In our article today, we have a look to the business perspective and potential of Wearable Electronics.
The technology market research and strategy firm VDC is forecasting that the consumption in the smart and interactive textiles market is predicted to grow to US$720million by 2008.
Not a multibillion business yet but a good start and something to watch out for as we highlighted a few days ago about the market activities for 2007.
The Business Research has an article about 10 revolutionary products approaching the global markets that, they predict, will have a tremendous impact to our live.
Our life and business has already been transformed by E-commerce. However, it is just a tip of an iceberg, and the innovations will create a bundle of opportunities for businesspersons. As happens in all trends, the best way to take benefit of them is to be there in the start, know their growth and what they present, and use them as you need to reap benefits.
The for us most interesting product out of the list of 10 is:
Wearable electronics and PAN
Though in its primary phases, wearable electronics is capturing eyes of garment and electronics manufacturers. What started many years before with the pocket-sized transistor radio – probably the first popular portable electronic device – has developed into fabrics that conduct electricity and can connect audio-video devices and pocket computers. Wearable electronics are not confined to comic books and fancies: they are serious business. But Nike’s integration of digital apparatus like MP3 players into sports wears, and the wristwatch phones manufactured by Motorola and Swatch, are just toys in proportion to what is coming.
Wearable electronics perform by combining conductive textiles, fabric switches, fabric wiring, fabric stretch sensors, high-sensitivity fabric antennas and flexible electro-luminescent displays to make a “personal area networkâ€, or PAN: an electronic network knitted into the jacket links several devices just as local area networks (LANs) link computers. The hardware tools are fastened to or embedded where appropriate, and the PAN enables transmission of data, power and control signals within a garment.
