Wearable tech innovations fit like a glove at CES 2022

Wearable tech continues to see innovation in various use cases. As wearable tech is mostly built on sensors that collect and provide data to improve user experience, it has now become a clothing accessory that everybody wants.

While most wearable tech is designed for leisure purposes, such as smartwatches, AR glasses, and such, enterprise use cases for wearables have been increasingly available in the market as well. What makes it more interesting, wearable tech today is not only designed by large tech companies but also small and medium businesses (SMBs).

In fact, there are now myriad of SMBs that have developed various wearable tech products for both consumer and enterprise use cases. The recent CES2022 saw many of these products being previewed and made available for purchase by both consumers and enterprises.

Here’s a list of some of the most innovative wearable tech innovations that were unveiled at CES2022.

• Smartwatches – Tech companies continue to add more features to smartwatches. At CES 2022, Garmin unveiled several new smartwatches capable of harnessing more data to provide more information on a user. For example, Garmin’s Venu 2 Plus boasts an AMOLED screen to make the most of the tons of fitness and health data it presents, from workouts to personal coaching.
• Smart glasses – Using augmented reality (AR), smart glasses are making remote viewing for tasks a reality. At CES 2022, Vuzix unveiled its Sheild smart glasses which are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR1 platform and equipped with microLED displays. The smart glasses work like a heads-up display with cameras enabling users to handle remote viewing through AR. Another example is Panasonic’s VR headset for the metaverse. The Megane X also uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 platform and has a 1.3-inch microdisplay to show 5.2K resolution images at 120Hz.
• Smart rings – To some, a smart ring may not really be an enterprise technology. But the reality is, these rings can help ensure employees are taking care of both their mental and physical health. The rings are able to measure sleep patterns as well as other health features, which in turn can provide useful data for mental health wellbeing in the office. One example is the Circular, a smart ring that weighs just 4 grams, with interchangeable outer rings, a resin body, and an unusual set of sensors to monitor body and health.

• Haptic gloves – The next big thing for the AR and the metaverse, haptic gloves are becoming a key tool for both consumers and enterprises. The TactGlove by bHaptics, which was unveiled at CES 2022 is designed to work with camera-based hand tracking systems, such as the one employed by Meta Quest. The glove comes equipped with 10 Linear Resonant Actuators (LRA) placed at each fingertip , which can be individually controlled using the bHaptics SDK so that developers can program precise feedback.
• Extended Reality (XR) – bHaptics is also working on a full tracksuit to embrace the XR. The TactSuit X40 is a wireless haptic vest that packs 40 individually controllable vibrotactile motors. It enables users to stay immersed in their content with positional haptic feedback delivered to every corner of the body.
• AR vision – Mojo Vision announced more funding received during CES 2022 for its AR contact lenses. MojoVision is developing AR contact lenses that are expected to provide data directly on the eyes of users without them having to wear glasses.

These are just some of the many announcements involving wearable tech that was made at CES 2022. Despite most of the announcements being focused on consumer use cases, the reality is, both enterprise and consumer use cases would still eventually be using the same technology only.

With that said, technology seems to be enabling innovation at its finest as companies continue to develop modern devices and enrich lifestyles.