The wearable devices space is viewed as the next goldmine of opportunity for sensor manufacturers as profits shrink in the smartphone and tablet segments. Further, the sensor landscape for wearable devices will gain a new dimension through the entry of software and hardware giants such as Google, Apple, Samsung and Intel.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Wearable Electronics Enabled by Sensors, finds that the sensors market earned revenues of €70 million ($108 m) in 2014 and estimates this to catapult to €710 million ($800 m) in 2020.
“Rising average life expectancy and increasing awareness on health and fitness monitoring have fuelled the adoption of wearable devices,” said Frost & Sullivan Measurement and Instrumentation Senior Industry Analyst Sankara Narayanan. “In addition to clinical healthcare, medical, fitness & wellness applications the wearables market is witnessing a series of new product launches, such as Heads-up Displays, smart watches, smart fabrics, wrist bands, and glasses that are used across various consumer, industrial and other verticals. As the need to collect various physiological data and quantified self-movement surges, wearables will incorporate more complex electronics and sensors.”
Since the wearable electronics ecosystem is complex, a combination of both hardware and software knowledge is required for companies to make it big in the industry. Many firms do not have the skill to design products from scratch. Further, the need to integrate a large number of sensors inside a wearable device poses serious problems in terms of battery life and time to market.
Sensor platforms, rather than sensor components, will play a critical role in wearable device innovation and shortening time to market. Sensor platform companies, with expertise in sensors, low-power processing, and wireless connectivity, can design solutions with the desired number of sensors while ensuring robust battery life and reduced power consumption.
“Sensor platforms fill the software-hardware knowledge gap, enabling rapid prototyping of wearables and helping wearable designers do their own hardware design,” added Narayanan.
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