DR JOHN MORGAN

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
WEARING
IT WELL
Jak Phillips rounds up some of the latest innovations
in health and fi tness wearables – a market that’s
expected to be worth US$2bn by 2018
Tech giants such as
Apple and Google
are pouring millions
into what’s frequently
dubbed ‘the next big
thing’, while the wearables market is
also courting innovation from a host
of exciting start-ups. The wearables
market is expected to represent at
least US$2bn in revenue globally
by 2018, with health and fitness
trackers currently representing
around 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’
vitals – aiming to identify problems
early – and there’s potential for
spas and health clubs to monitor
customer biometrics as well.
Wearables are infi ltrating
corporate wellness programmes
too, as US employers harness
information from health trackers
to determine employees’ health
insurance premiums. And many feel
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.
We look at the latest innovations
in health and fi tness wearables, to
assess which ideas could leave rivals
stuck in the starting blocks.
Jak Phillips is head of
news at Leisure Media
Email: jakphillips@
leisuremedia.com
PAVLOK
Pavlok delivers a short,
sharp shock to users
who stray off plan
Be it sleeping in
or skipping the
gym, everyone
wishes they
could kick
those bad
habits that hurt
productivity and
prevent physical
activity. Now, a new
wearable is bidding to not just track
activity, but use pain and shame to
ensure users have no choice but to
reach their goals.
Due for release in 2015, Pavlok is
a fi tness tracking wristband that also
serves as a behavioural conditioner,
with a pre-order price of US$149.99.
Aside from the usual tracking of steps,
activity and sleep, this wearable has the
ability to give away your money, shame
you on social media, or even deliver a
340v static shock if you slip back into
bad habits. It also offers rewards – as
yet unspecifi ed – as well as posting
encouraging social media posts if you
stay on the straight and narrow.
Triallists have mainly been using the
device to help programme their body
to wake up earlier and exercise more,
although there’s clearly potential for
such technology to be applied to diet
control and smoking cessation as well.
RALPH LAUREN POLO TECH T-SHIRT
The T-shirt’s sensors can read heartbeat
From 2015, tennis
enthusiasts will be able to
record metrics and data
from recent performances
to improve their game,
thanks to a movement
tracking shirt from fashion
designer Ralph Lauren.
The luxury brand’s
Polo Tech T-shirt uses
sensors knitted into the
fabric to read heartbeat,
respiration and other
biometrics. 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 are viewable on a
tablet or smartphone.
Meanwhile, Sony is
preparing to launch its
attachable Smart Tennis
Sensor early next year.
The US$200 device
attaches to rackets to
record up to 12,000 shots
of swing and serve data.
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November/December 2014 © Cybertrek 2014