Wearable tech accelerator/incubator Stained Glass Labs has taken a stab at breaking down the Internet of Things and wearable technology space in this infographic. It points out that three categories — Smart Security, Smart Networks and Smart Identity will underpin this space. They’re essential to providing communication between these devices. It also points to some interesting trends in healthcare.
It cites Juniper Research’s projection that the Internet of Things market will be worth $19 billion by 2018. The wearable technology companies at the heart of this market have produced a diverse group of more than 8 billion devices. Tracking devices such as FitBit and Jawbone have gained a lot of attention as a way to motivate people to improve their health by showing tangible results. But this intelligence feedback is also embedded in clothing such as Radiate Athletics, NuMetrix and in footwear such as Plantiga and Nike.
Healthcare professionals are showing an interest in using Google Glass as an education tool for surgery and to make patient and physician interactions more meaningful. Qualcomm Life and Palomar Health are opening an incubator to evaluate medical applications for the device. Optics which are following the lead of Google Glass include Meta, Recon and Telepathy.
Gesture technology is also a part of the Internet of Things. Google’s acquisition of Flutter last month underscored the fact that companies believe in the power of this technology. They are seeing useful applications from the subtlety of using hand motions to do simple and complex tasks illustrated by tools such as MYO by Thalmic Labs. It has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities to an innovative approach to physical therapy.
