WEARABLE BIOPHYSICAL MONITORING MARKET

VDC: The market for Wearable Biophysical Monitoring (BPM) systems is expanding far beyond its traditional roots in heart rate monitoring, :

Heart rate monitoring applications were largely responsible for driving the wearable BPM systems to more than $190 million in shipments in 2005. However, a broad range of new applications, including temperature, blood pressure, respiration and other vital sign monitoring, are expected to drive the market for wearable BPM systems to more than $260 million in 2007.

During surveys with wearable systems commercial and consumer segment end users, solution suppliers and enabling technology developers, VDC identified a number of issues forces and trends currently shaping this opportunity. Three key factors included:

• Rapid, significant developments in the commercial viability - price/performance - of a number of critical enabling technologies including: higher density microelectronic devices, smart fabrics, PAN and LAN technologies and a number of small footprint embedded software objects;

• Advances in ROI models in a growing number of applications, including: health and fitness, elite athlete and enthusiasts, multiple medical segments and military programs; and

• Successful industry, alliance and market development programs that encompass a broad range of business participating in the wearables industry.

Wearable Systems: global Market Demand Analysis, Second Edition. Publ 20060203