It seems only logical that after filling up our rooms (mainframes), desks (PCs) and now pockets (smartphones), computing devices will soon be on our bodies. We already have the first set of commercial (wrist bands) and prototype (Google glass) wearable computing devices. But, these current devices, in Product Marketer’s parlance, are “Nice-to-Haves” and not “Must-Haves”. When these “Must Have” wearable computing devices are available, What will they offer? How will they make our life easier? And, How soon will all of us be sporting them? While the industry is busy answering the first two questions, we took a shot at the third. Below is our viewpoint on the evolution path for wearable computing… When and how will they go mainstream?:
- There are two key dependencies for Wearable Computing to go mainstream - Technology (multiple sensors mountable in various shapes and forms, and most importantly, working in tandem) and Human Behavior (change in human usage and behavior to accept the modifications that the multiple sensors on their body will trigger, and seamlessly integrate them)… and, the second curve is always much less steep than the first
- Currently, there is a lot of work going on in the field of sensors – eye tracking tech, face recognition, biometrics, etc
- And, we are just at the initial stages of these sensors communicating with each other and performing tasks smartly/intelligently, working in tandem. So far, various sensors in our devices (gyro, accelero, etc) worked in isolation… and, this is going to change soon and change fast!
- In the immediate-to-short-term future, many companies will integrate the tandem-working sensors into existing gadgets (laptops, tablets, smartphones, TVs, etc) and get them to work on a task or two smartly
- There will also be a number of new wearable gadgets (glasses, wrist bands, watches, etc), whose core proposition will be sensor-based intelligence, which will perform a task or two smartly… but, that’s the catch – they’ll be able perform only a limited number of tasks!!
- In the short-term, each wearable gadget will be trying to create and address a niche market…
- However, all these sensor-enabled devices will slowly but surely keep altering human behavior and adoption patterns… and, the users will start identifying the limits of these devices and yearn for more, all-encompassing gadget(s)!! Meanwhile, the companies will continue to improve on technology, features and business models
- All these developments and learning’s both on supply and demand side will then lead to the evolution of a “Smart Wearable Computing Device” – The iPhone of wearable computing!!! The device(s), which will first create the cool quotient, the market, create an ecosystem, trigger clones, and drive mass-market adoption… Just like iPhone (launched in 2007) made smartphones mainstream by 2011-12
- The key for wearable computing to go mainstream will be human comfort level and modification in habits and behavior with sensors on them
- And, we believe, we are at least four to five years away from mass-market adoption of wearable computing devices…
- The initial devices will exist much before that… they are already in existence! Just like Symbian-based Nokia smartphones existed much before the iPhone. But, for mass market adoption, we’ll need smart device(s) which will create the industry and drive adoption… and, adoption is a function of perceived value by the user and his/her (willingness and) acceptance of modified behavior (which can come only over time)