Human beings are driven by the desire to stay connected and access information from each and every hub point. Imagine the power of a connected world and the ability to process more data than before. The number of connected devices has touched to 15 billion networked devices today. As more and more devices continue to transform our lives, we are now gearing for the next big wave of the Internet, called the Internet of Everything (IoE).
And according to Cisco, IoE growth will generate $14.4 trillion in value – over the next decade. Much of the first wave of this growth will be in wearable technology. As Internet of Everything transforms the digital landscape, everything will depend on how wearable technology and mobile app development combine to provide contextual information and become more intelligent.
The Future of Wearables
Wearable technology has already revolutionized the lives of people and transformed the ability to gather, quantify, and share data. The millennial generation continues to be the earliest adopters of the wearables movement.
By 2018, the wearable market is expected to be worth 12.6 billion U.S. dollars. While the category is still in nascent stage the opportunity is big one and that’s the future.
If you thought wearables is just not about smartwatches, think about it again. Here is how the wearable technology will redefine our lives and the way we do business.
Wearable technology currently in its nascent stage or early adopter phase. With the launch of Apple Watch, the technology is getting more main stream. It is no longer limited to a fitness device. The wearable technology is now undergoing a rapid evolution, creating connected devices, hosting a number of new features that will help manage lives, health and safety.
The wearable device will have the capability to connect and communicate to the network through cellular connectivity or through another device, such as a smartphone using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®.
Today, wearable technologies are used for controlling home appliances, heat monitoring, pets tracking, gaming, sports and fashions. Undoubtedly, the wearable technology is now taking personalization to the new level. It is something that you are now going to wear-right from clothing, glasses, helmets to watches.
Sports Industry, Wearables & VR: Making the Connection
With the rapid proliferation of wearable technology and devices, the sports industry is experiencing a paradigm shift and information revolution. The wearable technology is changing the way players, teams, team managers and fans view their game.
Health & Safety of Players: Wearable technology touching virtually each and every piece of equipment athletes to ensure safety, including sensors in the helmets of players to detect a concussion to prevent further aggravation of injuries. Smart compression shirts effectively measure arm movement and technique to determine a pitcher’s effectiveness. With sensor-based technology, wearables have taken health & safety of players to new heights by providing protective equipment and predictive injury analytics to assess and prevent fatal and life-threatening injuries.
Tracking Physical Activity: Whether you are carrying smartphones in your pockets or smartwatch on your wrists, wearable technology can allow sportsperson to track physical activity. While consumers use smart watches in combination with their smartphones to monitor biofeedback and their level of activity throughout the day, professional sports organizations have integrated wearable technologies to track physical activities to perfection.
Real-time Feedback: With cognitive analytics, sports properties can use wearable devices to get real-time feedback on performance and make optimum use of training schedules. Wearables provide end-to-end solutions for several professional organizations across the globe by including the analytics involved in processing the data.
Recreating the action in VR: While the VR broadcasting is currently in its nascent stage, the 360-degree feed allows you explore the game across the stadium providing different perspective of players, fans and team officials.
Finally
According to PWC’s The Wearable Future report: Wearables will be “the next big thing,” with some 130 million wearable devices expected to ship by 2018.
For wearables to add more value to consumer, it needs to fully embrace Internet of Things opportunities to provide actionable insights. Ultimately, the bottom-line is to take a human-centered approach and simplify user experience.
The commercial adoption of this technology could help discover new possibilities. Wearables can dramatically reshape the way sports industry functions. But the key involves including wearables in the mobile-first strategy to deliver value to end-user.