The wearable market continues to explode — the overall wearable electronics and technology market will grow $11.61 billion from 2014 through the end of 2020. From wearables that track health vitals, to devices aimed at making tasks easier, to technology that allows for state-of-the-art entertainment control, new products continue to emerge.

One new competitor to the industry, BeBop Sensors, uses smart fabrics to provide sensor solutions to OEMs, including arm, grip, insole, skullcap and base sensors that can, according to the company, “comprehend force, location, size, weight, shape, motion and presence across any size, resolution and geometry.” BeBop Founder and CEO Keith McMillen conceptualized BeBop after spending six years developing smart fabric sensors for his musical instrument company.

SiliconANGLE recently spoke to McMillen about BeBop’s solutions and the benefits of preventative wearables.

The benefits of “preventative clothing”

Q: What are some of the standout use cases you’ve seen for BeBop so far?

Keith McMillen, Founder & CEO, BeBop Sensors

McMillen: I’ve spoken with designers who want to create clothing or shoe insoles to remind you to sit up straight, take a break, or even buzz if you’re walking pronated. These little reminders normally happen when you walk in front of a window or mirror, but sensors can have a larger effect. We get sucked into life and work and become less mindful of how we sit or hold our shoulders, etc., but wearing “preventative clothing” would allow us to receive a gentle reminder that we’re not doing our body any favors. But utility comes in its invisibility, being helpful and not looking like a cyborg.

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Q: What are some use cases you’d like to see come to fruition?

McMillen: Smart fabric technology can be used lots of places. BeBop is focused on wearables. In fact, airline companies and automakers have contacted us with interest for our technology’s integration into their seats. Specifically in wearables we’ve seen interest in integrating with backpack water carriers to monitor how much weight is being carried and if it’s well distributed. With regard to safety headgear, anyone involved in a contact sport will want to have some indication of the impacts they’ve received. Coaches and doctors will as well. We’ve also had requests from companies making bulletproof vests to measure the force of impact of a bullet.

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Q: How do you charge BeBop’s fabric?

McMillen: The arm controller, one of my favorites, plugs into the USB. It’s very convenient. We’re doing a lot of research and work on energy harvesting. it’s really necessary, and we’re seeing a lot of success. As clothing incorporates more sensors, energy harvesting will be hand in hand with that adoption.

Adopting data-driven recommendations

Q: What needs to happen to encourage user adoption of data-driven recommendations for individual application?

McMillen: Having a variety of choices is important — meshes, and stretches (we’re working on different fabrics). And as we’re able to offer more options to clothing manufacturers, it will become less difficult for someone to consider it. It will be less strange and will be used in more cases. It will slowly seep into people’s closets and wardrobes. Right now it’s the sports-minded people interested in performance and how they’re doing. But it will start to spill over into average people looking to improve the quality of their lives. And this all will lead to people knowing more about things like mood, posture, and how they walk. Whether people will act on it is hard to say. The ability to gather and pull data buried in noise is a real art.

The first cell phones worked for an hour or two. You had to bring extra batteries. But once they were able to operate for two or three days, widespread adoption came. People are not willing to spend a lot of money for a donut. It should become commodity data and shouldn’t cost them much in time, money or maintenance. These factors are extremely important to the wearable market and to BeBop.