The wearable technology market has grown significantly over the last 10 years, and with new trends in motion, we expect that growth to continue.
Over the past 10 years, the safety wearables market has grown rapidly through the introduction of new products and the development and advancement of new and existing technologies. Early safety wearable products were simple both in functionality and look and feel. These initial devices often provided a single feature, such as panic buttons that sounded a loud alert in the case of an emergency. Smartwatches, which now provide a myriad of functionalities, initially only tracked heart rate and monitored sleep. Early-stage products were also simple in design: most early safety wearables were worn on the wrist and were larger and bulkier than the wearables of today. With advancements in technology and the integration of multiple safety features into a single device, safety wearable products started to improve. For instance, the Apple Watch, introduced in 2015, has now incorporated multiple safety functionalities, such as emergency contact alerts and fall detection.
The question today is what is next on the horizon of safety wearable technology? Among the many emerging trends, we believe that the following three key trends will play a big role in the continued evolution of this market and its potential to continue to shape our future.
Trend 1: Further integration of data and advanced analytics
Data and analytics have already shaped the advancement of safety wearable technology. We expect that this trend will continue in the future wearables market. Specifically, safety wearable technology will likely collect more and more data, which can provide critical information to customers. For instance, certain products are starting to collect advanced, comprehensive biometric data on users’ health, such as real-time data on their vital signs (i.e., blood pressure). Such data will then be used to drive advanced analytics and AI, which will be integrated into technologies to enable wearables to provide more accurate and personalized insights. For instance, AI algorithms may analyze health data to offer tailored safety recommendations and predict potential emergencies. Similarly, safety wearables could leverage predictive analytics to anticipate potential safety risks based on user behavior and environmental factors. This could improve emergency response times and overall user safety. Wear Opal is considering the best way to leverage data and technology to protect our users and enhance their safety. Currently, we are focusing on advancing our smart ring’s hardware so that the ring provides optimal security by improving connectivity, extending battery life, and miniturizing the technology. In the future, we are considering other features to improve user safety, such as integrating a safety alert app to keep users aware of potential safety warnings near them and tracking heart rate to detect potential emergencies.
Trend 2: More discreet, fashionable products
We expect that advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques will lead to the development of more discreet and fashionable safety wearables. Since the early smartwatch, the spectrum of the safety wearable products available has already expanded to include smart glasses, clothes, and even jewelry (like Wear Opal). We suspect that this trend will continue and result in the development of products that seamlessly blend into everyday clothing or accessories. Improving the design of safety wearables will drive adoption as the products will be even easier to integrate into day-to-day life. Even more importantly, this trend will mean that products will be even more effective at driving safe outcomes. For instance, as a smart ring, Wear Opal is fashionable and indistinguishable from a piece of jewelry. In an emergency situation, Wear Opal would not be identifiable as a safety wearable and would be easy to activate with one hand.
Trend 3: Further emphasis on safety as a critical functionality
As crime rates and violence continue to rise, safety has become an integral feature across many wearables products. Unfortunately, many people, especially women and minorities, fear for their safety and are looking for products that provide critical safety features. Wear Opal is equipped to meet their needs through its key functionalities, such as advanced location tracking, SOS buttons, and 911 communication. Features like these also emphasize users’ feeling of empowerment, providing tools for them to take control of their safety.
For more information on Wear Opal and its key features, join our waitlist and be at the forefront of the future of safety wearables.