Research Paper Peer Review

Body of mini research paper
According to a survey conducted, the vital sectors that are gaining the advantages of the growth of wearable technology include; the security sector, medical, sports and fitness, lifestyle as well as communications and showbiz. The majority of wearable devices are designed for a narrow range of tasks with a limited set of features. These tasks might be as simple as providing notifications of the messages received via the phone or social media. On the other hand, they may perform compound tasks, for instance, the diabetic monitors that keep track of the glucose levels and administer insulin as per the amount needed. Some of the wearable technologies worn on the wrists are used to track fitness information such as the steps took; calories burned and the sleep patterns of an individual and relay them to their mobile devices. Consequently, these devices offer a kind of computer enhanced self-awareness for the wearer. The information relayed from these devices can be used to determine the level of health, fitness and maximum performance of an individual (Park, Sungmee and Jayaraman, 42).
The products that are available in the wearable technology market are impressive in terms of innovation. However, these products are yet to exploit their full potential. For instance, Google Glass provides a variety of applications such as doctors streaming live surgery to different locations. In addition, they may be used to relay schematics to engineers. However, the most popular type of wearable technology is the smart watch. Many companies have come up with smart watches such as Nissan. The downside of the smart watches is that they are big in terms of size and do not have an artistic design. To reverse this trend, both Sony and Samsung have developed watches that have an OLED display (Miner et al., 2).
In universities and colleges, the use of wearable technology devices remains largely at the trial stage. For instance, at the Wexner medical center in Ohio State University, a surgeon used the Google glasses to transmit live video of an operation to students in a different location. In addition to this, he was working in conjunction with another associate at a third location. Another illustration of the use of wearable technology is in the North Eastern University where they are being used to track the physiological conditions of individuals that are suffering from autism. Wearable technology in the walking cane used by the blind, can help them sense motion and their surrounding helping them to find their way as they walk (Bonato, 2).
Wearable technology has several advantages to the user since it reflects the evolution of the human association with computing and provides a clue of the seamless connectivity in the future. This connectivity is based on the fact that in future, the daily human activities will be linked with sensors, processors, and information displays. For this reason, wearable devices that monitor the users’ physical condition may result in prompt interventions during medical emergencies. In addition to this, devices such as the GoPro camera provide a video record of events. Consequently, such a device can be used to provide real-time insight into a crime scene recounted by a detective during a class of criminology. In the case of individuals who utilize data, the information that is relayed a few inches away from the eyes can provide learning support for enhanced reality. For instance, a visitor to a 12th century castle can examine information that explains the importance of the site and provides dates of linked historical events. (Patel et al., 453).
In the teaching and learning sector, hidden wearable devices may change the dimension of educational computing. For instance, wearable cameras may enable a learner to take part simultaneously as an observer, reporter and participant allowing detailed life is blogging and giving a subjective opinion for digital storytelling. In addition, the ability to collect data shown by biometrics and environmental conditions could promote research through the provision of information that is collected without the actual interaction of individuals. The type of information obtained in this type of way has low risks of contamination. Finally, the use of wearable technology devices may offer powerful help to the individuals with visual, auditory and physical disabilities. As a result, professionals can track students that have disabilities remotely and suggest the necessary interventions and those students with language problems can access immediate translation (Seymour, 2).

For this reason, it is important that the wearable technology developers come up with devices that are comfortable. The devices should be picture perfect and transparent. To achieve this comfort, they should ensure that they do not attract attention to monitoring systems for a group that may be at risk. The second factor that the developers should focus on is the value of the devices they are developing. For instance, they should enable the wearers to gain meaningful information that can aid them in making sound decisions regarding their health and activity schedule. Consequently, cost sensitivity and reliability should be considered. The third aspect that wearable technology developers should pay attention to is the multi-functionality of their devices. It is important to blend the wearable devices to complement the special features of existing products. Innovation such as the use of sensors to warn drivers when they fall asleep while driving would make wearable technology more popular. The final aspect that would make wearable technology successful is their portability. Portability can be improved in terms of accessibility round the clock and minimized charging time (Bonato, 2).
Despite all the positive aspects of wearable technology, it has some challenges as well. One of the crucial challenges is smaller devices, non-invasiveness and the ability to monitor multiple parameters while giving computerized feedback for the enhancement of user behavior. For these aspects to be effective there is a need for the integration of several sensors, varied connectivity protocols and reduced use of power. For this reason, the electrification of garments and apparels will require the strength of the electronics to be enhanced and allow for good handling and reduced washability (Blinkley, 25).
Another challenge for wearable technology is the lack of flexible OLED displays in the current market. For this reason, companies such as Samsung are using curved displays that need rigidity and glass covers in the meantime. Flexible batteries will allow the use of more convenient mobile sensors for healthcare. In addition to this, comprehension of piezoelectric will allow the use of garments that can be easily charged (Park, Sungmee and Jayaraman, 44).
The third challenge that is afflicting wearable devices is the storage of information and concerns of privacy. The information that is obtained from wearable technology devices can form part of the human cloud system. Consequently, this data can be utilized for hosting and analyzing customer patterns to improve services offered by companies and public organizations. For this reason, a cloud system to support the enormous amount of information obtained needs to be developed. This development is dependent on the fact that cloud computing is a robust facilitator for the wearable technology market. However, there reservations over the privacy of the data obtained from individuals. Most of the individuals that are interested in using wearable devices have raised concerns over the privacy of the information as a hindrance factor. Consequently, there is a need for legal issues like filming or photographing individuals secretly to be resolved with time (Miner et al., 2).
However, the emerging technological advancements may lead to the elimination of the challenges of battery life, including the weight, heat and the need to recharge. For instance, in the University of Washington, engineers have come up with wireless communication devices that work without the need for batteries employing a technique referred to as, the ambient backscatter. This technique powers communication by reflecting television transmissions and cellular devices. In addition to this, researchers at Illinois University have come up with batteries that are a few millimeters in size that provide almost 2000 times the power of a similar type of batteries (Blinkley, 26).
Technology may also result in wearable technology adopting haptic responses such as detached perceptible alerts to messages or scheduled appointments. The use of biometrics may also provide effective security of wearable technology devices (Bonato, 2).

Works cited;

Binkley, Philip F. “Predicting the potential of wearable technology.” Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE 22.3 (2003): 23-27.
Bonato, Paolo. “Advances in Wearable technology and applications in physical medicine and rehabilitation.” Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2.1 (2005): 2.
Miner, Cameron S., Denise M. Chan, and Christopher Campbell. “Digital jewelry: wearable technology for everyday life.” CHI’01 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems. ACM, 2001.
Park, Sungmee, and Sundaresan Jayaraman. “Enhancing the quality of life through wearable technology.” Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE 22.3 (2003): 41-48.
Patel, Shyamal, et al. “A novel approach to monitoring rehabilitation outcomes in stroke survivors using wearable technology.” Proceedings of the IEEE 98.3 (2010): 450-461.
Seymour, Sabine. Fashionable technology: the intersection of design, fashion, science, and technology. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2008