In 1966 we were in awe of Star Trek’s out-of-this-world mantra to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” And the iconic Spock direction to—Beam me up, Scottie—is still as recognizable now as it was 50-plus years ago. Humans are just drawn to gadgets of any kind. We always have been. Today, we communicate via phone, watch, internet, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and just about a hundred other platforms to stay connected. But in the early 1960s it must have seemed crazy to think that a Combadge could be tapped once to active and twice to deactivate and was used as a universal translator, a distress beacon, and actually added a bit of novelty to the well-known Star Trek uniform.
You might call that 1960s Combadge a wearable device in today’s marketplace. From your Apple watch or personal insulin pump to motion trackers and heart monitors—we are wearing our technology more today than ever. Users and manufacturers are looking for ways to improve the user experience, improve interfaces and data sharing, and constantly on the search for cutting-edge alternatives to monitoring safety, health and wellness.
“The sky’s the limit when it comes to wearable tech in healthcare and potential innovations extend way beyond activity trackers,” Forbes contributor Unity Stoakes writes. “We’re already seeing sensors that improve quality of life, enable home diagnostics, make virtual health and remote monitoring possible, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
So, who is at the bottom of the iceberg to help you take your potential medical device wearable product or concept from the beginning stages of navigation to staking your flag at the top of that icy climb? Read more