Wearable Technology is, as it sounds, a technology that one wears on or even in their body. From smartwatches and smart glasses to fitness trackers and wearable glucose monitors, wearable technology is quickly becoming its own field. With several uses in the medical field and the business world, wearable technology is transforming the way data is sourced and used.
Wearable technology utilizes sensors to measure the wearer's every move, including steps taken, heart rate, points of restless sleep, eye movement, paths traveled, times of heightened stress, and much more; not to mention their location at every moment.
These increasingly popular, hands-free wearable devices, including the Apple Watch, Google Glass, virtual reality (VR) headsets, real-time heart rate and blood pressure monitors, and all manner of activity trackers, are becoming a staple in our world and our workplaces. Growing demand in this field has inspired many businesses to incorporate these wearables into their management plans. By connecting employees with wearable tech, companies can monitor employee health, billable hours, drive time, and functional capabilities, such as how much weight they lifted or how many stairs they climbed. The collected data from this type of occupational and health monitoring can not only provide insight into employee safety but also reduce insurance rates tremendously in high-risk industries.
Increasing concern over data security and personal privacy has not deterred many people from consuming all variations of this technology. There are medical devices to wear on or in your body to monitor health issues and distribute medications. Activity trackers function in a multitude of ways, from counting steps and sleep tracking, to fertility tracking and calorie counting. Wearables now even include contactless information exchange and payment options. There is truly wearable technology for almost every need.