Introduction to the World of Wearables

Wearables are expanding into all facets of society. The industry around this field is growing and many companies have specialist workshops, prototyping spaces, and research and development facilities. The call for meaningful wearables now includes partners in medical, sports, safety, and many other sectors. There is a pressing need for adapting skillsets to include prototyping abilities, and a keen understanding of the process to create successful wearables. This involves integrating electronics into garments, understanding what wearables are, and how their unique properties can be incorporated. All these factors help us build a picture of new and exciting ways to create wearable technologies that will improve people’s daily lives.

In this chapter, you will learn about the context of wearables and their evolution. This will provide a launchpad for understanding exciting new e-textile and prototyping tools. We will explore past projects and the application of wearables in a variety of different domains, including medical, safety, improving quality of life, or fitness purposes. We’ll also discuss ethical considerations, which are an essential part of the process of wearable development. Understanding the definitions and constraints of the tools we have will help us develop interesting and useful wearable tech.

We will also look at current research; what are scientists, technologists, engineers, and designers exploring at these intersections? Also, what ethical considerations do we need to be aware of when designing for and with people?

In this chapter, we are going to cover the following main topics:

• What are wearables?
• Terminology, applications, and constraints
• Exciting ideas, concepts, and projects to motivate
• What does the research tell us?
• Cultural and ethical considerations

Let’s explore the history of wearables. This is only a small cross-section of what has been developed. Having a foundation in their history will build your appreciation and excitement for the field. As we progress through the artifacts, ask yourself how they can be modified, developed further, and explored in other ways. How can you adapt designs for different parts of the body? How can you push wearables further and for what purpose?

In this section, we will cover the following topics:

• Wearables definition
• When were wearables created?
• Informed wearables