IDTechEx’s event Wearable Technology LIVE! USA 2014 is a conference and tradeshow taking place Nov. 19-20 in Santa Clara, Calif.
The event is co-located with a series of highly relevant and synergic tradeshows and conferences on Printed Electronics, Energy Harvesting and Storage and the Internet of Things, which are open to all attendees.
The event focuses on wearable technologies, their applications and their commercialization as well as providing a view from end-users in the health & fitness, sportswear, textiles and consumer electronics industries. With presenting companies including Adidas, Oxylane, Google, Bayer Healthcare, Fitbit, 4iii, Samsung and more, IDTechEx assembled the largest players in the industry for this two-day gathering covering the entire value chain.
Wearable technology is one of the 2014 most popular trends. There has been a 10-fold increase in Internet search interest since the beginning of 2013, and it is expected that $1 billion will be invested in wearables in 2014 alone. This level of investment will only continue to rise as the largest companies in the world compete for a slice of a market, which IDTechEx analysts predict will be worth $70 billion in 2024.
With extensive expertise and an impressive research collection across the most significant enabling technologies for wearable devices, IDTechEx provide unique insights into the emerging technologies and players who will dominate this rapidly growing market.
IDTechEx maintain an extremely comprehensive database of more than 1,200 companies across the entire wearables ecosystem. By constantly updating and growing this resource, IDTechEx analysts can observe trends and identify opportunities for growth in this highly competitive field.
Wrist-worn devices are currently the most popular and publicized area in wearable technology. Smart watches in particular have been extremely prominent in the media, culminating in the formal announcement of Apple’s eagerly anticipated iWatch.
Smart wristbands (such as the Fitbit Flex, Jawbone Up and Nike+ Fuelband) have also become increasingly popular, with the market for fitness trackers being one of the key growth sectors. These devices are an extremely promising prospect for developers; they contribute to the ever growing need to counter the global obesity epidemic, without requiring lengthy and costly clinical trials. Therefore, the market has become extremely competitive and the incorporation of a broader range of more reliable and accurate sensors is key to making a device stand out from the ever-growing crowd.
Convergence to the wrist is a very sensible first step for developers. The electric watch has been around for nearly 60 years, and typically has form factor and specifications which fit well with many traditional electronic devices. However, there is a huge number of emerging technologies which will allow for developers to get creative as the industry expands beyond the wrist. Sensors are becoming increasingly versatile and mobile, energy harvesting and storage systems are becoming smaller and more efficient and both e-textiles are beginning to emerge.
For more detailed insights into the $70 billion opportunity in wearable technology, see the IDTechEx report “Wearable Technology 2014-2024” at www.IDTechEx.com/wearable.
