PSFK's Vision for the Future of Wearable Technology (3): Tailored Ecosystems

Editor’s Note: PSFK, a commercial creativity and marketing platform founded by Piers Fawkes, is dedicated to providing trend insights and business strategy services to the world’s leading enterprises. Its consulting offerings include customer research and advisory services focused on specific technologies or innovation topics. Recently, PSFK released a forecast titled “The Future of Wearable Technology,” aiming to analyze the key trends driving the evolution in form and function of personal wearable devices. The forecast outlines ten functionalities under three major themes: “Intimate Connections,” “Tailored Ecosystems,” and “Possibilities for Co-Evolution.” VCBeat has compiled and translated this report, publishing it in four parts. This article presents the third part of the forecast:Tailored Ecosystem。

PSFK Forecasts the Future of Wearable Technology (1) Development Trends for the Next Five Years

PSFK Predicts the Future of Wearable Technology (2): Intimate Connections

Wearable technology is beginning to adapt its form and function to align with our unique needs. Whether through custom designs tailored to the wearer’s distinct body contours or by responding to users’ emotional states to deliver highly personalized feedback, this new generation of devices enables people to better define their interaction with technology, while also providing more meaningful experiences.

04. Custom Biotechnology

Advances in 3D printing capabilities have enhanced the ways materials are created to support individual needs and requirements. In the medical field, these advances also offer exciting possibilities. These innovations have the potential to transform lives through “good enough” designs that provide improved comfort, fit, performance, and functionality, all at a fraction of the cost of existing manufacturing methods.

Data Support

“By 2019, sales of 3D-printed products in the medical and dental markets will reach $2.8 billion.”
—SmarTech Markets Publishing, December 2013

3D-printed prosthetics can provide the functionality of a human hand.

Dextrus is a 3D-printed myoelectric robotic prosthetic hand that provides users with most of the functions of a human hand. Invented by British roboticist Joel Gibbard, the prosthetic hand can be connected to existing prosthetic limbs via standard connectors. Once connected, the device uses adhesive electrodes to read signals from the user’s residual muscles, enabling control over the opening and closing of the hand. Dextrus is part of the “Open Hand Project,” which aims to make robotic prosthetic hands more accessible to amputees while allowing anyone to improve, customize, and share their designs.

3D-Printed Exoskeleton Enables Disabled Girl to Use Her Arm for the First Time

Researchers at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, have developed a 3D-printed robotic exoskeleton that enables children with disabilities to regain mobility. Patient Emma was born with arthrogryposis, a well-known condition characterized by joint contractures. Although she grew older, she was never able to lift her arms. The WREX exoskeleton, manufactured using 3D printing technology, is an ultra-lightweight orthotic device designed for Emma’s independent use. It features hinged rods and resistance bands to help her move her arms with minimal residual strength. WREX is intended to assist patients with arthrogryposis as young as six years old, offering opportunities for scalable mass production. This technology allows researchers to customize and print exoskeleton designs tailored to each patient’s specific specifications using CAD software.

3D-Printed Hip Implants Offer Personalized Fit and Reduced Recovery Time

The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, is utilizing 3D printing technology to facilitate customized joint replacement surgeries and has successfully printed its first patient-specific hip implant. Initially, the clinic enables physicians to send 3D files derived from patients’ CT scans to a 3D printer, which then produces a three-dimensional model of the patient’s hip joint. Implants used in hip arthroplasty are biocompatible with the human body and resistant to corrosion, degradation, and wear. 3D-printed hip implants reduce the cost of manufacturing artificial hip joints and allow healthcare institutions to fabricate hips tailored to the specific anatomical dimensions of individual patients.Additional Examples

Robohand: An Open-Source Prosthetic Hand That Can Be 3D Printed for $150

3D-Printed Shoes with Regenerative Primitive Cells: 3D-Printed Footwear Made from Synthetic Biomaterials Can Self-Repair Overnight

Customized Innovation: 3D-Printed Covers Help Amputees Beautify Their Prosthetics

Insights·The technology allows wearers to set specific gestures for certain actions (such as unlocking) according to their preferences.
· Create instructions for others by performing routine operations (e.g., checking blind spots while driving will activate the turn signal) to establish a safer environment.
· Enable electronics to be integrated into cosmetics and other wearable devices for rapid access to various personal devices.

05. Adaptive Bioassay

Wearable technology and implantable sensors passively collect user data to create optimized conditions tailored to individual needs. These personalized settings can control elements such as lighting, temperature, and music, fostering an environment that continuously adapts to changes in a person’s mood or activity.

Data Support

“What will I be wearing in five years? If the path I’ve taken doesn’t burn enough calories for the day, my stiletto heels will lock my refrigerator!”
——Anina Net, CEO of 360 Fashion Network
“Wearable technology (devices) can engage with our senses and the effects of gravity.”
—Kim DeReuter, Head of Mobile at Cheil Worldwide

Responsive bracelet sends thermoelectric pulses to heat or cool the wearer’s entire body

Wristify is a thermoelectric bracelet that directs thermal pulses, either hot or cold, to the wearer’s wrist to help them maintain a comfortable body temperature. Developed by engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Wristify monitors ambient air and skin temperatures and delivers customized thermal pulses to the wearer’s wrist to help them stay comfortable. In addition to alleviating personal discomfort, the working prototype aims to significantly reduce energy consumption by cooling individuals rather than entire buildings.

Earbuds monitor the wearer’s mood to help select the next song.

