Tag: Wearable Electronics

Today’s wearable devices often mimic the forms of analog devices such as sunglasses and watches. But that won’t be the case forever, in the same way that today’s smartphones look very different from their predecessors. Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Someya Group give us a glimpse at the future of wearables with a series of electronics that are thin and flexible enough to be laminated onto skin.

The quest for wearable devices and embedded electronics might be completed with the help of a centuries-old handicraft. Ohio State University researchers John Volakis and Asimina Kiourti have been working on circuits that can be embroidered at 0.1mm precision, which they say is “the perfect size to integrate electronic components such as sensors and computer memory devices into clothing.” Volakis and Kiourti have been experimenting with embroidery because it lets them create any shape, which is important for certain applications.

Lumoid is an online store that rents and sells consumer electronics, from prosumer cameras to the Google Glass. Recently the store opened up a new kind of service that’s solely for wearable devices. Lumoid can ship you up to five fitness or sleep trackers so you can try them out for a week.

Over the last few days, there have been reports indicating that Nike’s Digital Sports Division had laid off most of its staff. The division is responsible for the FuelBand, which seemed to be doing quite well, but in fact, apparently hasn’t really taken off.

Wearable technology is just about to take off, but we can already take a peek at what’s coming after smartwatches and the like. A team of engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have made health monitors in the form of stick-on electronic patches.

A San Diego driver was cruising down the street recently wearing her Google Glass Explorer headset and was pulled over by the police. The woman, Cecilia Abadie, was primarily pulled over for going 80 in a 65mph zone, but the California Highway Patrol officer also issued her a citation for wearing the Google Glass device.