Wearables
Bikini prevents sunburn using UV sensor
The ever growing market for wearble technologies now features a bikini that prevents the wearer from getting sunburnt. The Connected Bikini, from Spinali Design, features an embedded sensor which warns the user when they have spent too much time in the sun.
Platform to focus on miniaturisation for wearables
Valtronic will attend IMAPS’ advanced technology workshop on Electronic Packaging for Wearable Electronics, scheduled to take place at the Doubletree Suites in Austin, from 15th to 16th June 2015. Valtronic team members will highlight Compendium Solutions, an implant and physiological connectivity platform that focuses upon miniaturisation of electronics due to the small nature of today’s wearables.
Wearble sensors to create a $5.5bn market
Wearable technology is part of a megatrend involving integration of electronics into every aspect of our surroundings. Our most immediate surroundings - our clothing, watches and even our bodies themselves - are a key part of this. Features such as sensors, actuators, processors, interfaces and all that is needed to support and power them are being integrated onto and into the body with unprecedented reach and volumes.
Smart wristband safeguards against falls
Smart wristbands powered by the MediaTek MT2502 solution allow monitoring of a range of health parameters and detection of falls. With partners Hutcabb and 37 Degrees, MediaTek develops connected health solutions for sports and elderly care.
Wearable brain training glasses make waves
Using programmes developed by NASA, Pennsylvania startup Narbis has introduced a revolutionary pair of glasses, which uses sensors to track the wearer's brain activity. These signals are sent to the lenses of the glasses, which darken when brain performance slips and clear when the brain is focused and concentrating.
Apple's entry into smartwatch market to drive consumer interest
The smartwatch market will grow from 3.6m unit shipments in 2014, to 101m shipments in 2020, according to a report released by IHS. Apple’s entry into the smartwatch market will benefit all suppliers as marketing raises consumer awareness and explains the benefits clearly. The Apple Watch will leave an enormous addressable market untapped, because it requires a modern iPhone and has a starting price of $349.
Printable, wearable temperature sensor provides fever alerts
The device, developed by research groups lead by Professor Takayasu Sakurai, Institute of Industrial Science, and Professor Takao Someya, Graduate School of Engineering, both University of Tokyo, combines a flexible amorphous silicon solar panel, piezoelectric speaker, temperature sensor, and power supply circuit created with organic components in a single flexible, wearable package.
'Wearable-on-Chip' IC negates design effort
Dialog Semiconductor has released details of its DA14680 compact ‘Wearable-on-Chip’ Bluetooth Smart (v4.2) low power IC, which enables the user to create a hosted wearable device. It features flexible processing power, flash memory for near-unlimited execution space, dedicated circuitry for sensor control, analogue and digital peripherals optimised for wearables, and an advanced power management unit.
Unique wireless device requirements for healthcare
Today’s mobile medical device simply needs to be connected securely and wirelessly to the enterprise to provide integration to the Electronic Health Record as well as to the mobile clinician. The 2015 healthcare environment provides many challenges such as the number of mobile users, the BYOD trend, the construction materials of the facility, the enterprise WLAN design and ultimately the performance characteristics of the WLAN enabled radio...
Smartwatch platform reduces power consumption
Broadcom has introduced a smartwatch platform that reduces power consumption for Android Wear devices. The platform offers OEMs more features, including GPS with sensor hub processing and wireless charging support. Broadcom will showcase its innovations for the mobile and carrier ecosystem at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 2nd to 5th March.