Wearable technology has come along leaps and bounds in recent years, from fitness trackers to the Apple Watch; it is slowly becoming a staple in our everyday lives. One of the most exciting and innovative areas of wearable technology today is how it can be utilised to increase our safety.
Here is a look at some of the ways wearable technology is keeping us safe in and out of the workplace:
Wearable Technology: The Safety Aspects
Safety in Construction
Construction worker (image source: Leeroy via StockSnap)
Construction sites can be especially hazardous places to work, and now wearable technology is playing a big part in keeping employees safe on site. Machine control experts OnGrade have developed the safety system SiteZone, which uses wearable technology to create a Proximity Warning System. The tech works by creating a virtual safety zone around HGV vehicles and machinery. All site workers wear a transponder tag which triggers a two-way alarm if they breach the safety zone of a vehicle. SiteZone can detect these tags through dust, smoke, around corners and in the dark, making it one of the smartest systems on the market. Read more here.
Medical Marvels
Some of the most innovative health and safety developments in wearable tech can be found in the medical sector. Canadian company Vandrico have produced wearable health monitor headsets that continuously track a patient’s health using sensors – providing real-time reliable monitoring to healthcare professionals. This blog post by FlexEnable, a leading provider of flexible electronics technology, explains how their latest image sensors could revolutionise X-ray technology. Lighter than a glass-based detector, their plastic based X-ray image sensors have the potential to be conformed to objects – which inspires endless possibilities for the future of X-ray, particularly in medical and dental applications.
Also Read: Tech Giants Smartwatch Makers vouch to make Health monitoring wearables
Fighting Fatigue
One of the major hurdles for truck drivers when it comes to health and safety is fatigue. Driving extensive distances for long periods makes workers far more likely to become tired and lose concentration whilst behind the wheel. The SmartCap is a piece of wearable technology designed to prevent fatigue by alerting wearers when they become tired. Sensors fitted inside the hat track the wearer’s alertness and signs of fatigue – when fatigue levels rises the driver is notified that it’s time for a break!
Safety on the Road
Car Dashboard (image source: Nirzar Pangarkar via StockSnap)
Wearable technology has taken to the road in the form of the Mercedes-Benz Pebble Smartwatch. The watch, mentioned in this article, allows the driver to check the fuel level and location of their car as well as alerting them to real-life hazards such as accidents and upcoming construction works as they drive. New developments in LCD technology by FlexEnable and their partner Flex have led to the production of flexible glass-free displays for cars, linking up to a camera attached to the wing mirror and providing the driver with a more accurate field of view around the vehicle, eliminating dangerous blind spots and improving safety on the road.
Also Read: The History and The Future of Wearable Technologies
It’s astounding how many ground breaking and innovative uses wearable technology has in our lives, whether it’s in the workplace, in hospitals or on the road – wearable tech is helping to make the world a safer place.
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Goolge Glass is the best example of wearable technology. It is helpful for medical science and many other fields. Thanks for sharing your views with great knowledge.