{"id":21644,"date":"2020-01-28T12:37:45","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T12:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/glosario-digital\/wearable"},"modified":"2026-09-14T14:17:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:17:17","slug":"wearable","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/wearable","title":{"rendered":"Wearable"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wearable\" class=\"boxpad alignright\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/wearable-smartwatch-square.png\" style=\"margin-top:0;\" width=\"300\"\/> <strong>Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A <strong>wearable<\/strong> is an electronic device designed to be worn on the body, incorporated into an accessory, a garment or an item attached to the skin. It can collect data through sensors, process information or provide functions such as displaying notifications, tracking activity and enabling communications.<\/p>\n<p>Smartwatches and fitness trackers are common examples, but glasses, clothing and body sensors can also have these characteristics. Their uses span leisure, sport, work and certain healthcare applications.<\/p>\n<p>A wearable can operate independently or exchange information with a phone, a network or other devices. It does not have to be always on, browse the Internet or perform several tasks at once. Carrying a phone in a pocket does not in itself make it a wearable device: what matters is that it is designed to be used on the body.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Examples of wearables<\/h2>\n<p>The expression wearable technology describes equipment with different functions and forms. These five examples illustrate its variety:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Smartwatches:<\/strong> can display notifications, track activity, manage calls or enable contactless payments, depending on the model and compatible services. They do not all offer the same functions or need a permanent connection to a phone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fitness trackers:<\/strong> use sensors to record movement and estimate indicators such as steps, heart rate or exercise intensity. The results depend on the device, its placement and the activity being performed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sports insoles with sensors:<\/strong> collect information about pressure, foot contact or load distribution while walking or exercising. They can provide data for an assessment, but do not guarantee injury prevention.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Body sensors:<\/strong> include patches, bands and other items that measure specific variables. Not all are tattoo-shaped or record the same signals. A device implanted beneath the skin belongs to a different category, although it may communicate with external components.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wearable devices for babies:<\/strong> can be placed in clothing, bands or socks to record movement or other variables, depending on the product. Consumer devices are not automatically equivalent to clinical monitors and should not be presented as systems that prevent sudden infant death syndrome.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Wellness functions must be distinguished from medical indications. A watch displaying an estimate or an alert does not mean that the function has been validated to diagnose a disease. Wearables with specific medical functions also exist; their use and scope depend on validation and applicable regulations.<\/p>\n<h2>How wearable devices work<\/h2>\n<p>Wearables combine components such as sensors, processors, memory, batteries and communication interfaces. An accelerometer can record movement; an optical sensor can capture signals used to estimate pulse rate; and a positioning receiver can calculate a location when the necessary conditions are available. Not all devices include these components.<\/p>\n<p>Some processing can take place on the device itself and some in an application or a remote service. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular connections allow data exchange when the equipment supports them. Some wearables form part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/iot-internet-of-things\">Internet of Things<\/a>, but Internet connectivity is not a requirement for all wearable technology.<\/p>\n<p>The miniaturisation of components, batteries and wireless communications has helped integrate them into accessories and clothing. Their design must address considerations specific to being worn on the body, such as comfort, battery life, skin contact and resistance to water or movement. Simply adding electronics to an object does not make it suitable to wear.<\/p>\n<p>The quality of the records depends on what is measured and how the signal is obtained. An estimate of calories or sleep stages is not a direct observation of all the body&#8217;s processes. Placement, movement and conditions of use can affect the result.<\/p>\n<p>Activity, location and health data also require distinguishing where they are stored, which services they are shared with and who can access them. Wearing a device does not mean that all its records remain solely on that device.<\/p>\n<h2>Applications of wearables<\/h2>\n<p>Applications depend on each device&#8217;s sensors, interfaces and functions. These four areas illustrate different uses of wearable technology:<\/p>\n<h3>Smart glasses<\/h3>\n<p>They can provide visual or audio information, capture images or enable communications without holding a phone. Some incorporate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/augmented-reality\">augmented reality<\/a> to overlay information on the surroundings, but not all glasses with electronics include a display or provide this function.<\/p>\n<p>In a professional setting, they can be used to consult instructions or receive remote assistance. Their specific capabilities depend on the equipment and available applications.<\/p>\n<h3>Everyday accessories<\/h3>\n<p>Watches and bands can combine notifications, activity tracking and other functions. Some estimate steps, energy expenditure or sleep; others include swimming metrics when compatible with that use. These indicators do not all have the same accuracy and do not in themselves provide a complete assessment of physical fitness.<\/p>\n<p>Water resistance and supported activities depend on the manufacturer&#8217;s specifications. A resistance rating does not mean that any device can be used in every sport.<\/p>\n<h3>Textiles in sport<\/h3>\n<p>Garments with sensors can capture movement, posture or other signals during exercise. Wearable items incorporating lighting to improve the user&#8217;s visibility also exist.<\/p>\n<p>Sports clothing does not become an electronic wearable simply because it fits closely or uses a technical fabric. It must incorporate the relevant technology; its usefulness depends on how that technology is integrated and the information or function it provides.<\/p>\n<h3>Workplace safety<\/h3>\n<p>Body-worn devices can enable communications, proximity alerts, fall detection or the monitoring of certain conditions during a task. Helmets, vests, glasses and other equipment can incorporate different functions.<\/p>\n<p>A location system needs positioning and communication methods suited to its environment. GPS does not work in the same way indoors as in open spaces, and sending a location does not guarantee that an emergency has been handled. These devices complement prevention and response procedures rather than replacing them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Definition: A wearable is an electronic device designed to be worn on the body, incorporated into an accessory, a garment or an item attached to the skin. It can collect data through sensors, process information or provide functions such as displaying notifications, tracking activity and enabling communications. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are common examples, but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79583,"template":"","encyclopedia-tag":[1281],"class_list":["post-21644","encyclopedia","type-encyclopedia","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","encyclopedia-tag-connected-hardware"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia\/21644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/encyclopedia"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"encyclopedia-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia-tag?post=21644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}