The wearable technology is an opportunity or a fad? – The Press

Digital Festival being held in Turin there was talk of the next information revolution. The wearable computing promises to change our lives, and for many startup offers interesting growth prospects. But the problem is data security

will be the “wearable computing” one of the next “Big Things” in computer science, as they have been previously phenomena such as Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, or Big Data? Revolved around this question of the opening of the conference “Mobile Focus.”

What products wearable technology is undoubtedly one of the areas most capable of stimulating the imagination, thanks to a lot of film, not just science fiction (think of James Bond gadgets). Moreover, it is one of the fields in which research is working on several levels, including nanotechnology, materials “smart”, graphene and flexible screens. If, from the point of view of the results achieved – from eyewear to watches, bracelets tech clothing – the potential of the sector have been widely demonstrated; from the point of view of the market on the other hand, there is still a pervasive penetration. Curious, but not thrilled. At least not as much as smartphones and tablets. Do not have become fashionable.

And perhaps this is one of the keys. That spread initially as in medical devices, to control the parameters of the patient, without having to resort to overly invasive technologies, the dipositivi “wearable” have also found a counterpart in the sports field and “para-medical”, dominated by gadgets wrist, able to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, biometric values ​​and measure the competitive performance. It is in the area that Assumption Hank, PhD Student Department of Computer Science, University of Turin, defines “Fashion & Design “, that the penetration of” wearable devices “is more difficult. In this case, the reasons are less obvious, the need to communicate and share those are already met by mobile devices, so why an object is worn, it must also be beautiful steticamente. It must indeed, become fashionable. “The attempt is to hide them in everyday objects, such as bracelets and watches – explains the Skein -. Or incorporate them in clothing, thanks to the studies that are being carried out on so-called ‘smart textile’. ” Two examples? The “Smart Helmet” for cyclists, such as Hovding, unobtrusive headband which is hidden in a scarf and in case of fall inflates like an airbag to protect the rider’s head. Or in the field of fashion “Intimacy”, clothes that enhance their level of transparency according to the interaction with the lights or the distance of the observer.

Another interesting example of smart fabrics was presented in Turin during the Mini Maker Fair hosted by Toolbox and the FabLab Officine Arduino. Richard Marquis has brought some of his creations brand Plug & Wear fabrics that between light and sensitive to water or pressure and stretching. A possible practical use? For example in the field of safety, camisoles with motorcyclists that light up at nightfall.

But the question is: are we ready? We are ready to be so multitasking and staying connected? At LG Electronics betting yes: Claudio Castellano Mobile Communication Marketing Manager, Digital Festival has led to some recent username products made by LG in the field of wearable. If the LG Touch Lifeband, the bracelet for those who want to control their physical fitness, is now ready to launch on the market, there is great curiosity about the mysterious object: the LG G Watch. “I still can not reveal much – said Castellano -. But it will be a smart watch, able to connect to the Internet even without the help of a smartphone thanks to a built-in SIM, and will be able to interact with voice commands. ” He then left it was a video to show the potential of the new smart watch.

“The challenge is played on material, most are small and easy to handle, most allow you to create objects that are integrated in clothing – added Castellano -. LG has released the first smartphone with flexible screen, for now it is a minimum of bending, but in this direction you are experiencing a great deal. You should also pay close attention to the design and aesthetics of objects; by the market turns out to be one of the elements to which the customer puts more attention. ”

Aesthetics, then, but also useful for the user. A practical example is concrete and led by Philip Scorza, General Manager of the startup “My Angel Care.” It is a bracelet that contains a tag “NFC” (near field comunication) – waveless small device, the contents of which can be read by smartphones or tablet – on which to load all the essential information about the person wearing it: food intolerance, allergies, medications to be administered. In case of need, by simply bringing a smartphone to the bracelet will be able to retrieve all the information and take appropriate action.

As pointed out by Assumption Hank again, another strand in which the invisible or otherwise minimally invasive technologies play a fundamental role is that of the “Quantified Self”, which focuses on tracking data that the individual produces a daily basis. Through a bracelet, a ring or a watch “smart” you can collect a wealth of information on the activities carried out during the day and use them to “drive change through the data.” And speaking of data, the theme of “wearable computing” is intertwined with the broader Internet of Things – the wearable devices produce information that are placed on the network – and impacts with Big Data phenomenon. “The spread of ‘wearables’ will help to further increase the amount of data circulating on the Internet – says Alberto Degradi, Cisco Infrastructure Leader -. It becomes imperative to know how to properly analyze to extract valuable information from which it is no longer possible regardless, in any area of ​​business. ” The brake greater, both in the management of Big Data, as in the spread of wearable items, is the issue of security. “Real problem, but that is not an insurmountable obstacle – explains Degradi – as evidenced by the Cisco Annual Security Report. What we need are adequate investment and trained personnel, of which today feels the lack. I believe that in this sector in the coming years will open up interesting job opportunities. ”