Wearable tech is only just gaining popularity, but already many are looking toward what could be the future of wearables.
Could technology eventually be embedded inside the human body? Some are suggesting that fitness trackers could one day simply be a pill that is swallowed.
In fact, that technology might not be so far off. While fitness bands are all the rage, the latest body monitors are reportedly as small as a BB pellet and are called "nanomeds." These sensors are embedded in a placebo pill that is swallowed. Once they reach the users gut they are activated by a combination of saliva and gastric juices. A small Band-Aid-looking sensor that is worn on the chest picks up the signal from these nanomeds, which are not digested as they work their way through the body.
The system is able to record a number of things. First of all, it can sense whether or not the user is taking any meds they should be taking. Apart from that, it can track things that other fitness trackers might be able to detect, like heart rate. All of this information can then be sent straight to the user's smartphone or tablet and can even be sent to the user's doctor.
"We are entering the commercial era of the Internet of Things (IoT) -- your car, your clothes and increasingly your personal care products are going to be connected," said Andrew Thompson, CEO of Proteus Digital Health, the company behind what they call "ingestibles."
The goal of all this? To be able to provide critical information that could be very informative as to the user's health, as well as to allow customers to be able to switch on their own health care.
Proteus Digital Health was named after a submarine called Proteus from the 1966 sci-fi film "Fantastic Voyage." In the movie, a miniature submarine was injected into a blood vessel in order to fix a brain clot.
The devices were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012, but they aren't yet available to the open market. However, the company is actively testing the device in pilot projects, especially in England.
Devices like this could greatly improve the health care system, allowing doctors to improve medication usage and effectiveness for elders and disabled people, helping improve their overall quality of life.
Despite the seemingly great technology, it does have its critics. Some suggest that the device is too intrusive. The argument to that, however, is the fact that no one is forced to use the new technology.
The technology sure is a step up from the Apple Watch, which is set to make its debut next year. But could it really be effective? Only time will tell.