Wearable health care: technology evolution, algorithms and needs

Wearable technology (wearable gadgets) means electronics that can be worn on the body using an invasive (implants) or non-invasive (external accessories) method. Both invasive and non-invasive wearable devices share the mobility, power autonomy and wireless connectivity required for the continuous exchange, recording and analysis of data over the Internet of Things (IoT). Indeed, the wearable technology is linked to ubiquitous/pervasive computing on wearable computers. In this context, the digital revolution and the continued growth of mobile networks have played a crucial role in the development of the wearable technology. Some wearable technologies, such as Bluetooth headsets, smart watches and web-enabled glasses, allow people to access data over Wi-Fi networks. Beyond home automation and monitoring, software companies are already developing applications for a wide range of end users, covering areas such as health and sports. Wearable technologies mean new opportunities in businesses development for new markets and data analytics. Personal data management, privacy by design in the IoT era and cloud computing virtualization will guide how companies will use the data collected from wearable devices.