Over the past decade, the rising popularity and functionality of wearable technology have made life much more convenient. You can now check your heart rate on a watch, record your sleep patterns with a ring, or listen to music with a pair of glasses.
At the head of this portable tech revolution are experts like Rahul Verma, who significantly contributed to the development of the acclaimed Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. As an expert in software development and cloud computing, he's excited about new innovations in the wearables industry, and he's making improvements of his own in connectivity and robust user experiences.
Here's where Rahul believes the wearable tech industry is headed and what trends he recommends watching for.
Wearable Technology Today
In 2022, the wearable technology market was valued at $61.3 billion, and it's expected to grow by about 14% from 2023 to 2030. However, while the technology has improved quite a bit, some problems persist. For example, batteries tend to die way too quickly, and devices aren't as consistent as they should be. One smartwatch will say that you've logged 5,000 steps, while another will put you at 6,000. These technical concerns aside, many people are concerned about the privacy of their recorded data.
Rahul Verma is working to improve the tech and bring wearables into the mainstream once and for all. At FAANG, he worked in augmented reality and wearable technology, getting a firsthand look at the newest innovations in the field—from efficient data transfer protocols to the seamless synchronization and integration of multiple devices.
Thanks to his extensive work in the field, he has some ideas about the biggest trends that are changing wearable technology in 2024.
AI-Powered Assistance
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized all corners of the tech world, and the wearables industry is no exception. AI-powered virtual assistants can make these portable devices much more user-friendly and helpful, tipping you off to sudden changes in your health and providing personalized recommendations and insights.
Thanks to computer vision, AI can also be used to generate instructions for certain tasks, create directions when you're in an unfamiliar area, or get recommendations for interesting spots to check out.
Stronger Security and Data Protection
Data from wearable tech is generally stored on the cloud. This means that it's easily accessible and regularly updated, but it also means that it's vulnerable to attack by hackers. As a result, many people worry that their valuable data will be tied back to them and either used against them or sold to another party.
Rahul is a staunch advocate for improving data security on wearable devices. He believes in centralizing the management of identity information, which would keep user data private more easily. Furthermore, he warns that companies must enforce regular security updates and strong multi-factor authentication methods.
Easy Coordination Between Multiple Devices
Interpreting all the data from various wearables can be quite a challenge. For example, a ring and a watch can both provide information about your sleep habits, but they might record slight differences in your REM cycles. Your smart glasses could use Waze to recommend one way to reach your destination, but your watch might default to Google Maps and give you totally different directions.
Rahul envisions a centralized platform that can take in all of this information and standardize it (either by choosing the best data to present or applying updates to each wearable to standardize on one application). So, instead of overloading someone with too much data, the user experience would be streamlined in one consistent format.
Looking to the Future
Thanks to innovators like Rahul Verma, wearable tech such as the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have paved the way for easy-to-use, advanced portable technology. As the tech advances further, wearable devices will only become more common and integrate even deeper into the daily lives of users.
Rahul is looking forward to a world where someone can leave the house with just a couple of wearable devices—no need for a phone. And as 2024 brings important updates to wearable tech, the most significant trends in the industry will continue to make life easier and more convenient.