Modern wearables are powerful wearable computers containing sensors, microprocessors, and an internet connection. Although the basic system architecture of wearable technology appears to be straightforward, the compromises involved in its development are not. As more organizations consider making wearables, we’re seeing them face unforeseen challenges.
This is especially true for companies that are focused on specific uses for their technology. While fitness trackers were the first to gain popularity, more companies are developing wearable technologies expressly for healthcare. With improved sensor technology, we can collect real-time data on vital signs such as blood pressure, glucose, and ECG measures. These wearables, however, must meet certain production, efficacy, and safety criteria because they are medical devices.
Wearables are a distinct category of technology, whether or not they have medical applications. Expertise and solid partnerships are required to develop them successfully. We’ve condensed our knowledge into a tried-and-true wearable device development process.
How do we create wearable technology?
A design-thinking methodology guides the creation of wearable gadgets. Wearables IoT Devices, on the other hand, provide distinct obstacles. These are concerned with its comfort, accuracy, and power usage. The success of a device is determined by the components chosen and their integration within a form factor. These choices determine the device’s convenience, efficiency, and effectiveness.
When it comes to producing wearables, what are the particular considerations?
Creating a Product That Is Both Useful and Valuable
A wearable long-term success is determined by how much customers enjoy using it. Because these devices are frequently worn 24 hours a day, a positive user experience is critical. You can utilize several user research methodologies to delve into your consumers’ demands and create a product that fits their everyday routines.
User research can also assist you in determining how to convey information to your users in a way that makes your product easy to use. What information is useful to see on the gadget vs. a smartphone, for example? How does the wearable notify the user that it needs to be charged or that a notification user needs to be notified?
For Wearables IoT Devices that aim to be digital therapeutics, understanding your users is even more critical. Companies should be deliberate in designing their product and educational materials to help customers grasp the mode of action and shift their long-held mental models.
Making Sure Your Device Is Wearable
Designers frequently start with human factors and ergonomics analyses to attain this goal. This allows you to test the comfort of a device’s size, materials, and body positioning.
Companies can look to fashion and soft goods designers for ideas when incorporating this hands-free technology into apparel or accessories. Designers can use specialized building approaches to make a wearable that sits flat against the body and has minimum pressure points.
Because of the wear and strain on these gadgets, it’s critical to plan their whole life cycle, including cleaning. Designers must be aware of how and when a user cleans their Wearables IoT Devices without compromising its functionality. The designers at Teksun frequently tackle this problem by building a modular design that is both highly usable and easy to clean.
Choosing and Sourcing the Right Materials
The hardware gadget and a flexible band are frequently detachable elements of wearable devices. Users can swap out sections as needed with a modular form factor. Product specialists can assist you in selecting the materials that will give your product a look, feel, and performance you desire.
Soft goods, such as a wearable band, have more changing attributes than hard goods, including stretch, stitch structure, and melting point. These factors can have an impact on a finished product’s comfort, performance, and cleaning requirements.
When prototyping and moving to production, clients neglect the time required to source materials. Many are custom-made and can take up to two months to arrive. Expert product consultants can assist you in planning and managing this phase of your project.
Designing for Durability
Wearables IoT Devices are more susceptible to moisture and temperature fluctuations than other electronic equipment. Our team acknowledges that people wear devices when swimming, showering, or sweating when studying hazards and risks. Teksun Inc must pay special attention to our materials and seals to preserve sensors and connectors in our clients’ hardware.
At Teksun Inc, we design prototypes that reflect your vision and put them through rigorous testing. We help businesses ensure quality and reduce the risk of recalls by using engineering analysis and testing.
As previously said, using wearables 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can cause substantial wear and tear on your product. We can extend the device’s lifespan and improve its performance by designing for durability. These elements increase consumer happiness and brand confidence.
Choosing Sensors Wisely
In general, the number of wearable sensors or algorithms grows in lockstep with the number of desired metrics. This can impact the device’s size, amount of data held, and power consumption.
Sensor placement is also important for accurate data collecting.
When installing wearable sensors, we also examine how moisture, heat, and movement affect the signal. Sensors can also wander, which can lead to mistakes.
Errors caused by movement or drift can be reduced by using flexible sensors implanted in delicate items. The sensitivity of a sensor can also be improved by its design. Sensor selection is influenced by both the desired metric and the measurement method. Any biometric of interest can be captured in a variety of ways. For example, photoplethysmography, which is employed in the Apple Watch, can assess heart rate. Another method, captive sensing, uses the electrical impedance of the skin to determine heart rate.
These multi-factor decisions highlight the importance of integrated teams in making Wearables IoT Devices. With in-house usability researchers, designers, and engineers, we can help you make the best choices for your product.
Prolonging Battery Life
For two reasons, deploying Wearables IoT Devices for long periods is difficult: memory capacity and battery life. Wearables connected to phones can access the phone’s storage, but this does not alleviate the power issue. While sensor optimization can help, data transmission costs the most energy.
Alkaline nickel-metal hybrids and lithium-ion batteries are used to power wearable gadgets. Many batteries are large and have sharp edges, which makes them unsuitable for wearables. Changing the size and shape of the device enclosure, on the other hand, has an impact on the battery and sensor size.
We can overcome this obstacle by employing innovative electrical engineering techniques. Because they are rechargeable and lightweight, lithium-ion polymer batteries are often the best option. They can also be found in flexible, stretchable versions, ideal for soft goods such as apparel.
Going from Manufacturing to Market
Different manufacturers frequently specialize in different processes. Because wearables have so many different components, finding a single manufacturer who can accomplish everything is difficult. It’s not a good idea to ask a manufacturer who specializes in molded parts to use modern garment manufacturing processes. To ensure the quality of your goods, you’ll need the necessary machinery, abilities, and experience.
Wearable medical gadgets, in particular, are subjected to more rigorous regulatory scrutiny. A manufacturer who isn’t experienced with medical equipment can overlook medical-grade materials. We collaborate with ISO 13485-certified manufacturers when developing wearable technologies for healthcare.
Clients frequently struggle to explain their needs to manufacturers because of these difficulties. Product advisors with a large network can assist you in locating manufacturers with the necessary manufacturing capabilities to bring your vision to market.
Wrapping Up
Developing convenient, high-performing wearables needs a multidisciplinary strategy and powerful partnerships. This is particularly true for Wearables IoT Devices that require adherence to FDA guidance. With a team that can evaluate your design and technology, your device can pass exceptional value to your customers.
Do you have a big idea for wearable technology? Our industrial designers and engineers can assist you in evaluating concepts and making prototypes for testing. Begin now.
