The world isn’t interested in car-related wearables

Wearable tech has found its way into nearly every industry — but is its presence always needed?

The results of a recent study measuring consumer interest within the automotive industry seem to point to… no. The study, conducted by an in-vehicle UX group at Strategy Analytics, focused on two key uses for the tech — health monitoring and remote functionality — finding that interest in the U.S. and Europe fell below 45 percent and 50 percent for both features, respectively.

The problem partly lies in the fact that a relatively small demographic is interested: mainly, “young U.S. males and U.S. luxury car owners.” This makes sense, considering some of the latest car-related wearable tech on the market requires an Apple Watch or the ability to afford a Tesla Model S.

Furthermore, it seems as though this demographic is more interested in remote functionality than health monitoring, a feature that would be more useful for senior citizens who, in turn, are probably largely uninterested.

There are certainly wearables in the automotive industry that serve a purpose other than the ones discussed. The Mini glasses by BMW, for example, provide a virtual reality HUD meant to assist the driver via 360-degree views and audio directions for optimal driving. Albeit a prototype, this device and others like it provide exciting possibilities for the future of automotive technology — as long as they are accessible to the layman.