In recent years, wearable technology have made it more exciting to interact with smart technology. We are spoilt for choice as the tech market is proliferated with a wide range of stylish wearable gadgets.
For instance, it seems like everyone is wearing a smart watch these days. I even know a guy who wears a smart watch on one hand and an analog watch on the other. It’s a bit of an overkill but at least he is a fairly punctual guy.
The market for Virtual Reality (VR) headset devices is also expanding. They used to mainly appeal to gamers only but there are now growing interests from enterprises. You can also see VR devices being used for training and education, mental health care, real estate and virtual tourism.
Beginning in 2024, smart glasses with augmented reality seems to be making a comeback, though they are still a bit on the pricey side. It is said that Google Glass partly failed because people were concerned about being secretly recorded in public. Are we becoming less conscious about personal privacy in public? As technology evolves, is it evolving our perception too?
It seems like wearable devices are becoming as essential as a smartphone or laptop. So, let’s take a deeper look into the capabilities of wearable technology.
Smart Watches: On-The-Go Wearable Technology
Smart watches seem to be giving a big boost to the wearable technology market with its wide range of designs.
They have now evolved to be more than just fitness trackers. Advanced smart watch models even come equipped with artificial intelligence that can more accurately analyze data about the user.
For example, the latest algorithms in Google Pixel Watch 2 are capable of detecting different types of user movements. It can also analyze data such as age, gender, skin tone, and light conditions to churn out a detailed health profile of the user.
Smart watch users typically reported that they find the gadget useful for tracking their heart rate, sleep and stress levels. They can also serve as a reminder of your daily to-do tasks. This can be very useful if you are always moving around your home or office without your smartphone.
I’d say a smart watch is the perfect gadget for active fitness buffs. They no longer have to carry around their heavy smartphone while they are working out. If they are afraid of missing important calls, then they can opt for a LTE model that can answer calls independent of their phone.
Virtual Reality: Potential To Redefine Wearable Technology
Virtual Reality (VR) headsets are becoming more popular in recent years. Technological improvements in VR devices and more affordable prices are enticing more tech consumers and enterprises to adopt the technology.
For today’s market, even a basic standalone VR device can track surroundings with built-in cameras and sensors. More advanced models can even track your eyes and hands without the need for controllers. The quality of the immersion has definitely improved much compared to previous models.
The cumbersome physical form of a typical VR device could be the main factor that is hindering its advance into the mainstream tech market. Even the lightest standalone VR device weighs about 500g. In my personal opinion, this is not an ideal weight for a headset device.
The VIVE XR Elite is lighter at 270g without the battery pack, so it should be much more comfortable to wear. The device will of course still need a power source, so you must tether it to an external power source like a powerbank.
There is hope that we may soon have a decent mainstream VR device which we can comfortably wear for virtual remote work and meetings, accessing the metaverse or engaging in VR fitness. 3D spatial computing will be such a huge game changer after decades of relying on flat 2D screens.
Talking about the metaverse, it is definitely not dead. The metaverse concept presented by Meta back in Connect 2021 certainly still sounds exciting and plausible. If you are adventurous, there are business opportunities within the metaverse which you can start to explore now if you wish to get a head start into the industry.
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Wearable Technology Overview
Smart Glasses: The Augmented Reality Device We Have Been Waiting For?
Augmented Reality (AR) is one the promising technologies that is set to revolutionize various industries. For now however, the use of AR seems to be still very low.
Consumers can quite easily access AR contents via their smartphones but viewing such contents with a hand-held smartphone just doesn’t feel natural. If we can just flick a switch or use a voice command to activate AR in our smart glasses, then the user experience will be so much more seamless.
The Apple Vision Pro certainly gave a taste of what AR can do more for us. However, how many of us will really regularly put on a bulky headset while walking around? Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses is gathering attention but customers complain about limited AI functionalities and short battery life.
Nevertheless, I’d say that smart glasses are here to stay once the product designers make some improvements. For example, it will be fantastic if they can reduce the weight of the smart glass so it will feel as natural as wearing a normal pair of glasses. The battery life would also need to last for a whole day to be a practical gadget. Finally, a much lower price will definitely boost adoption rate of smart glasses worldwide.
As for real life use cases, smart glasses hold much potentials to be a very practical tool for daily use. Some examples are:
- Wearing a AR smart glass while driving can help drivers with roads navigation, hazard avoidance, and getting real-time feedback on traffic conditions.
- Smart glasses can help people see better, especially useful for individuals who are suffering from short and long sightedness or astigmatism.
- When traveling in foreign countries, smart glasses can translate foreign languages in real-time. Such a feature could really give a boost to the tourism industry.
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Conclusion
In the near future, it is foreseen that wearable smart devices will no longer be just accessories. As more useful functions and features are integrated into wearable devices, they will be essential tools for tech enthusiasts.
For example, smart watches can serve as an essential tool for maintaining optimum health.
Virtual Reality headsets, as they improve in function and design, will redefine entertainment needs as well as virtual work and meetings.
Augmented Reality smart glasses also hold so much potential to function as an essential tool that we cannot leave home without.
For tech lovers and early adopters, this is the perfect time to embrace the future of wearable devices!
