Wearables lab addresses miniaturisation & low power needs

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), shipments of wearable devices were set to exceed 19m units in 2014, more than tripling the previous year's sales. From there, the global market is expected to swell to 111.9m units in 2018. This growth is a key indicator of the market potential and importance for continued industry innovation.

One of the first products to come out of the TE Wearables Lab is a first-of-its-kind, wireless power development kit for wearable devices. For the first time, TE will introduce a solution that addresses the need for miniaturisation as well as low power requirements for wearables. Set for broader distribution in early 2015, the kit will include a small 2.5W charger with integrated magnet for attachment to a wearable device, as well as a complete RX coil and electronics for integration. The electronic system and coil were miniaturised to make it possible for wearable designers to quickly prototype their products and develop a customised solution to meet their design requirements.

TE's Wearables Lab team consists of electrical and mechanical engineers as well as materials science experts, pioneering the use of conductive materials including embedding electronic systems in textiles.

The TE Wearables Lab is currently being used by a number of start-up and middle stage companies ranging from design to manufacturing and integration companies. One key customer, Sensoplex, is an expert systems company that designs and supplies high performance sports and wellness wearable products to OEM companies.

“TE Connectivity is a fantastic partner for us,” commented Hamid Farzaneh, CEO, Sensoplex. “The breadth of their catalog and ability to develop custom solutions has enabled us to build very exciting products for our customers.”

In addition to working with customers on custom and existing products, the TE Wearables Lab team is also exploring innovations around wireless power and conductivity across textiles, plastics and other materials.

“TE designs and manufactures the connectors at the heart of most electronic products today,” said James O'Toole, President, Consumer Solutions Segment, TE Connectivity. “Providing our customers with a Wearables Lab allows us to enhance our role as a strategic partner. We seek to truly iterate and collaborate – engaging earlier in the process - to support customer innovation with the goal of delivering the best antennas, smart connectivity solutions and sensors.”

“Innovation is part of our DNA,” added Brady Forrest, Vice President, Highway1, an accelerator focused on helping early seed stage hardware start-ups take ideas from prototype to scalable product. “When we met TE and heard their vision for connectivity, things clicked. Together we have a real opportunity to enable a hardware revolution and help the next generation of innovators get off the ground.”