The problem with movies about the future is they never come true. They build up hopes with their flying cars, hoverboards and cruise ships to Mars, but the closer the actual date gets on its halcyon vision, the more ridiculous it looks.
When “Back to the Future 2” came out in 1989, its vision of 2015 included the flying Delorean, fax machine mailboxes and a ridiculous reflective cap, it’s safe to say that none of those are going to be taking off by next year. But one prediction the movie may make good on is smart clothes or wearable tech.
Clothes that measure biometrics like heart rate and fitness are the new gadget du jour in tech circles.
Companies like Intel are collaborating on exercise shirts that will collect your health data through conductive fibers and upload it to your smartphone.
The New York Times’ Bits blog recently reported on competing companies like Canada’s OMsignal, which already has a smartshirt priced at $80, albeit with a separate $120 module to power it.
This, combined with smart wristbands like Nike’s Fuelband and Apple’s upcoming Healthkit app, means your health will be as accessible online as your iTunes Library.
What remains to be seen, however, is whether anyone wants that much info in their lives.
Technology like this will certainly debut on the high-end of prices, and there’s no telling how many people will want pants that calculate your waist size after a Happy Meal.
Still, there was a time when people couldn’t see much use for an iPhone. Now, trying having a conversation with those folks without having them take a Snapchat or scroll through their Instagram feed.
Whatever market there is for wearable tech, we’re still waiting for the hoverboards. —Carten Cordell
(July 2014)