Microsoft is working on a project called Septimu to integrate health monitoring and emotion detection capabilities into a pair of earbuds. These in-ear devices can monitor heart rate, temperature, and other biological rhythms, and communicate with the associated mobile application “Musical Heart” to select the most appropriate music based on the user’s mood. Developed by researchers at the University of Virginia’s Center for Wireless Health, Musical Heart leverages biological rhythms to assess the wearer’s current emotional state and then plays a song best suited to improve their mood. This means that if a person suddenly becomes angry while commuting to work on the subway, Musical Heart will choose to play soothing music to help normalize their heart rate and breathing. Various sensors embedded in the earbuds—such as thermometers, inward-facing microphones, and inertial measurement units (IMUs) that perform functions similar to accelerometers—enable the device to capture key physiological indicators from across the user’s body.

Smartphone-Enabled Bracelets Provide Tailored Recommendations Based on Mood and Diet

EmoPulse Smile: The Smart Bracelet-PhoneThe EmoPulse Smile is a smart bracelet that functions as a smartphone, with built-in sensors capable of monitoring the wearer’s stress levels, emotions, dietary habits, and overall health. This smartphone features dual flexible displays and is designed to be worn on the user’s wrist. Smile operates on a custom AI-driven Linux operating system based on advanced algorithms and utilizes embedded biosensors to collect relevant physiological data from the wearer, thereby facilitating certain automated processes. For instance, after watching several movies or listening to online music, the system recommends additional content tailored to the user’s preferences and/or emotional responses. Furthermore, the accuracy of the device’s predictive capabilities improves over time with continued use. These sensors can also integrate with virtual fitness coaches to help users maintain their physical condition through personalized, monitored workout routines.

“In the next era of personal computing, biological challenges in cancer treatment will shift to computational ones. Computing has never been so personally relevant, as it will be capable of saving your life.”
—Renee James, President of Intel

Additional Examples

Vest Concept: Air-conditioned vests can monitor the wearer and keep workers cool

BioMuse: Headphones Transform Quantified Self Data into Music Therapy

Oxitone Watch: A Watch That Can Warn Wearers of Future Heart Attacks

Implications· To enhance clinical recovery rates, lighting, music, and other calming interventions will be synchronized with patients' biological rhythms to create a healing environment.
· In the office, stress released by overly tense workers can trigger soothing music or block employees’ access to their computers, encouraging them to take a walk or rest.
· Implantable shoe technology can detect potential medical issues and either support or relax the arch based on the wearer’s condition and activity.

06. Responsive Teaching

Sensor technology is being seamlessly integrated into products and apparel to enable unobtrusive performance monitoring and provide specific feedback without impeding movement. By leveraging accumulated data and research, these technologies offer targeted recommendations, empowering users to make informed decisions based on the feedback received, thereby improving their posture and fitness routines.

Data Support

“In 2014, elegant and effective electronic devices were added to the product catalogs of sports equipment manufacturers, and their impact will be very significant. The best wearable electronics can simply present biometric-related information to users, ultimately enabling athletes at all levels to actively participate in managing their health and physique, and keeping them physically fit for life.”
—Paul Litchfield, Vice President of Advanced Concepts at Reebok
“Today’s wearable devices must evolve into products that offer far more than the current single-purpose fitness trackers or external smartphone hubs to be considered truly successful.”
—Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst at Berg Insight
In a survey on wearable technology, 60% of U.S. respondents and 53% of UK respondents believed that wearable technology made them “feel more in control of their lives.”
——Goldsmiths, University of London, Centre for Innovation and Social Technology, 2013

Running apps can create personalized workout plans based on users' current energy levels.

My ASICS is an application that provides runners with a personal coach, creating adaptive training plans that continuously evolve based on workouts. The app aims to understand the runner’s physiological responses during exercise, leveraging a suite of software algorithms to better determine which types of workouts best suit their changing needs. My ASICS continuously refines training plans based on the runner’s performance level, enabling them to gradually increase workout intensity and achieve their fitness goals more quickly.

Notify the user via a band when posture becomes incorrect

LUMOBack is a strap-based position sensor. Users wrap the strap around their waist to measure their posture and sleeping positions. The device emits a beep when the user slouches. With the aid of its iOS app, it also informs users of their daily step count and how many times they have stood up, even reminding them to stand up approximately every 30 minutes and providing more detailed feedback on “posture.” The app also offers posture scoring, comparing the user’s score with that of the average LUMOBack user. Its passive monitoring feature provides a simple way to monitor and improve daily posture.

Sensor-Embedded Socks Enable Proactive Prevention

Sensoria has developed socks embedded with sensors that not only track traditional fitness metrics such as step count, speed, and total distance covered, but also provide data on running form and technique. The socks label individual weight distribution and foot morphology during standing, walking, and running. By leveraging this data, the system can identify improper running postures to help prevent injuries. The accompanying app offers simple recommendations on how to correct detrimental running habits. The socks enable benchmark testing and performance analysis, providing wearers with a clearer understanding of how improvements in device performance align with enhancements in their running technique.Additional Examples

MENTORBike: Personal Tracking Data Controls the Difficulty Level of Fitness Bikes

Vigo: Energy-Monitoring Headphones Track the Wearer’s Blinks to Keep Them Awake

UP24: The fitness band issues a reminder if the user has not moved for an hour.

Insights· The sensor can detect prolonged sedentary behavior in the wearer and recommend stretching or aerobic exercises.
· Sensors will help students understand which course materials stimulate their brains more effectively and provide recommendations to support lateral thinking in educational settings (or suggestions tailored to their preferred learning styles...).
· Fitness tracking technology can monitor activity levels and indicate when users should rest or exercise through gentle taps.

(To stay updated on the latest internet healthcare startup news, please follow VCBeat’s WeChat official account: vcbeat. We also welcome you to engage with us on topics of interest, contact us via WeChat, and share your startup projects or related research insights.)