Whether you know it or not, wearable technology has been around for centuries.
Despite all the recent speculation around smart watches and Google Glass, most people forget that the underlying form factors that we’re now appending computers onto were at one point groundbreaking technology themselves. Much like the wearable tech of today, both glasses and wristwatches faced hurdles on their way to becoming widely adopted technology. Though privacy is a bigger issue today than ever before, the truth is scrutiny of new fashion and technology has always been present.
The parallels are clear when you look at the transition from pocket watches to wristwatches in the early 1900’s. While pocket watches were a status symbol at the time, wristwatches were thought of as a fad reserved only for women. Wristwatches were also hardly seen as an upgrade; they were thought to be less accurate and functional than their pocket counterparts. That is until World War I came around and presented a valuable use case. Precisely timed and coordinated troop movements became a critical tactic and you don’t exactly have time to fumble in your pockets when you’re trying to not get killed. While we should be hopeful the key to overcoming wearable tech’s latest hurdles is not another World War, the point is technology must provide utility and functionality that overcomes social stigma.
Thanks to the driving forces behind Moore’s Law, the size of computers has been getting increasingly smaller and with this the possibilities of things that they can be embedded into becomes nearly infinite. This trend has led to the concept of the Internet of Things, a not-so-distant future where all things are connected and communicate with each other to create smarter automation on a massive scale. The number of connected devices is expected to reach 25 billion by 2020 in large part due to the rise of the machine-to-machine connected devices that make up the Internet of Things. In this world where data is everywhere and everyday objects are constantly providing feedback, that computer in your pocket will struggle to keep up – or at least you’ll struggle to keep up with it.
As we move closer to the Internet of Everything, the human body is an important domain as any. Wearable technology provides the opportunity to add more sensors to our bodies and better track our everyday routines. The Quantified Self movement has already started with activity-logging wearables like the Nike+ Fuel band, FitBit, and JawBone Up currently in market. These devices allow us to better understand how our everyday activities and decisions truly affect us in the long run. But where wearable technology really gets exciting is the intersection of quantified self and the Internet of Things. While the current goal of quantified self is to use the power of computers to better understand ourselves – in the future it will allow the computers all around us to better understand us.
Imagine this scenario: you got to bed late after staying up to work on a project. Luckily for you, traffic this morning is light so your alarm gives you an extra 10 minutes to sleep in. Knowing you haven’t gotten enough sleep, your coffeemaker brews you an extra cup – and caffeinated, because decaf isn’t going to cut it today. You hop in the shower that is the perfect temperature without ever having to touch the faucet. You go to your closet and the nearest screen recommends a long-sleeve polo and jeans because it’s a bit drafty out today and you like to be a little more casual on Thursdays. As you walk out the door your toaster pops out just half of an English muffin, a subtle reminder that you shouldn’t have downed the last of that bag of Doritos while you were finishing up your Powerpoint slides last night. This is the world of ambient intelligence powered by the Internet of Everything and the potential is nearly limitless.
Fortunately for brands, the future of the connected world has huge potential for businesses as well. As wearable technology gains momentum, it’s important to think of the devices not as new screens to display ads on but as avenues to create new consumer experiences with your brand. Just like the Internet (of the Internet) today, simply moving the traditional advertising approach to new technology doesn’t translate into success. As the world becomes increasingly interactive, brands must follow suit and provide digital experiences that are useful and actionable in the everyday lives of their customers. With more sensors comes more data, for both consumers and brands. Data on how, when, and where customers are using products will be pouring in like never before and brands will need to leverage their newfound user analytics into better design and usability.
While future technology will allow for greater personalization and automation, the stage has already been set. Smartphones are basically a de facto wearable device considering 79% of smartphone users have their phone on or with them for 22 hours of the day. But we’re quickly entering a world where a pocket’s reach away isn’t good enough, a world with blurred lines between our own senses and the data provided to us from computers. In this world, technology empowers both consumers and brands to perform at their highest efficiency – but we’ll still have to get over how it looks before we get there.