Page 14 - EE Times Europe March 2022

14 EE|Times EUROPE

Will Wearables Be the Pulse of Tomorrow’s Health Care?

EETE: Historically, smartwatches, smart patches, and other health 26.3 million shipments during the third quarter of 2021 and is pro-
trackers have been used to help people get in shape, lose weight, jected to reach 236.55 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 19.7% from 2021 to
and train for their next race. But increasingly, people are using 2026. Additionally, lighting technologies and cellular connectivity will
them to monitor their health. How do you explain this shift in make smartwatches more complex. In terms of connectivity, according
usage and consumer expectations? to ABI Research, 4G smartwatches will be the most popular gadgets,
Iovino: There is an urgent requirement for technologies that aid with with a 31.7% CAGR, while 5G will only be available [starting] in 2023.
the tracking and monitoring of Covid-19, notably through several wear-
ables deployments and initiatives aiding the fight against Covid-19, EETE: Cellular connectivity contributes to better health care
tracking its progress, and monitoring the vitals of those who have been for patients. While the wearables market has only recently
infected. These wearables measure daily biometrics, including heart made the leap from 3G to 4G, 5G already offers promises of low
rate, blood oxygen levels, heart rate variability, autonomic nervous latency, reliability, and high-speed connectivity. Could 5G be
system and recovery, sleep, and more. transformative for the health-care sector?
Iovino: 5G is designed to unlock experiences to reach new form factors
EETE: Has the pandemic fostered this trend? Are people more and market segments. The features and capabilities envisioned by 5G
concerned than ever with their health and taking control of it? networks are predicted to revolutionize applications in health care and
Iovino: Smartwatches and fitness trackers have evolved into effec- many device types; for example, people would get real-time input on
tive and reliable health- and activity-monitoring devices that have chronic medical issues. High data gathering and low power efficiency
experienced an increase in demand during the pandemic, as consumers will be the key strengths for these smart gadgets, raising demand and
become more health-conscious, spurred by visits to the doctor becom- increasing popularity.
ing relatively limited and the establishment of fitness at home.
EETE: Why does ABI Research predict that 5G-enabled wearable
EETE: Are advances in hardware (e.g., sensors, AI processors, shipments will remain low — at 3.55 million — by 2026, while
SoCs) key contributors to this trend? 4G will still represent the highest volume, with 45.4 million
Iovino: Wearable technology is evolving in various applications, like shipments and a CAGR of 31.7% by this stage?
clothing, thanks to sensors that gather and deliver data to improve Iovino: Many device types in the wearables and accessories sector will
the user experience. The development of AI in wearables enables the not become completely self-connected; instead, they will still need
creation of complex algorithmic models that can help improve the user to be tethered to a smartphone or hub. Indeed, the 5G attach rate for
experience. The interaction of machine learning, computer vision, and wearables and accessories will remain low, at about 0.6% by 2026, and
logical thinking with wearables is a tool that AI can employ and will be will be mainly related to smartwatches and headsets.
utilized to optimize consumers’ experiences and collect more data. As Some health-care devices are currently shipped with LPWA-LTE
wearables develop the capacity to gather and analyze rich, heavyweight connectivity or 4G technology and are expected to reach 0.86 million
data in near-real time, their potential for more precise, connectivity- and 0.72 million units, respectively, by 2026.
intensive tasks will improve, which could also be enhanced by adding
5G connectivity. Health-care Devices by Cellular Connectivity (millions*)
Cellular Connectivity 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
EETE: Blood pressure and ECG monitors have become de facto 2G 0.45 0.69 0.90 1.12 1.34 1.61
features of smartwatches, while smart patches are helping
patients manage blood glucose levels. Are we seeing other 3G 0.76 1.16 1.66 2.32 3.09 3.70
functions emerge? If so, could those emerging functions take 4G 0.11 0.19 0.30 0.45 0.63 0.86
smartwatches, smart patches, and other health trackers into 5G 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
another, even higher, wave of adoption? LPWA-LTE 0.15 0.23 0.32 0.45 0.72 0.72
Iovino: Yes! For example, Abbott announced the development of Lingo, None 35.82 45.11 56.51 70.27 83.76 100.54
a new category of consumer biowearables that will analyze body signals
such as glucose, ketone, and lactate [blood levels]. These devices con- *The shipment units exclude 2G, 3G, 5G, and health-care devices (Source: ABI Research)
vert a body’s unique language into actionable data to track and assess without cellular connectivity.
overall health and well-being. The Lingo Keto will be the first biowear-
able launched in Europe later this year. EETE: Are we, through the fast deployment and adoption of
A pilot trial of Rockley Photonics’ wrist-worn gadget was able to con- wearables, transitioning from curative to preventive health care?
stantly measure a person’s blood pressure without the need for a cuff, Iovino: We are transitioning from curative to preventive health care.
paving the way for broader investigations of the hassle-free technology These devices enable consumers to track many types of vital health-care
that might one day be included in Apple Watches and other consumer information both in and beyond a hospital setting. Most medical pro-
devices. Additional studies aimed at patients, persons with diabetes, fessionals would do everything [possible] to enhance patient outcomes
athletes, and the [broader] public are testing the effectiveness of the while using fewer resources. Wearable gadgets and remote monitoring
company’s sensors in monitoring muscle lactate, glucose trends, and via IoT medical equipment can help with this. Alerts would be auto-
other metrics. matically sent to the doctor when any changes in a patient’s health are
Many smartwatch makers now include blood oxygen sensors, ECG detected, ensuring that the most at-risk patients get help immediately.
monitors, and other sensors as standard features, with the capacity to Health spending has risen due to economic development and advance-
analyze data over time. The global smartwatch market recorded ments in health technology. Chronic disease has become the leading
cause of mortality worldwide as life expectancy increases. Early preven-
Smartwatch Shipments by Year (millions) tion and intervention might reduce the likelihood of poor health in the
community and save money on eventual treatment costs. Therefore, the
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 transition is not only important but necessary for mutual interest. ■
96.31 113.64 134.10 160.25 193.90 236.55
(Source: ABI Research) Anne-Françoise Pelé is editor-in-chief of EE Times Europe.

MARCH 2022 | www.eetimes.eu