CJ REPORT: Start-Ups Betting High On 'Wearable Tech'

By CJ Khaja Pasha in Bengaluru

How about wearing your twitter feeds on your chest or having a jacket that keeps you equally comfortable whether it's summer or winter? A clutch of desi startups is working on wearable technology that may make life very different as far as clothing choices are concerned. 
    
For instance, Bangalore-based Lumos Design Technology has built a smart T-shirt prototype fitted with a flexible amorphous solar panel that can power a display screen built into the tee. The circuit and battery are sewn into the tee’s shoulder lining with washable wires running on the seams. “The integrated display can wirelessly connect to funnel location-specific ads too,” says Gandharv S Bakshi, co-founder of Lumos, whose name incidentally is inspired by Harry Potter’s wand-lighting charm.
 
    
Bakshi believes the opportunity to plug into the sun to sell a range of apparel and accessories fitted with flexible solar panels is huge. “We are all exposed to 500 watts of solar energy every day. You can charge mobile phones, tablets and portable coolers with 200 watts of solar power. As batteries and solar panels become more efficient, each of us can individually look to become energy-neutral,” says the IIT-Madras, IIM-Bangalore alumni. 
    

Currently, wearable devices are largely focused on health and fitness products such as Adidas miCoach and Nike Fuelband, and fitness and heart-rate monitors from Garmin and Suunto. But increasing demand for actionable, real-time data in a range of applications is driving strong demand for wearable technology. In fact, a report by IMS Research indicates that by 2016, wearable technology will represent a minimum revenue opportunity of $6 billion. 
    
Many start-ups have jumped into the fray to tap the potential. Hyderabadbased Dhama Innovations has designed a climate-controlled jacket powered by its patented ClimaCon technology that provides both heating and cooling on demand.