A look at who and what is changing the wearable tech industry.

When Tim Cook presented the Apple Watch, it began a wave of discussions about the Wearable tech industry. Wearables have been here for a very long time, however their usefulness and designs have been questioned since the very beginning. The question a lot of people are asking is how useful are smart bracelets and rings when it comes to fashion. Others are wondering about its functionality. Some critics have even suggested that wearable technology is destined to fail. A lot of wearables create a buzz in the market, however most have failed to gain a strong foothold; they are unable to redefine wearable technology all together. Despite the skepticism around wearables, there is still hope! There are more than a few gadgets with very exciting prospects, some of which are already out in the market. Moreover, the wearables are being redesigned and redefined by some of the finest and smartest women and men in the industry! Here’s a look at these game changers.

Saschka Unseld: Redefining story telling

This former Pixar cinematographer is changing the definition of virtual reality. Saschka Unseld, creative director at Oculus Story Studio, previously worked on animated movies such as Toy Story 3, Brave and The Good Dinosaur. He believes that a person possessing a VR headset such as the Oculus should be in it for the personal experience of it. He says, “The beauty of VR for me, now, and it will move to social things, is that it’s a singular, intimate, personal experience. That it is just me, like with a book. It is just me reading the book. There is something really beautiful and intimate about that one-on-one relationship between storyteller and a singular audience.” Well, no one has ever envisioned a VR headset like Saschka who created a short film called Lost to redefine story telling and entertainment in the world of virtual reality!

Christina Mercando d’Avignon: If you like it, put a ring on it!

Founder of wearable tech startup Ringly, Christina wants to transform technologies from screens to something more productive. Mercando believes that staring at a screen on a wearable gadget is distracting and just misses the point. Her vision of wearable technology isn’t far fetched, if that’s what you’re thinking. At Ringly wearable jewelry is beautiful and actually wearable. The ring has the capability to vibrate in order to notify you about updates on either Android or iOS! Elegant, chic and classy this wearable ring puts the fun element in wearables that has been missing for quite some time. As a UX designer Mercando targets women who want useful information on a timely basis. She compares the vibration feature on the ring to a personal assistant gently reminding you of something important. Simple yet functional, Ringly is definitely a game changer.

Tony Fadell: Project Aura

After the failure of Google Glass, Project Aura is meant to rebrand wearables and transform the image of google glass. Tony Fadell, the founder of Nest and the god of Internet of Things, is in charge of this project. Project Aura aims at redefining augmented reality. Designing energy efficient homes and intelligent thermostats, Fadell can definitely change the negative image around Google Glass and make some serious changes in the Wearable Tech Industry. There is a lot of buzz about Project Aura and we are looking forward to knowing more about this project!

Meng Li: Fitness and Moov

What started as a crowdfunding project in 2014 is one of the most successful fitness tech startup today. Moov designs amazing wearable gadgets to track your fitness levels. Moov can do a lot, from motivating you to analyzing and coaching, this band is water as well as dust proof. It has an incredible battery life and it talks to you as you work out. Moov is a dream gadget for every fitness freak out there. Moov Now is the second iteration of Moov with lots of new updates and features. Meng Li, CEO of Moov said that the idea for this fitness tech came about when she was injured while working out. Her aim was to create a gadget which would work as a personal coach “to help people know themselves better.”  With its new model, this wearable tech is sure to create more buzz and change the way we look at fitness tech.

Revolutionizing the wearables, we are looking forward to what these game changers will do next. Exciting times ahead! So whether you are looking to get fit or buying yourself a classy ring you know where to go! Experiment with virtual reality this season and experience the mind blowing visuals.