Wearables for Healthcare
Smart wearable devices are creating a new market by combining themselves with healthcare.
According to German market research firm GfK, personal health and fitness devices for blood pressure measurement and so on have become the mainstream of the wearable device market by beating smart watches. According to its report, a total of 42 million or so wearable devices were sold in eight Asia-Pacific countries last year and 55% of them were that type of devices whereas smart watches accounted for only 17%. Likewise, 53% of the 13 million or so wearable devices sold in Europe last year are personal health and fitness devices.
These days, a large number of wearable devices for healthcare purposes are available on the market. An American venture firm recently released a reusable plastic smart mask for protection from fine dust. According to the company, this product has fans and filters for air circulation and purification, checks the respiratory state of its user and informs him or her of the degree of air pollution in the surrounding area.
In Japan, in the meantime, Toray and NTT launched the Hitoe brand, coming up with underwear for around-the-clock ECG measurement and arrhythmia examination. This product began to be supplied to hospitals this year.
Apple is working on a health monitoring terminal as well for collection of data such as heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar content. The company has hired developers and applied for patents to this end since last year. The product is expected to come in various forms such as rings, buttons, bands and brooches.