Wearable technologies have become a vital part of our daily lives. From counting daily steps to measuring passive heart rhythm rates, they have essentially transformed our approach to a healthy lifestyle. With respect to their progress and contribution to health, wearable technologies are (potentially) projected to improve the future of healthcare in leaps and bounds.
With the launch of the Apple Watch 4 and Google Fitbit, our approach to smart wearables has radicalized. In fact, our approach to smart wearable technologies took another huge leap with the innovation of smart socks, designed for people with dementia and autism.
What are ‘Smart’ Socks?
Recently, a university Ph.D. student has invented ‘smart socks’ that can sense when people with dementia and autism are in distress. The ‘smart’ socks can track heart rate, sweat levels and motion, and further, enable caretakers to intervene before the patients’ emotions escalate. They provide a steady stream of data to carers, who can easily access their patient’s metrics on an app.
How Smart are the ‘Smart’ Socks?
Dr. Zeke Steer wanted to help after seeing his great-grandmother suffering from dementia. He worked at Bristol Robotics Laboratory to find a solution and develop a mobile phone app. The smart socks look and feel more like normal socks:
- They don’t need changing.
- They can be washed in machines.
- They easily blend with your normal clothing.
According to Dr. Steer, the foot is a great place to collect data about stress and socks are a familiar piece of clothing that people wear every day. Moreover, his ‘Smart socks’ are an investigation of how wearable technologies and artificial intelligence could help with his great-grandmother’s symptoms.
Can Smart Wearables Disrupt the Likes of Healthcare?
Yes, with the amalgamation of AI a.k.a artificial intelligence. Wearable technologies can be innovative solutions to healthcare problems. They are essentially designed for patient management and disease management, and can directly impact clinical decision-making.
Some believe that wearable technologies could improve the quality of patient care while reducing the cost of care, such as patient rehabilitation outside of hospitals. The big data generated by wearable devices is both a challenge and an opportunity for researchers who can apply more AI techniques to these data in the future.
The EndNote
Today, AI can outperform anything. It is being incorporated into a number of technological innovations to facilitate the future of every sector, be it finance or manufacturing. From AI-driven automobiles to assistive technological support, AI has played a big part in bringing about a change in our lives. It has, especially, transformed the future of healthcare by emerging as a support agent during time of crises.
With its incorporation into wearable technologies, AI can drive the future of healthcare. It can elevate the aspects of health and healthcare through accurate data, management as well as results for chronic, long-term as well as acute ailments that require a minimal diagnosis.
Also Read: How Telehealth Is Improving Healthcare Efficiency And Breaking The Existing Barriers
