This week’s Wearable Tech roundup features a bionic eye implant, a cap that monitors athletes for sustained head injuries, a Google Glass contender, and the introduction of a new platform for the Internet of Things.

Argus II

Before 2013 ends, people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa will gain access to Argus II, a retinal implant developed by Second Sight.  Argus II has been approved by the US as a humanitarian device, which means it’s safe to use and has the potential to help people.

Argus II is like Google Glass for your retina.  The device’s visual processing unit sends images it detects to an electrode array implanted in the retina.  Argus II enhances the outline of objects so the user can identify them better.  It doesn’t really provide a way for the user to see an object in a more detailed manner, but it is a step in that direction.  Second Sight can continue to improve the sight of patients wearing Argus II by improving the visual processing unit and fine-tuning the software that feeds the implant.

Second Sight has more plans for the future, such as helping those with ocular nerve damage to regain their sight, though it may be years before we see this type of technology as there are many clinical risks they need to address.

Checklight

Reebok developed a skullcap that’s designed to determine if the impact on the athlete’s head is something that could cause serious injuries.  Checklight, the high-tech skullcap, was created by integrating an MC10 flexible chip that includes a tri-axial accelerometer to measure linear acceleration, a gyroscope to measure rotational acceleration and a microprocessor that analyzes the data.

photo courtesy of Reebok

Checklight will allow trainers and coaches to better asses athletes after a collision.  If a yellow light blinks, the impact of the collision is near a pre-programmed threshold.  If it blinks red, the collision surpassed the said threshold, meaning the athlete should be further assessed.  Aside from assessing the force of impact, Checklight also tallies the number of impacts sustained by the athlete over time.

Checklight is available for purchase on Reebok’s site for $149.98 and it will also be showcased at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

Pivothead SMART

Google Glass is all about content consumption.  Some argue that it may prove a distraction to users, because of the various information that can be consumed during use.  Pivothead SMART is a different kind of heads up display unit, as it is focused on content creation.  It looks like a regular pair of glasses but can be modified for longer battery life, the ability to connect to the internet via WiFi, and share live stream feeds.

image via Pivothead SMART Kickstarter promo

Pivothead SMART has a built-in camera, an LED light guide that informs you of your connection status, if you are recording, battery, and alerts you if you received an email, SMS, call, and a lot of other functions.  It has two designs, the Colfax and the Teller, and you can choose what type of lens you want.  The best part about these frames is that they are both prescription friendly.  The Pivothead team is also working closely with the Omate team so the two wearable techs can be closely integrated with one another.

Pivothead SMART is still an Indiegogo project but it has a huge chance of completing its target funding goal.  With 22 more days to go, it has already received more than $50,000 from interested people.  If you want to support this project, go to its Indiegogo page and spread the word to your friends.

ThingWorx Marketplace

ThingWorx recently announced the immediate availability of ThingWorx Marketplace, a platform that enables developers, hardware and software providers, and systems integrators to build value-added IoT/M2M components and make them available to a broad range of companies.

image via ThingWorx

The Marketplace will allow ThingWorx to deliver new breakthroughs in reducing the time, risk and effort it takes to build and deploy complete IoT/M2M applications.  Aside from that, developers also benefit from this new platform as it will allow them to assemble the bulk of their applications from a global catalog of pre-built and tested components, speeding time to market and improving application quality.

ThingWorx Marketplace offers a wide range of components and services built by ThingWorx, its partners, independent hardware and software vendors, and third party developers.  These wide range components are required for innovative M2M and IoT applications, which includes widgets, analytics, application templates, device connectors, protocol adapters, and integrations to device clouds, provisioning platforms, enterprise systems, and big data stores.

“We are excited about the launch of the ThingWorx Marketplace,” stated Russ Fadel, CEO of ThingWorx. “With the predicted 50 billion connected ‘things’ by 2020, we believe there will need to be at least 5 million applications created to drive value. Our Marketplace will provide the next significant improvement in application development efficiency by providing a global market with the building blocks necessary to rapidly assemble these applications.”

photo credit: Agnes_F via photopin cc