Wearables Are Pushing Into Real-Time Narration, Gum Shields And Brain Scanning, IDTechEx Research Finds

Wearable technology is expanding beyond fitness trackers and smartwatches into areas including real-time speech narration for accessibility, impact monitoring in contact sports and portable brain scanning for medical use, according to research from Cambridge-based firm IDTechEx.

The company, which has been producing research on emerging technologies since 1999, highlights smart glasses, smart gumshields and brain scanning helmets as three areas where wearable devices are opening up new use cases for consumers, athletes and medical patients.

Smart Glasses As Accessibility And Productivity Tools

Among the developments flagged by IDTechEx is the use of smart glasses to display real-time narration of surrounding speech for people who are hard of hearing. The functionality relies on augmented reality (AR), where digital content is overlaid onto the user’s view of the real world.

Beyond accessibility, IDTechEx identifies a range of additional use cases for smart glasses. These include live translation, navigation and directional information, access to music playlists, AI assistance and text messaging, effectively replicating the core functions of a smartphone in a hands-free form factor. Remote assistance is highlighted as a particularly relevant business-to-business application.

Entertainment and sport are also part of the picture. Smart glasses can provide superimposed step-by-step instructions for completing tasks, or deliver strategic guidance during gameplay.

IDTechEx’s report Optics for Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets covers multiple extended reality (XR) applications and provides forecasts for AR and VR devices.

Smart Gumshields And Wearable Sensors For Sport And Health

On the sensing side, wearable devices and clothing can now integrate a range of sensor types, including force and strain, temperature, chemical, motion and optical sensors, giving users a more detailed picture of what is happening inside their bodies.

For athletes in contact sports, smart gumshields represent a developing area. The devices could provide real-time information on head impact during collisions, offering data that may be relevant to player safety protocols and concussion management.

Smartwatches continue to expand the range of health data they can capture, moving beyond step counts to include heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and sleep quality metrics. Smart rings offer similar monitoring capabilities with the added function of fertility tracking.

For diabetes management, skin patches that access interstitial fluid can send blood sugar readings to a smartphone app, allowing users to monitor their levels and receive guidance on when to administer insulin.

IDTechEx notes that functionality and ease of use remain key considerations for wearable device design, with consumers looking for products that deliver useful data while remaining streamlined and discreet. The firm’s report Wearable Sensors Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Trends, Players, Forecasts covers the market from existing through to emerging technology and future opportunities.

Brain Scanning Goes Mobile

Within clinical settings, brain scanning technology is being redesigned to improve comfort and mobility for patients. Helmet-based brain scanners could allow patients to move around or engage in activities while being monitored, rather than requiring them to remain still in a traditional scanning environment.

The potential advantage of this approach is that results may be more representative of real-world brain activity, capturing data while the brain is engaged or focused rather than only in a still and relaxed state.

IDTechEx’s report Brain Computer Interfaces 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Forecasts covers both invasive technologies that use implants and non-invasive approaches. The report also examines existing methods of human-machine interfacing, including consumer electronics such as mice, keyboards, trackpads and touchscreens, as well as assistive technologies like eye-tracking and head movement devices.

IDTechEx’s full portfolio of Wearable Technology Research Reports and Subscriptions covers the broader landscape of wearable development and market forecasts.

Last Updated on May 19, 2026 by Nick Ross