Game, settings, match – the impact and future of wearable technology in fitness and healthcare

Abstract: The modern day smartphone has become an integrated part of everyday life - barely noticed when there, but missed dearly when not. With the recent introduction of wearable technology that acts as an extension of the smartphone, the industry is growing at an incredibly rapid pace, introducing new opportunities and areas of application. Android Wear, developed by the search engine giant Google, exhibits particular promise in the watches category of wearable devices. We sample the specifications of a collection of watches that run Android Wear and identify the trends in both screen size and sensing capabilities. We proceed by identifying various industries that have been affected by these watches including fashion, television, arts, automobiles as well as fitness and healthcare. With a hands-on experience of the Moto 360 watch, we are able to test the sensors of the device and finally, conclude with suggestions of possible additions that can be made to wearable devices by means of optical fibres