As easy as changing a watchstrap - wearable technology keeps getting better!

Technology is everywhere we look and we are wearing more and more of it.

Tech can make life simpler, more enjoyable and connect people with their communities and the wider world, so much so that it's pretty hard to escape. Even living off-grid doesn't necessarily mean without technology - you can still surf the web and check your emails thanks to the decreasing cost and increasing performance in solar and wind power.

What wearable tech is available? 

Wearable technology has been around for centuries, in it's simplest form. From the first glasses for vision in 1276, the wristwatch in the 1898 and the digital watch in 1979.  All make our lives more comfortable, convenient and fun. 

Smartwatches 

Obviously one of the first on our list because we sell replacement straps for fitness monitors and smartwatches!

Every advance in techonology iimproves the funcitonality and performance of smart watches, processors are more powerful than some laptops. The resolution is increased and some now have  touchscreens, the limitations being human eyesight to be able see the screen, and accommodating large human fingers.

Fitness Trackers

The dedicated fitness monitors can be worn on the wrist, synchronised to larger devices and some can be twinned with phones, offering similar functionality to smartwatches. 

Replacement straps 

Not really a technology in itself. The availability and ease of changing smartwatch straps means wearers can change the look of their watch easily and at a low cost, making the watch more wearable for different activities - waterproof devices and straps can improve the wearability and hence longer monitoring time. Longer monitoring means a better profile of activity and fitness. 

Smart Jewellery

Bracelets, necklaces and rings all look pretty and offer elements of fitness /health tracking. Fitness monitors do also come in bracelet style straps and different colours for outfit coordination, but earrings, necklaces and rings can be made which not only look like real jewellery, they can carry technology to identify, locate and monitor activity. 

Smart Clothing

E-Textiles

Charge your phone whilst out window shopping with solar panel jackets, clock up the miles with inbuilt pedometers in shoes. E-textiles enable charging and connectvity electronics to be literally woven into the fabric.

Smart tracksuits to improve your training - fitness monitoring throughout exercise and training can measure your physiological responses. This can help to overcome limitations and help athletes  improve personal bests or break a world. 

Not that crazy a concept, however there are obvious issues such as laundering the clothing as well as making it comfortable and light. The e-textile also has to durable to withstand the rigorous exercise it might be subjected to. 

Footwear

Smart Socks and Shoes can be fitted with GPS tracking devices - great for children and dementia sufferers with a tendancy to wander. Keep track of your elderly relative easily. 

Nike have created a trainer that can automatically adjust the snugness of fit on an athletes foot. Self lacing trainers can detect when to tighten and when to relax the fit according to performance. 

Samsung are developing a sportshoe that also monitors the physical aspects of a runner such as foot position whilst running and technique - all could improve fitness and reduce injuries. 

It all seems futuristic but Puma developed a running shoe with pedometer and activity tracker back in 1986, being one of the first wearable tech's over 30 years ago. Puma are now re-visiting their running shoe which you could connect to computers of the day, such as Commadore 64.

Head-Mounted Technology

The most obvious is Google Glass - looking more like chemistry googles than Geordi Laforge's eye visor, the glass is not currently available to buy.

Still early days it has been branded a massive failure, which some put down to bad marketing - it's not really clear who would use it and what for other than a high ticket gadget for fun.

Concerns about people's privacy were raised and reports of headaches as a side effect of using it which was likely caused by it's proximity - focusing on the glass would cause eye strain. 

It is now re-entering a new stage of development but will not be for general sale to the public.

Cameras  

In 1922 the spy camera was created, a far cry from the modern hidden recording devices. GoPro and other makes of camera can be worn on the head or with a chest fitting to film the individual or their view.   

These are popular with cyclists who wear the cameras on their helmets both on commutes and recreational rides for various reasons, but mainly to post footage of driving misdemeanours. 

Virtual Reality

It was Morton Heilig's Sensorama in 1956 which started the VR ball rolling, he wanted to immerse the viewer in the film they were watching . This eventually lead to the first VR headset being invented in 1968 but it wasn't very wearable, bit heavy, not comfortable - not a success.

Now over five decades later, and although not household goods, they are mainstream.

The latest VR headsets are lightweight, increasingly affordable, portable and really offer full immersion into your game, choose from headsets that work with your PC or as standalone gaming technology.

There are many to choose from and as the tech is refined and improved, we can see VR headsets and fitness monitors linking together for a workout on a Miami beach, a run in the French Alps or a bike ride along the Tour de France routes whilst at home. Giving an intense workout and tracking your improvements on your smartwatch.