Software & Hardware Requirements, Capabilities, Limitations, and Issues with Wearable Technologies
In terms of software and hardware requirements for wearable technologies, the "wearable" feature is the hardware of the device, but many sources focus on the software, as "soon these [hardware] gadgets will become an afterthought...the next phase will be to make software wearable" (Amirtha, 2014). In essence, wearable technology's goal is to put software places that will make the use of the software seamless to everyday life. In this way, many technologies and capabilities, such as voice activation, biometrics, and gesture controls will need to be streamlined into one device (Yamada, 2014) that is barely noticeable to the user.
To make this possible, most wearable technologies use one of the following four software operating systems: Android, Android Wear, Tizen, or Linux (Yamada, 2014). These four operating systems have different capabilities, limitations, and requirements. Android Wear requires a paired device, such as a smartphone, in order to function, and it has many battery life issues (Yamada, 2014). Tizen, another operating system, derives from Linux and has excellent voice recognition and high quality graphics; however, there is an issue of compatibility with other devices (Yamada, 2014). Linux, the origin of most of the mentioned software, generally has the same requirements as the two previously mentioned operating systems, and the final, core operating system, Android, is not "designed with wearables in mind" (Yamada, 2014). Android is more focused on smartphones, which supports the idea that software is the more important component of wearable technologies in comparison to the hardware, especially when a smartphone can complete a task similarly to an actual wearable device.
Overall, the hardware requirements vary from device to device, as there is no standard for required hardware in wearable technologies; each technology serves its own purpose, so the hardware would likely support that purpose. The software, however, changes so frequently that many believe that "physical devices [are just] along for the ride" (Amirtha, 2014). Any wearable technology software interprets data and is capable of sharing that data with the consumer. Perhaps what is most valuable to us at this point in the evolution of these devices is the limitations of the software and the hardware. Amirtha (2014) suggests that there is a huge issue with putting "biometric sensors into commonplace objects" because the best place for sensors for data collection doesn't always coincide with placement that is easy for every day use. For instance, the best place to measure heart rate is to place a sensor on a person's torso, but we put sensors on the wrist because it is more practical and wearable (Amirtha, 2014). Essentially, it takes a lot of time and money to find alternate locations for sensor placement that will accurately collect data. The fact that a device is wearable does not always make it the most reliable or accurate device in comparison to other technologies out there.
Along the same lines, hardware is generally a limitation because software changes quickly and the changes do not always work with previously issued hardware; in other words, not all wearable devices can be "updated" easily (Deffree, 2014). This fact is one of the reasons that certain software, such as Android, focuses solely on smartphones and apps; these are easy to update and improvements in software do not impact the "wearable" hardware. In this way, the "wearable" hardware is actually a limitation to wearable technology. Furthermore, much of this hardware (and its accompanying software) is built from smartphone technology, "which is designed to last about 18 months" (Deffree, 2014), so wearable technology is not something that can be used for years before being replaced-- at least not based on its current construction. So, despite all of the possibilities for use in educational settings, some schools may be resistant to try certain technologies due to expenses because wearable technology can become quickly outdated and therefore expensive.
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