Accessible Healthcare and Assistive Technology with Wearables

Accessible Healthcare and Assistive Technology with Wearables
Aug 07, 2026
Wearable technology has the means to revolutionize health and wellbeing management, with the introduction of streamlined and miniaturized devices in recent years for diabetes management, assistive audio transcription, and general health stats access. IDTechEx’s portfolio of Wearable Technology Research Reports and Subscriptions covers a diverse range of wearable devices including forecasts for their uptake in coming years.
 
CGMs and insulin pumps for diabetes management
 
The ability for interconnectivity across consumer devices can allow people to accurately track health stats, including blood sugar levels. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), designed to stick to the body, have around-the-clock access to interstitial fluid, and maintain a connection with digital smartphone apps, can consistently communicate information and advise users on how much insulin to administer. Before the widespread introduction of CGMs, electrochemical glucose test strips were the incumbent technology used to manage diabetes, which required people to consistently carry out finger prick tests. While still slightly invasive by nature, CGMs can allow people to go about their day with less equipment on hand for a more streamlined process with less frequent maintenance.
 
In recent years there has also been a rise in the number of people using insulin pumps which can automatically administer insulin upon the receival of a recommendation from CGM data based on current blood sugar levels. While self-injection using insulin pens is still not entirely in the past, automated processes are expected to see increased uptake and favourability due to their nature of ease. In the future, IDTechEx’s report, “Diabetes Management Technologies 2027-2037: Markets, Players, and Forecasts”, explores closed loop automated insulin delivery, otherwise known as an artificial pancreas, as being the most streamlined option requiring the least attention and regular upkeep for more everyday convenience.
 
Smart glasses for real-time narration
 
Assistive technology is becoming increasingly available in the form of smart glasses with inbuilt cameras and microphones that can pick up on surrounding environments. For people who are hard of hearing, augmented reality features such as real-time narration on the lenses during conversations could be beneficial for enhancing interactions and providing increased ease of engagement. Another example application is directions, which can appear on the lenses so that looking down at a smartphone doesn’t have to compromise safety. IDTechEx’s report, “Optics for Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets”, covers the growing use of AR in smart glasses applications.
 
Brain computer interfaces are also an expanding market, where both invasive and non-invasive technologies can allow people to communicate without using speech. Electrodes or sensors can be fitted on the head, skull, or in the brain to interpret neural signals and enable communication, while eye movement tracking is another less-invasive option explored in IDTechEx’s report, “Brain Computer Interfaces 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Forecasts”. The report states that the market for brain computer interface technology is expected to hit US$1.6B in 2045, highlighting the substantiality of expected growth within the sector over the next two decades and just how fast the wearables sector is growing.
 
For more information on the wearables sector, visit IDTechEx’s portfolio of Wearable Technology Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest research and developments.
 
Previous Article
The Expansion of Electric Vehicle Tech with IDTechEx