Wearable tech includes devices that are worn directly on the body or attached to clothing. Examples include smart watches, smart bracelets and sensors that can be incorporated into shoes and jewelry. Other wearable tech includes earbuds, virtual assistants clipped to the ears or around the neck and wristbands that monitor blood pressure and heart rate. These devices can reportedly answer questions, find information and carry out tasks such as navigating the web, playing music, taking photos and sending text messages. Some wearables also include translation and fitness-tracking features.
Health monitoring and fitness tracking are popular applications for wearables, as they can help people manage their health by enabling them to track their sleep patterns or heart rate. Some companies also develop wearables that can be used to take electrocardiogram (ECG) readings without the need for an invasive chest X-ray, while others offer mobile apps that help users to track their calorie intake or manage their training regimens.
Although some wearables have been shown to empower individuals by helping them to take a more proactive role in their health and care, barriers such as cost, accuracy, battery life and user fatigue remain. In addition, concerns that wearables may intrude on personal privacy and lead to a distrust of the technology have been reported. Further research is needed to examine whether wearables can encourage individuals to make healthy behavior changes and contribute to the sustainability of health care systems.