Posted November 4, 2014

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, U.K. – IDTechEx's event, Wearable Technology LIVE! USA 2014, is a conference and trade show being held on November 19-20 in Santa Clara.

 

The event is co-located with a series of highly relevant and synergic trade shows and conferences on Printed Electronics, Energy Harvesting and Storage and the Internet of Things, which are open to all participants. It is anticipated that more than 2,500 attendees and 200 exhibitors will attend this influential event, according to organizers.

 

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 many more, IDTechEx have assembled the largest players in the industry for this two-day conference and trade show covering the entire value chain.

 

Wearable technology is one of the most popular trends of 2014. 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 this year 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, according to show producers.

 

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 that will dominate this rapidly growing market.

 

IDTechEx maintains an extremely comprehensive database of more than 1,200 companies across the wearables ecosystem. By constantly updating and growing this resource, it allows IDTechEx analysts to 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 that fit well with many traditional electronic devices. However, there is a huge number of emerging technologies that 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."

 

Source: IDTechEx