Wearables is a huge market across major sectors including healthcare and consumer electronics. The scope for versatility and flexibility, along with continuous, accurate data collection make wearable devices a technology unlike any other. IDTechEx's portfolio of Wearable Technology Research Reports and Subscriptions covers applications from smart watches to smart glasses.
Biometric sensing and emerging applications
The biometrics which wearables are concerned with are diverse, ranging from motion, cardiac, and respiratory rate, to blood pressure and glucose, each with their own existing markets and technologies. Accelerometers and magnetometers are two examples of motion sensors currently deployed for applications such as activity trackers and smartwatches, while IDTechEx's report, "Wearable Sensors Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Trends, Players, Forecasts", identifies scope for motion sensors to be integrated into other device types including skin patches and hearables. Analyzing three-dimensional motion that includes height is another potential application for motion sensors, for example in virtual reality devices and other human-computer interfaces which will depend on motion sensors for accurate usage. In medical contexts, motion sensors could one day be used as part of remote patient monitoring to keep track of how well conditions such as tremors are being treated with medication.
Cardiac monitoring using optical sensors is one incumbent approach to measuring heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen. Different optical wavelengths can be observed continuously with optical sensors, allowing for a variety of metrics to be read using software. These sensors operate in finger clip applications in healthcare environments, or in smartwatches and fitness trackers. In the future, 'nearables' may enter the space thanks to optical sensing technology, which could monitor vital signs from a short distance rather than actively being worn against the skin. These may be particularly useful for the monitoring of babies and small children, where wearable devices may not be safe or comfortable to use for long periods of time.
Blood pressure monitoring could also one day become integrated into clothes and hearable devices, meaning that tight blood pressure cuffs could become a thing of the past and readings could become more accessible for people at home.
Smart glasses and brain scanning helmets
Smart glasses are a wearable technology which aim to possess the same looking form factor as regular glasses, but that can be used in applications such as navigation while on the move or as a means of viewing conversation transcripts. Linked up to a smartphone, directions can appear on the lenses of glasses for navigation without the need to look down at a screen for improved safety and journey efficiency. The real-time narration function of smart glasses could produce an accurate, real-time transcript of conversations or surrounding environments to provide assistance for people who are hard of hearing in a discreet and seamless way, making smart glasses the perfect example of how the wearables market is prioritizing accessibility and ease of use. IDTechEx's report, "Optics for Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets", covers uses for augmented reality across other types of consumer electronics, alongside the discussion of the optics technologies implemented.
Alongside smart glasses, accessibility developments across wearables are also notable within the medical sector in the form of brain scanning helmets. IDTechEx's report, "Brain Computer Interfaces 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Forecasts", explores the latest scanning technologies whereby patients are able to get up and move around while being monitored. These devices come in the form of helmets which use magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to measure the magnetic fields generated by the electrical activity of neurons, without the patient needing to lie down and remain extremely still. This could not only provide more accurate results in wider contexts but also make the scans far more accessible across different ages and groups of people. The report also identifies other examples of brain computer interfaces, such as keyboard, mouse, and trackpad technologies, alongside assistive technologies such as eye or head-movement tracking for people with limited range or mobility.
For more information, visit IDTechEx's expansive portfolio of Wearable Technology Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest technologies.
