Wearable device market to expand into smart clothing

The smart technology market was given a boost with the launch of the Apple Watch and by 2020, smart clothing shipments will surpass 10.2 million units annually, according to American market intelligence firm, Tractica.

According to Tractica’s report, ‘Smart Clothing and Body Sensors’, the market for smart clothing and body sensors is just beginning to take shape, both from an end-user perspective and a value chain perspective.

The technology is currently used by sports enthusiasts wearing smart clothing with sensor-infused shirts, shorts, sports bras, and socks that provide biometric data on muscle activity, breathing rate, and heart activity zones, data that is not currently tracked by fitness bands or smart watches. The research firm predicts that over the next several years that connected apparel items will gain traction in the mass consumer market, as well.

“The ultimate wearable computer is a piece of smart clothing that one can wear as a garment or a body sensor that can track and measure specific vital signs,” said Tractica’s research director Aditya Kaul. “Both of these device categories are designed to seamlessly integrate with users’ daily lives.”

Tractica forecasts that smart clothing shipments will grow from 140,000 units in 2013 to 10.2 million units by 2020.