Imagine waking up to a new day. A smart alarm clock nudges you awake at the optimal time, as you check your smartwatch to see how the quality of your sleep was. As you ready yourself for work, the virtual assistant on your smart speaker reads you the news, and weather and traffic conditions as you brush your teeth.
Freshly brewed coffee from the automated coffee machine awaits you as you grab a cup before work. Just as you are about to head out of the door, a drone from the logistics company drops off a package just in time. You are scheduled to reach the office at 9am and you get some work done on the commute, thanks to your self-driving car.
All this sounds like science fiction, but the foundation for this scenario to happen is here today. Here are some tech trends from 2018 that are making the above a reality.
HEALTH SENSORS
The lack of regular physical exercise has been a major factor in the ill health of many. Wearable health sensors are stepping in to change our behaviour and encouraging us to lead healthier and more active lifestyles.
Beyond using them to improve our lifestyles, health sensors are also allowing doctors to monitor patients in the comforts of their homes instead of in a hospital. Smartwatches that monitor a patient’s heart rate, physical activity and food consumption are able to send health data over the Internet to doctors and alert them in the event of an emergency.
Wearable health sensors have become ubiquitous, but there is a need for regular patient engagement and actual change in lifestyle behaviours in order for an improvement in the quality of life.
