Soon the only time we’ll even have the possibility of disconnecting is when we’re in the shower. (Or maybe not even then.) In our connected world of the Internet of Things and wearables we aren’t just on our devices all day, our devices are more and more on us.
According to ABI market research, more than 60 percent of the wearables market right now is in the fitness space. Chances are, unless you have a medical device, your wearable is around your wrist or on your hip, measuring the physical you. And that’s not going to change any time soon. Instead, it’s going to expand to all body parts. TruPosture is a shirt that measures your posture and even vibrates to remind you to finally sit up. LED lights are embedded in all kinds of jogging gear, making the reflector soon obsolete.
It’s not just for workouts but for work too. EasyJet just celebrated their twentieth anniversary with super futuristic-looking uniforms that don’t only look cool, they in fact are supposed to improve communication and empower passenger safety. LED lights are sewn into the uniforms not only to provide extra lighting in case of emergency, but they’ll also work as walking departures boards with destinations and flight numbers. Plus, microphones are a major part of it all.
And wearables for work aren’t just uniforms, but professional bags too, like current Kickstarter candidate Smartbag, which comes packing with two USB chargers, lights to see the inside of your bag, and Bluetooth connectivity and GPS for things like your purse sending you a text asking if you forgot it, which also makes it easy to track if stolen. “We’ve put great care into making a wearable that doesn’t look like a wearable,” said Suzanne Schumacher, one of the company cofounders. This includes customizable fabric, colors and models. “The system follows all current security standards and techniques to ensure the highest level of safety available. We’re also aware of and care about everyone’s privacy. We will not gather any user data and all accounts are encrypted as well as password protected.” Smartbag is men’s and women’s bags and stand-alone kids you can snap into your current bags.
Let’s be serious, as we wear more devices, we actually become more and more obsessed with one of our most limited resources—battery power. This is why no fashion week in the last three years has lacked at least one designer with solar powered couteur. Perhaps the most famous is Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen who has found a way to make truly flexible fabric-like solar panels, but maybe is a bit too Northern European, high fashion, high-tech looking still for the average wearer.
And, just when you think they’ve thought of everything, there are numerous companies making smart bras, which can early-detect breast cancer, monitor your vitals, or be transformed into an emergency facemask.
What do you think is the craziest next connected fashion or wearable tech we’ll see next? Let your imagination run wild and send us (or even draw us) your idea in the Comments field below or to @TefDigital!
