穿戴式科技展，展出最新紡織品應用 | Wearable Technology Show 2015

穿戴式科技展，展出最新紡織品應用

穿戴式科技的先驅都將齊聚英國倫敦的穿戴式科技展，推出新一代的智慧型紡織品應用及運動與健身裝置，同時提供有關穿戴式科技產業的洞見。

第二屆一年一度的「穿戴式科技展（Wearable Technology Show）」號稱是全球最大的專業穿戴科技展覽，包含有關創新、智慧型紡織品與流行時尚，以及運動與健身等9場相關議題的研討會。

在智慧型紡織品及流行時尚研討會方面，將討論包括產業應用、落實商業化及產品內涵到成功成為主流應用等議題。

研討會講師有：智慧型紡織品系統供應商Interactivewear執行長Andreas Roepert、AIQ服裝公司行銷總監Nadia Kang及Beecham Research流行科技分析師Claire Duke-Woolley等。

主辦單位Evolve表示，研討會提供與會代表聆聽穿戴式科技權威專家分享的難得機會，不但可以看到全球最新產品演示，也能與產業人士交流。

穿戴式科技市場至2024年前，預估將從目前預測的140億美元提升至700億美元，以Evolve營運長John Weir說：「這樣的流行趨勢絕非曇花一現」。

「穿戴裝置會繼續發展，並更加融入我們固有的生活－健康、福利和娛樂。我們也將看到這樣的應用從消費者，進而對產業面有更大的影響；2015年將是穿戴裝置發展最好的一年，我們迫不及待想知道會如何發展下去」。

穿戴式科技展於2015年3月10-11日於倫敦ExCel展覽館登場。

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Wearable Technology Show 2015: That was the show that was

We round up the most interesting products from London's wearables expo

OPINION:The Wearable Tech Show was held this week in London. Offering a fascinating glimpse into the augmented reality and wearable device market, the show played host to a range of product launches and demonstrations.

Spanning the whole spectrum from consumer products to B2B services, there was a huge diversity of industries covered. Healthcare tech, in particular, had a strong presence – even more noteworthy given the recent announcements surrounding Apple's ResearchKit.

For those that couldn't make it to this year's show, we've rounded up some of the best and most interesting highlights.

Aircharge 

One of the most interesting displays was a wireless charging area, run by Aircharge. Users visiting the tables and benches equipped with small black plates, could charge their devices, either with built-in wireless charging capabilities, or by using one of Aircharge's dongles.

Using the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard (pronounced 'chee'), Aircharge hopes to become the leader in public-space wireless charging, much in the way that The Cloud has with public Wi-Fi. The former also recently released an app to guide users to the nearest of the 3,000-plus Qi-based charging points around the world.

One of the most common complaints about modern devices is an ever-shortening battery life. While Apple has touted the new MacBook as having an 'all-day' charge, if used as expected it might only lasting nine hours. That being the case, public wireless charging points are a miracle of convenience. Indeed, if the technology catches on in the way that Aircharge hopes it will, power problems could be a thing of the past.

Bainisha  

Specialising in B2B development and integration, Bainisha makes wearable sensors that promise to track muscle movements with minute accuracy. Placed directly onto the skin, the stretchable, adhesive sensor patches come in various shapes and sizes designed to measure different muscle groups and functions.

Bainisha is one of a growing number of tech start-ups developing wearables specifically for medical markets, and is aiming to track the progress of degenerative muscle diseases. However, while the sensors capture medical-grade levels of detail, the technology also has applications outside of healthcare.

Integration with skin-tight fabrics would still capture enough data to accurately track muscle strain and development for the purpose of workout tracking, according to the firm. The low price-point of the components also mean that a partnership with sportswear firms like Nike or Adidas could provide serious competition to the existing fitness tracker market.

Epson Moverio BT-200 

Epson demonstrated an updated version of its Moverio augmented reality smartglasses. Running on an Android-based operating system, the headset delivers impressively sharp visuals, along with spot-on head tracking and stereoscopic 3D. Another point of note for some users is that it fits over existing glasses, whereas other smartglasses may not be so compatible with spectacles.

The device is both powered and controlled by an external pack, which is not dissimilar to the size of a circa-2009 smartphone. While this is a little unwieldy compared to rivals' control methods, it does give the Moverio a battery life of around 6 hours. Considering that most of the competition is still stuck at under two hours for power-users, this is not to be sniffed at.

While the Moverio has applications as a consumer device, Epson was quick to point out its B2B capabilities. The company already has partners across various industries using the Moverio as an enterprise tool, most commonly by relaying real-time, step-by-step instructions from off-site experts to workers on the ground vie first-person video link.

Osterhout Design Group (ODG)  

While not technically exhibiting at the show, representatives from the ODG were in attendance participating in various panels focused on augmented reality. We managed to get a hands-on demonstration of its smartglass technology, including the R-7 model the company debuted at CES.

Both the R-7 and the earlier R-6 come packed with incredible displays – 720p per eye, which makes the visuals absolutely gorgeous, and the 80 per cent screen transparency means that with the AR content turned off, you'd never know the glasses were smart. It's also built on an Android operating system, and is automatically compatible with any tablet-optimised app.

ODG has a rich pedigree in developing AR technology for government and military contracts and this experience is being put to good use. The company is currently exploring the B2B potential - for example, multiple enterprise applications, including tele-presence uses for medicine and repair - of its product, according to Tony Sanchez, ODG director of special projects.

News Source: ITPRO