Wearable technology is nothing new, according to Wikipedia in the late 1800’s event organisers could hire a young woman dressed in a lightbulb-studded evening gown to animate a party. The difference between then and present time is that we can now monitor our vital stats and also synchronise everything with our smartphones which a, makes it more accessible and b, more comfortable.
Why should we consider wearable technology in the workplace?
Wearable technology may seem at first like a trend or a way for companies to show off in front of their competition. We can spend more money on uniforms than you! HA! And yes, that just might be the case sometimes, but it is also undeniable that wearable tech can provide great benefits for workers. When we hear the term, the first images that come to mind are dresses that display tweets or a waistcoat with LED light suitable only for an office Christmas Party, but wearable technology also applies to the smart fabrics some fire fighters wear to prevent them from getting burned and the sensors on the workwear of miners that warn them when they might be venturing into dangerous grounds.
Some of the benefits wearable technology could provide to the workplace:
- Increased safety for workers
- Easier optimisation thanks to data gathering
- Faster processes (like transactions)
- More comfort of employees
- Makes commuting more enjoyable
What’s next in wearable tech uniforms?
The following list features gadgets that are already available, others that have a set release date and others that are still being developed
Wristify by EMBR Labs
At first glance, it looks like a watch, but Wristify is more like a tiny air conditioning device you carry on your wrist. Its premise is pretty simple, it releases cold on to a specific area to refresh your entire body. Kind of like when you splash your face with cold water during a hot summer day.
The Chairless Chair
Created by Swiss startup Noone, the Chairless Chair was designed for workers who have to spend hours on their feet. The revolutionary design made out of titanium works as an external skeleton that’s attached to the lower part of the body. Workers would be able to walk normally until they find the position they need to stay in for a while, and then all they would have to do it “set up” the chair by hitting a button and it would no longer be flexible.
