construction, the health sector, and warehouse operations. However, there is a wide range of concerns that businesses would have to address in order to achieve mass market adoption of this technology. They include privacy, security, and social implications.
Definition
Wearables are defined as “miniaturized computing devices that can be comfortably worn or carried to automate or augment daily work or personal activities”. By leveraging its sensor-enabled capabilities, a wearable device can detect, measure, and communicate information to the user.[1] This technology has the potential to transform several market segments including gaming and entertainment, fitness, healthcare, enterprise, education, and fashion. Global revenue from wearable devices is estimated to grow from $9.2 billion to $30.2 billion by 2018 with consumer applications accounting for 73% of the market.[2]
History
- 1961 - The Gambling Shoe: The origins of wearable technology can be traced back to 1961, when the first wearable computer was designed to cheat at roulette. Mathematicians Edward O. Thorpe and Claude Shannon invented a small timing device which could be concealed in a shoe. This gambling shoe would tell the gambler where the ball was going to land on a roulette table through radio waves, generating a 44% increase of winning bets.[3]
Gambling shoe
- 1975 - Calculator Wristwatch: The Pulsar “calculator” wristwatch, the world’s first wrist calculator, was released to the public in 1975. Immediately after its release, the wristwatch became widely popular among scientists and mathematicians. Several watch brands including Casio, Timex, and Hewlett Packard mass produced the calculator wristwatch during 1980s-1990’s.[4]
Calculator wristwatch
- 1980s to 2000s - “ Digital Eye Glass”: Steve Mann, a researcher and inventor, is renowned as the world’s first cyborg.[5] In 1981, Steve Mann invented a backpack-mounted computer used to control photographic equipment. Using a camera that was attached to his helmet Mann was able to record what he was seeing through the right eye. [6] Since then, the device has gone through four generations and has become more sleeker, more slender, and simpler.[7]
- 2000 - Bluetooth Headset: In 2000 the first Bluetooth headset became available to the general public. This headset incorporated bluetooth wireless technology and provided hands-free solutions for mobile communication.[8]
- 2009 - Fitbit: Fitbit Inc. was founded by James Park and Eric Fridman in May 2007. With advanced sensors and wireless technology, Fitbit aims to create amazing experiences that inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Their first product was the Fitbit tracker, which used an ultra-compact wireless wearable sensor. Fitbit automatically measures and collects the user's activities while being worn. Apart from tracking and measuring their daily activities, users can also interact with other Fitbit users in the online community.[9]
Nike FuelBand
- 2012 - Nike FuelBand: The Nike fuel band was officially released in the U.S. at select Nike Stores as part of the Quantified Self movement. This wristwear is designed to measure user’s rate of activity during the day and transmit the data through Bluetooth technology to the Nike Online Community. In addition to tracking their progress, wearers can also check their peers’ status through Facebook and Twitter.[10]
- 2013 - The Pebble Watch: Pebble is a customizable watch that conveniently delivers information that benefits users. It connects to iOS and Android smartphones via Bluetooth and displays information such as phone call and message notifications.[11]
- 2013 - Google Glass: In 2013, Google Glass became available to the qualified “Glass Explorers” in the U.S. The device allowed users to check emails, receive phone calls, and use Google Maps navigation. Soon after the launch the company faced concerns regarding privacy and safety implications, which resulted in some bars and restaurants banning use of Google Glass. Although Google ended the sales of Google Glass, the company made an announcement in 2015 that it remains committed to the development of the product.[12]
- 2013 - Smartwatch: Avi Greengart, analyst on Consumer Devices, suggested that with the advanced technology and mass ownership of smartphones, 2013 would be the ripe time for smartwatches to enter the wearables market.[13] Smartwatches are designed to connect to smartphones wirelessly to provide users with limited phone capabilities. Companies involved in the development of smartwatches include Acer, Apple, BlackBerry, Foxconn, Google, LG, Microsoft, and Samsung.[14]
Current Wearables
In 2015, wearables are still in its infancy. They have yet to become fully adopted by the mainstream and they still face numerous issues in regards to functionality, usability, and social acceptability.
Currently, there are two primary types of wearables: general purpose and specialized. General purpose wearables contain a variety of features and functionalities that appeal to most users. These wearables tend to blend-in with a user’s daily activities and are unintrusive and unnoticeable. They often replace an existing device such as a watch, bracelet, or glasses. Specialized wearables are focused on performing a specific task and are often one-faceted in their design. They prioritize functionality over form and are designed accordingly. Although specialized wearable tends to serve a specific purpose, there have been efforts to generalize more specialized wearable to create mass appeal.
