Patrick O’Connor, a professor of kinesiology in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, spoke with the Daily Mail about the adoption of smartwatches, rings and other wearable tech and what they might be able to tell wearers in the future.
“This question about why are people not fully taking advantage of technology to improve their health, there’s a lot of reasons,” O’Connor said. “For some people, it doesn’t feel good to get a message that I’m not eating perfectly or sleeping adequately or being active enough — that’s a stressor.”
Companies could begin using artificial intelligence to gather more health data for users. For example, one company is investigating whether sensors could scan the skin for beta-carotene, the red and orange pigment in vegetables, to see if the wearer is consuming enough vegetables.
In addition to refining the technology and using AI to simplify findings, O’Connor said manufacturers should take care to ensure communications are helpful but not harsh.