Wearable Technology: Fashion Meets Applied Science

Upon extensive research of the advancements in wearable technology, it is easily concluded that the technology could prove useful in the future. As wearable technology is now merely emerging from its infancy, it is advisable to wait a considerable amount of time before implementing it in our company. Several areas of wearable technology include, but are not limited to, wearable computers, second skins (or memory-rich clothing), digital jewelry and Personal Area Networks (PANs). Wearable computers are just that, computing devices that have left the desk and entered the world of fashion. Second skins act as additional sensory organs placed on larger surface areas of the exterior of the body, making them much closer to „fashion technology‟ than wearable computers. Digital jewelry, on the other hand, is definitely „fashion technology‟; digital jewelry is the next step in the evolution of wearable technology. Lastly, Personal Area Networks essentially make one‟s body a portable network, allowing for greater versatility, accessibility of information and communication. Wearable computers are what most would typically conceive as wearable technology. They boast designs and features that mirror what one may see in futuristic films. The two main trends of devices such as these are miniaturization and multiple functionalities. Wearable computers can be viewed as the next step in the world of computing: personal computers turn into laptops, which give way to wearable computers. In order to condense the existing computers into wearable pieces, the components are broken down and miniaturized and allocated to various parts of the body where their functions are best suited. Second skins are less computational and more communicative and memory-oriented. They draw on the idea that clothing and the human skin have many parallels which be technologically utilized. While second skin devices are typically used in medical and military research, to communicate from patient/solider to resources, their potential for use in everyday life is immense. Digital jewelry already has use in everyday life. It draws on the concept that computation functionality and social/fashionable functionality can be intertwined. As with wearable computers, digital jewelry allows one to take apart functions of various devices and disperse them to more functional locations on the body while also making “fashion statements.” Lastly, PANs have large implications for the future. They essentially turn the human body into a biological conductor, which can communicate information to outside sources and turn a human into an allin-one device. While the potential of wearable technology is unfathomably and potentially advantageous, its lack of development is a deterrent to current application.