Tech will adapt to us, not vice versa.
It’s 7:40 am and I find myself on a chartered bus to a mystical land where people eat, drink and sleep technology… where people walk around wearing augmented vision apparatus that gather relevant data from whatever and whomever they look at. It’s where bleeding-edge tech comes to life. I am on my way to Google HQ in Mountainview, California.
Google is ubiquitous, known for its search engine and general internet dominance. But what I am interested in is Google Glass. Unless you have just gotten out from under a rock, you have read about these mini marvels of technology. The idea is that Google Glass are worn much like regular glasses, but there is this small glass block that sits just inside of your peripheral vision. This glass block is actually a transparent screen that overlays (or “augments”) information and command functionality over a portion of your field of vision.
Pretty cool. But to me, the revolution is not in the glass themselves, but the information that we will be able to augment our reality with. With Google Glass, you are able to take pictures, share content, make queries on objects you are looking at etc.
Down the road, Google Glass would be able to recognize the face of the person in front of you and pull up their key information: “This is Ellen. Ellen has three boys. Just moved into a new home. Just got promoted to Director. Mutual friends include…” as an example. And that’s just the beginning of what Google envisions for this new technology.
I know what you’re thinking… wake me up when the “iBrain implants” are shipping. But in reality, wearable technology is fundamentally changing the way we interact with data and – more importantly – the way we physically interact with technology. We have ultimately become the latest and greatest user interface.
Think about this: no learning curve, no new operating system, no compatibility problems. We just do what we do. Looking forward, the most successful wearable technology will work on interacting with us and not necessarily the other way around.
Watches have been great at putting the time close at hand, so naturally we see a lot of wearable technology landing on your wrist, like the Nike+ Fuelband or the Kickstarter funded Pebble Watch. Apple, Sony and Microsoft are also racing to get their version of a “smart watch” to grab a lead position in this new segment. But some of the highest tech for your wrist is based upon fairly simple concepts. For example, there are a handful of non-digital wristbands that change colour with sun exposure, warning kids when to cover up and apply sun block.
And as the wearables market continues to evolve and the technology gets smarter, you will see a number of old market segments blossom with new-found importance and interest. The fashion industry (believe it or not) is embracing new technology and coming to market with a few very curious inventions that change their looks depending on where the clothing is touched or if they receive a phone call.
Sports is quickly getting saturated with wearables, but Under Armour has set the bar for ambitious and visionary ideas. It’s working with technology partners to realize the vision showcased in the demo video below that shows off a killer prototype athletic shirt with conductive fabric that carries light and functional elements within the clothing – your outfit becomes the input device and the sleeve becomes the interaction point.
The health sector naturally has the most wearables on the market today. Everything from The LumoBack that helps monitor your posture, to the awe inspiring Adhesive Body Sensor by technology lab MC10. Picture one of those nicotine patches, but with a chip with a number of sensors built in. The sensors actually monitor and measure a number of biological readings including your body’s temperature and hydration levels. The data collected is then sent to your iPhone or straight to your doctor. This is revolutionary as it pertains to monitoring newborns, out patients, or patients on new medications.
As microchips and sensors become smaller and more capable, we will find better and smarter ways to incorporate them into everyday objects and materials to create more meaningful and valuable interactions. From big-time players like Google all the way to crowd funded start-ups on Kickstarter, the world of wearable technology is exploding and as more and more products come to the market, the leaders will be the ones who make the technology more intuitive and easy to incorporate into our daily lives.
As MC10 puts it so eloquently, “We decided it was time humans stop conforming to electronics. So we’re making electronics conform to us.”
Cameron Wykes is the chief invention officer at KBS+. [@CameronWykes] [LinkedIn]
