What is Wearable Technology

Microelectronics is shrinking health equipment in size, cost and operability, thereby moving it from the medical to the consumer market. A typical example is the oximeter. Originally, it was the bulky helper of the anaesthetist in the operating theatre, but gradually it has become a routine check for hospital admittance and is rapidly shaped as a simple consumer item, similar to a smart thermometer. The mobile platform such as the smart phone is the typical carrier for such small, embedded oximeter intelligence. Monolithic sensors drive the advance of a plethora of sensors allowing a variety of health monitoring opportunities. Where the phone is too restrictive, set-up items and wireless connected accessories can be applied. Gradually a new class of wearable, such as smart watch, appears in the health arena, being both functional and fashionable.