Wearable devices have some shared characteristics. They should conform to the wearer's size and shape, not interfere with desired activities, perform intended functions, be easily usable and comfortable, among others. Due to these shared characteristics, a common design methodology should be possible for designing wearables that assists designers in taking a systematic approach. We propose a configuration design method for wearables and sketch its elements. An example of a family of passive exoskeleton suits that assists with walking is presented to illustrate the configuration design process.

Wearable-based seizure detection devices hold promise in reducing seizure-related adverse events and relieving the daily stress experienced by people with epilepsy. In this work, we present the latest evidence regarding the performance of three seizure detection wearables (eight studies) commercially available in Canada to provide guidance to clinicians. Overall, their ability to detect focal-to-bilateral and/or generalized tonic-clonic seizures ranges between 21.0% and 98.15% in sensitivity, with the 24h false alarm rates ranging from 0 to 1.28. While performance in epilepsy monitoring units show promise, the lack of evidence in outpatient settings precludes strong recommendations for their use in daily life.

Digital psychiatry could empower individuals to navigate their context-specific experiences outside healthcare visits. This editorial discusses how leveraging digital health technologies could dramatically transform how we conceptualise mental health and the mental health professional's day-day practice, and how patients could be enabled to navigate their mental health with greater agency.

This mixed-methods study investigates the use of wearable technology in embodied psychology research and explores the potential of incorporating bio-signals to focus on the bodily impact of the social experience. The study relies on scientifically established psychological methods of studying social issues, collective relationships and emotional overloads, such as sociodrama, in combination with participant observation to qualitatively detect and observe verbal and nonverbal aspects of social behavior. We evaluate the proposed method through a pilot sociodrama session and reflect on the outcomes. By utilizing an experimental setting that combines video cameras, microphones, and wearable sensors measuring physiological signals, specifically, heart rate, we explore how the synchronization and analysis of the different signals and annotations enables a mixed-method that combines qualitative and quantitative instruments in studying embodied expressiveness and social interaction.

We present two practice-situated participatory investigations using networked wearable sensors to develop movement-responsive collectively playable musical instruments: a series of four collocated workshops for expert dancers and a distance learning course in which students use wearable technology to enhance embodied learning and feelings of connectedness telematically. We reflect on our exploration of techniques for structuring ensemble improvisations augmented with bespoke digital musical instruments using aggregate statistical measures, such as variance of participants’ physical orientation as an index of group intention. Participatory design exchanges top-down design methodologies with bottom-up approaches consulting actors’ interests. We follow this approach by evolving our instruments through abductive experiments and trial-and-error tinkering, without strong theories, methods, or models, using elementary signal processing techniques that are meaningfully understood and modified by participants. Our experiences suggest useful scaffolding techniques for educational transdisciplinary research-creation communities seeking to explore relational ensemble dynamics in telematic and/or physically collocated settings using accessible wearable technologies. Through creative inquiry and participation, technical objects can become bearers of sense and meaning rather than instating mystifying or alienating relations for the participants.

With the introduction of ‘5G’ data transfer gets faster and further reaching than ever before. This new communication technology paves the way for an exchange of skills and competencies between humans and machines. This raises the question of how future users can profit and understand the potential brought about by these technologies. This paper elaborates the use of demonstrators in a pilot study as research tools and assesses their potential. It gives first insights why demonstrators are suitable to set a basis for public recognition for body-worn CPS and how to promote innovative visions.

The aim of this research was to look at the emergence of wearable technology and the internet of things (IoT) and their current and potential use in the health and care area. There is a wide and ever-expanding range of wearables, devices, apps, data aggregators and platforms allowing the measurement, tracking and aggregation of a multitude of health and lifestyle measures, information and behaviours. The use and application of such technology and the corresponding richness of data that it can provide bring the health and care insurance market both potential opportunities and challenges. Insurers across a range of fields are already engaging with this type of technology in their proposition designs in areas such as customer engagement, marketing and underwriting. However, it seems like we are just at the start of the journey, on a learning curve to find the optimal practical applications of such technology with many aspects as yet untried, tested or indeed backed up with quantifiable evidence. It is clear though that technology is only part of the solution, on its own it will not engage or change behaviours and insurers will need to consider this in terms of implementation and goals. In the first weeks of forming this working party, it became evident that the potential scope of this technology, the information already out there and the pace of development of it, is almost overwhelming. With many yet-unanswered questions the paper focuses on pulling together in one place relevant information for the consideration of the health and care actuary, and also to open the reader’s eyes to potential future innovations by drawing on use of the technology in other markets and spheres, and the “science fiction–like” new technology that is just around the corner. The paper explores:

• an overview of wearables and IoT and available measures,

• examples of how this technology is currently being used,

• data considerations,

• risks and challenges,

• future technology developments and

• what this may mean for the future of insurance.