WELLNESS
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Jak Phillips reports on the latest innovations in wellness wearables – a market that’s expected to be worth US$8bn by 2018
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The designer t-shirt tracks biometrics and movement
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pple and Google are pouring millions into the wearable tech market, which is also attracting a
host of exciting, innovative start-ups. The global wearable electronics
market is expected to reach revenues of US$8bn (€6.3bn, £5bn) by 2018, with health and fi tness trackers representing 61 per cent of the sector. The ramifi cations for health
and wellbeing are huge. Medical institutions are already using the technology to monitor patients’ vital signs – aiming to identify problems early – and there’s potential for spas to monitor customer biometrics as well. They’re being integrated with
corporate wellness programmes too as employers harness information from trackers to determine employ- ees’ health insurance premiums. Many feel that this is just the start for wearable tech, which has the potential for seamless integration with the ‘internet of things’ – the advanced connectivity of devices, systems and services – as it gains momentum. With this in mind, we look at the
latest innovations in the wellness wearables market to work out which ideas are likely to leave rivals stuck in the starting blocks.
Jak Phillips is the head of news at Leisure Media Email:
jakphillips@leisuremedia.com Tel: +44 1462 471938
Muse measures
brainwave activity and an integrated app teaches wearers how to meditate
MUSE HEADBAND
The Muse headband by start-up fi rm InteraXon has been designed to help people meditate. Marketed as a product to help
manage stress, the Muse reads and measures the user’s brainwaves to paint a picture of how brain activity is aff ected by emotions. It also comes with an integrated brain health appli- cation which teaches meditation. The device rests on the ears like a
pair of glasses and teaches wearers how to calm their brain by using computer-guided meditation in the form of cranial training app Calm. Among the benefi ts of decreasing
brainwave rhythm using meditative techniques are the production of endorphins and dopamine, in addi- tion to better memory, attentiveness and empathy, say Muse’s makers. The device uses a rechargeable bat-
tery and is compatible with iOS, Mac and select PC operating systems. It retails at around US$299 (€220, £178).
RALPH LAUREN POLO TECH T-SHIRT
From 2015, tennis lovers can record metrics and data from recent per- formances to improve their game, thanks to a movement tracking shirt from designers Ralph Lauren. The luxury brand’s Polo Tech
t-shirt uses sensors knitted into the fabric to read heartbeat, respiration and other biometrics.
■ Meanwhile, Sony is set to launch its attachable Smart Tennis Sensor early next year. The US$200 (€152, £121) device attaches to rackets to record up
Data collected by the shirt is stored by a black-box system, which also captures movement and direction metrics. These fi ndings, along with
data related to energy output and stress levels are sent to the cloud and will be viewable on a tablet or smartphone.
to 12,000 shots of swing and serve data, with fi ndings transferred to a smartphone
app that can be share with friends via social media.
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