General Purpose Wearables
Smartwatch
Smartwatches are a common form of wearables. Smartwatches are about glanceable information. They perform all the functions of a traditional watch, such as timekeeping, but also act as an extension to one’s smartphone. A smartwatch allows a user to receive notifications from his or her smartphone on their wrist and reply to them through simple emoji or voice dictation. It also keeps track of basic health information such as blood pressure and heart rate. Most smartwatches can tell its user whether or not they are being active enough during the day and can notify them when they need to stand or move around.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch was released on April 25, 2015. There are three different versions of the watch: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition. Although all versions of the watch support the same functionality, the material of the watch and band varies. Currently, they only work with the iPhone and have limited functionality without being paired with the phone.[15]
Android Wear
Android Wear is Google’s smartwatch OS. Although Google currently does not manufacture their own hardware, they collaborate with other electronics manufacturer such as Samsung, LG, and Motorola. The first Android Wear Watches, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Live and LG G Watch, launched on March 18, 2014.[16]
Smartglasses
Google Glass started as a research project from Google X, an advanced research division within Google. It became available to developers on April 15, 2013 and the public through the "Glass Explorer's Program" in 2014.[17] Although tremendously lauded for its breakthrough form factor and potential, Google ceased sales of Google Glass in January, 2015 as it faced a myriad of backlash from the public in regards to the privacy implications of Google Glass.[18] Although Google Glass is no longer available for sale to the general public, Google has been working on prototypes versions of Glass for the enterprise by making it more rugged.[19]
Specialized Wearables
Fitness Wearables
Fitness is one of the first applications for wearables as it needs to be small, durable, and long-lasting. Fitness wearables provide important information for its users regarding their workout and provide metrics for comparison between each workout. Although smartwatches offer many similar functionalities, the data provided tends to be less precise and updated less frequently compared to dedicated fitness wearables. Many fitness wearables also contain a social aspect so users can compare their workout with friends and family.
Fitbit Charge HR
The Fitbit Charge HR is a wrist wearable that can track its wearer's heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, and other health metrics. Although it is fitness focused, it does offer some functionality that smartwatches have, such as caller ID. However, compared with a smartwatch, the Fitbit Charge HR has about 5 days of battery life, as opposed to the 2 to 3 days that a smartwatch has.[20]
Hexoskin
Hexoskin is smart clothing that tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, breathing volume, and other fitness statistics. One advantage of integrating fitness tracking capabilities into clothing is that users would no longer need to carry unnecessary bulk or wear an uncomfortable wristband when exercising. Hexoskin is also capable of tracking health information when the user is asleep, which would provide information that one does not need to actively monitor.[21]
RunScribe
The runScribe is designed to track information specific to runners, such as pace, impact Gs, breaking Gs, pronation excursion. It is a small, lightweight device that the user clips-on to the back of their shoes. Most interestingly, it can aggregate the information gather and summarize it into a “runScore”, which allows users to easily compare between each iteration of their runs.[22]
Gaming Wearables
For gaming wearables, the quality of experience greatly outweighs the portability of the device. In order to improve gaming experience, gaming wearables must provide immersion and change the user’s perception of reality. There are two primary ways of influencing the perception of reality: virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Virtual reality refers to situations in which the user experiences the game as if he or she is actually in the world of the game. Augmented reality can utilize the environment that the user is located in and can meld the game with the real world.
| Perceived Benefits | US | UK |
| Improved their Health and Fitness | 71% | 63% |
| Helped in Career Development | 33% | 33% |
| Felt more Intelligent | 53% | 39% |
| Boosted Self-Confidence | 54% | 46% |
| More Control Over Life | 60% | 53% |
Potential Applications
Tesco has implemented wearable armbands in one of their warehouses in Ireland. The armbands allow employees to track items, assign tasks, estimate completion times, and provide analytical feedback, eliminating many of the tasks previously performed using clipboards and hand-held scanners. This project has reduced the number of employee by 18% and improved operational efficiency.[7]
At Cirque du Soleil, professional trainers who had to previously rely on their intuitiveness can now gain insight into their athlete’s body using wearable technology. Through technology such as Hexoskin, Cirque du Soleil can run tests including heart rate variability, vertical jump height, hand grip dynamometer, sleep duration and quality, and subjective measures of perceived exertion and performance.[8] This knowledge will then enhance their coaches’ ability to make objective decisions about a performer’s readiness as well as possibly predict times when a performer may not be at full strength, saving Cirque du Soleil money in insurance, rehabilitation fees, and downtime.
Worker Safety
In addition to advertising and operations management, wearable technology has the potential to improve workplace safety in accident-prone industries, such as construction. According to the US Department of Labor, there were 828 deaths recorded on construction sites in 2013. Over half of those deaths were due to the following four major causes that are also known as the Fatal Four: fall, being struck by an object, electrocution, being caught-in/between. Wearable technology has the capability to target the Fatal Four and potentially reduce the number of deaths by 58%, saving 478 lives every year in United States.[9]
Application Of Wearable Devices In Construction Industry
Wearable technology has a wide range of applications targeted towards improvement of working conditions. Firstly, wearable devices can help to ensure that workers are using proper safety equipment. This targets a particularly problematic area as, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 84% of all workers who reportedly suffered a head injury were not wearing proper head protection. Reduction in the number of head injuries would directly translate into major cost savings for construction companies, as a single concussion injury can cost up to $143,000 in direct and indirect costs.[10] Secondly, construction supervisors and managers can use wearables to evaluate effectiveness of the current safety training and identify areas of operations that require additional training. Maintaining relevant training requirements can further reduce the risk of work-related injuries. Lastly, workers can greatly benefit from wearable devices providing them with precautions for known hazardous areas and notifications about emergencies and hazardous working conditions.
Issues and Concerns
Although wearable devices have the potential to improve employee safety and productivity, there has been a number of privacy concerns that need to be considered before adopting this technology in the workplace. Ponemon Institute conducted a survey with 567 executives in the United States, which concluded that 43% of the respondents experienced at least one data breach in 2014.[11] Such a high prevalence of data breaches has resulted in the growing concern regarding data security among employees. In addition, organizations need to address the risk of wearable devices capturing sensitive information in the workplace. USAA, a provider of financial and insurance services to military families, has banned its employees from wearing Google Glass due to potential infringement on other employees’ privacy.[12] Lastly, employers need to clarify whether the information collected by wearable devices may be used to assess employee performance and potentially lead to disciplinary measures or dismissal.
