Of the 3,300 companies exhibiting at the conference, starting on Jan. 7, about 300 are focused on digital health, explained Gary Shapiro, President of the Consumer Electronics Association. Looking to gain customers in a market that is expected to quadruple by 2018, companies are unveiling wearable health and fitness monitors, as well as sensors for the home and software, providing real-time data for consumers.
LG Electronics Inc. is introducing a fitness band, Reebok International Ltd. is showcasing a skullcap with sensors, and startup Lively Inc., which makes sensors for the elderly, will show technology that lets other developers link to its products.
As Rob Lineback, an analyst at chip-researcher IC Insights Inc, stated, “A lot of people worry about their health. “Now they have some devices so they can track their own health and not always go to the doctor.” Startup Zamzee will announce at CES that it is working with UnitedHealthcare Services Inc. to offer its $30 wearable device that lets kids track their health and get rewards.
LG plans to announce a fitness band with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen that can display information from a smartphone, such as what music is playing. The company is also introducing Bluetooth headphones with a built-in heart rate monitor.
GrandCare Systems LLC, which will present its elderly-care technology at CES, expects revenue to increase sixfold in 2014.
