Smart Sensor Clothing Sales Skyrocketing

For a few years now, tech industry analysts have been expecting the wearables market segment to emerge as a major growth area. With smart watches and fitness-oriented devices gaining more and more traction with consumers, it appears the long-promised explosion of computer-powered wearables is finally imminent. Now, a new report from the research firm Tractica suggests that within five years, the wearable technology market will have taken the fashion world by storm.

More specifically, Tractica predicts that by 2020, smart clothing sales will hit 10 million units per year. Considering that, in 2013, there were only 140,000 units of smart clothing sold globally, such an increase would mark a dramatic rise.

So, what does the future of wearable device mobile app development hold? The Tractica study offered some further clues that will be of interest to software development professionals.

The market research study suggests that, over the next few years, smart clothing will emerge from its current focus on athletic apparel and move into street wear. While biometric sensor features like heart rate monitors and respiration rate trackers will continue to be a big part of smart clothing, manufacturers are expected to create an expanded range of functions in an effort to make tech-infused fashions an integral part of day-to-day life. To that end, Tractica predicts that pregnancy monitors, baby monitors, posture monitors, headbands and 3D trackers will all become part of the smart fashion world within the next few years.

Internet of Things app developers will want to keep a close eye on the smart clothing market, as its expected growth will lead to never-before-seen opportunities. Developers who find ways to elevate smart clothing beyond athletics and biometrics and make it more relevant to daily life will be poised to cash in on what is expected to become the next decade’s definitive fashion trend.