The market for wearable devices, many utilising mobile connections, will pass 100 million units annually by 2016, according to a report by ABI Research. These devices cover a range of categories, from heart-rate monitors for measuring sports performance to patients wearing blood glucose meters.

The take-up of such devices will be driven by ultra-low power wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth 4.0 and the anticipated 802.15.6 specification, in combination with mobile handsets and social networking apps. A number of wireless protocols are “jostling for position” in this market, says Jonathan Collins, ABI’s principal analyst, wireless healthcare and M2M. Rivals to the wireless technology include tethered solutions such as a USB cable connected to a PC as well as newer M2M-based services.

A niche market has existed for some years in the use of proprietary wireless technology in fitness devices. Now it is threatening to go mainstream thanks to support for standardised specifications. A mass market might lie in sports enthusiasts but also widespread use of devices that can monitor patients, both when they are at home but also when they are in a hospital.