THE VARIABLE / LIMITS

A thesis project in collaboration with Industry Partners Ken Margon and Tim Gilbert

Wearable technology market powers from USD 20 billion in 2015 to almost USD 70 billion in 2025. Wrist-wear accounted for the largest market revenue at $876.70 million, while neck-wear enjoyed the least market share, all as of 2011

INTRODUCTION: Why did i choose this topic

• To create and design high sophisticated, competitive wearable technology products
• The trackers in the market fitness trackers in the current market are mostly gadget types
• Design trackers that help users learn about themselves and make choices to shape their biology

INTRODUCTION: Why did i choose this topic

• To explore new technologies to make well optimized and easy handled wearable
• become a professional designer
• To bridge the gap between proven design, science and latest technology

What just happened in the market recently?

We’re trying to open up a very different kind of platform around low-power, persistent, large display on the body.

— Phil Inagaki, Polyera

PRODUCT NAME: Phalanx Fitness Wearable Tracker

User Scenario:
Rocky is an athlete boxer who routinely trains with his coach when a match comes up. His coach organizes rocky’s training regimen around opponents in his match. The coach applies agile fitness training on Rocky to keep his body responsive to the conditions. The coach uses the Phalanx suit intuitive metrics which provide responsive feedback on Rocky’s physical fitness. The suit’s data metrics at a specific time depend on the coach’s training regiment focused towards cardio or bulk training. The responsive data metric software in the phalanx suit make the coach’s unique approach in training an always evolving experience for Rocky. Rocky is able to not only feel the difference in how he feels but by the phalanx suit he is able to see the difference in his body by the dynamic nature how his avatar is constructed in the software by his training activities.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• A tracker that allows users to observe and control their body changes with usage
• Combines activity tracker,physiological tracking and experiential factors of the user

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

• Does not use the paradigm of activity tracker as a design prompt
• Positions the user as the deterministic agent of how they use tracker technology for value
• Better UI with organic data based on bioprofile
• The entire tracker industry is build around the paradigm of just "tracking"
• Users want to take action based on data

COLLABORATION

• Designer who loves fitness and fitness related design technology + People with cool new sensor = mutual collaboration
• Apply new sensor in consumer wearable fitness tracking allow us to understand real world context before implementation in medical fields
• Great place to get Case studies

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• Consumer health is the fastest growing market right now, least likely to slow down at this point
• Emerging markets are indicated by new advances in technology and research.
• Products designed should be designed with some forecast and consideration of emerging sectors

FUTURE PROSPECTS

• Shifting industry from entrepreneur based business towards science & technology
• Nanotechnology, DNA hardware storage, Addictive manufacturing
• Google's moonshot projects will pressure other companies to shift focus towards science based business technologies E.g Apple, Samsung

Why MITACS

• National research network
• 15 years in operation
• 37 research partners
• 60+ university partners
• Almost 10,000 research projects to solve business problems and drive innovation

FUNDING CYCLE

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