CES 2017: The Innovators Set To Disrupt The Wellness Market

With the wearable tech market on course to reach a staggering $34 billion by 2020 in the US alone, it’s no surprise that this year’s CES trade show played host to some of the biggest names in wellness tech.

Attracting over 175,000 people, the annual event which takes place in Las Vegas, is known for giving brands an arena to showcase the latest innovations in technology, and this year more than 3,800 companies used the exhibition to launch new products.

Unveiling game-changing innovation and showcasing the connected future of technology, according to Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association: “CES 2017 shifted to a new level as large and small companies from around the globe gathered to reveal solutions for many of our world’s most challenging problems.”

From startups to established businesses, traditional tech companies and those from new industries, “CES 2017 was a global showcase that demonstrated that we are in a new era of innovation where technology is valued not just for the devices it produces but for the experiences it makes possible,” explained Bridget Karlin, managing director at the Internet Of Things, Intel.

From next-generation wearables to smart solutions that tackle everyday problems, here we examine which innovators have the potential to disrupt the market and drive the wellness industry forward…..

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Under Armour – Athlete Recovery Sleepwear

A revolutionary sleep and recovery system, Under Armour’s Athlete Recovery Sleepwear has been designed to help the body recover faster while promoting better sleep.

Created in collaboration with athlete Tom Brady, using special bioceramic particles that absorb infrared wavelengths emitted by the body, the unique device provides athletes with untapped insight and guidance into the importance of sleep and recovery.

The next step in wearable tech, Under Armour’s science-backed approach to sleep and recovery points to a shift in the wearables market, driven by consumers’ desire for meaningful insights into how they can improve their performance.

For this particular product, the sportswear company has engaged a team of sleep experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine who are working to study the effectiveness of sustained patterns in improving overall sleep behaviors. This, it hopes will help shape its sleep products and its user experience moving forward.

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Soraa Helia

One of a host of startups creating products based on their possible effects on human health, Soraa’s Helia light bulbs produce a healthy light environment for the home.

Leveraging advanced LED technology coupled with an enterprise-grade networking and sensor platform, the smart bulb adapts to its environment automatically, based on the user’s home sunrise and sunset times.

Providing blue light in the morning to wake the user up, in the evening Soraa’s LED technology removes blue light completely, while retaining a beautiful, soft white color.

“More than ever, consumers are becoming aware of the effect artificial lighting and screens are having on their sleep and health,” explained Jeff Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Soraa. “Helia creates the healthiest lighting system ever introduced, to make homes a place where the efficiency of modern lighting and health can coexist.”

Taking the notion of ‘smart’ lighting to the next level, Soraa argues that until now smart has simply meant one can turn lights on and off using an app — which is not necessarily intuitive — and light quality has always been secondary.

With wellness architecture set to be one of the biggest (and most impactful) future wellness trends, the innovative startup is on a mission to lead the space with this intelligent and intuitive product.

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Motiv

Winner of the CES 2017 Best of Innovation for Wearable Technologies award, Motiv tracks the user’s activity, heart rate and sleep on a tiny device designed to be worn as a ring.

Re-engineering the way consumers look at health and fitness tracking, the discreet and easy to wear piece of jewellery is the first wearable meant to be worn continuously throughout the day and night.

From the gym to the shower, and while asleep, Motiv, which is available in either rose gold or grey, measures in at 8mm x 2.5mm, comes in 7 different sizes and has an average battery life of 3-5 days dependent on its use.

Packed full of technology, the ring syncs with an accompanying smartphone app, and if it lives up to the hype, its makers could be the first to have successfully created a functional fitness tracker in such a tiny piece of apparatus.

Currently available for pre-order in the US priced at $199, for a low-key tracker that fits seamlessly into the user’s everyday life, Motiv has the potential to be a game-changer.

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Polar Team Pro Shirt

Introducing a new wearable category to its growing fitness portfolio, the Polar Team Pro Shirt is Polar’s first ever heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking apparel.

Designed and developed by Polar, and optimized for athletes, the garment integrates Polar’s proprietary heart rate technology directly onto the fabric as well as providing GPS technology via a corresponding sensor.

Available from March 2017 for team sports, the smart shirt will allow coaches to gain insight into their players’ effort, speed recovery and other metrics throughout the season.

As previously highlighted, the use of wearable devices in sports analytics is set to have a huge impact on the wearable market. And, as this type of technology filters its way down to the

mainstream market, brands will begin to focus on creating similar products for semi-professional and amateur use.

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Moona

Claiming to be the first smart product that actively enhances sleep quality by adjusting head-temperature, Moona is leveraging the rise in demand for sleep enhancing products that help to boost overall performance and wellbeing.

The pad, which fits discreetly under the user’s pillow, works in conjunction with a small, stylish device that regulates the temperature of the water that flows through it, allowing the user to fall asleep quicker, achieve a deeper sleep, and wake more gently.

Created by a French startup in the health tech field, Moona highlights the opportunities associated with sleep as an emerging wellness category.

The movement, known as clean sleeping is moving away from simply tracking sleep, to providing actionable and convenient solutions based on the convergence of science and technology.

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