Wearables are the new frontier of pet tech. What are the technologies out there and what’s next?
Harnessing huge potential
The global pet wearables market is expected to reach $3.5 billion (€3.2 billion) by 2025 (Global Market Insights) and the pet industry can expect 69% of millennials to track pets using tech connect devices in the future (IDTechEx).
Today’s tech-enhanced pet wearables are divided into three segments: vests, collars, and harnesses. What separates them, and creates unique opportunities for customers, is the technology behind them.
Tracker tech
All smart wearables provide tracking. This is achieved through one of three types of technology, each with pluses and minuses.
- GPS – pings a satellite to pinpoint pets’ exact location and then forwards the data to owners via a sim card. This enables the storing of pet data, so it is ideal for monitoring health and activities.
- Bluetooth – uses short-wavelength UHF radio-waves to locate within an immediate range. It is lightweight since it requires little power, which also means less charging. Users in highly populated areas, say London or New York, could possibly extend their reach via crowdsourcing communities on various platforms.
- Radio frequency – messages are sent between a handset and a tag. The strength of transmission received from the tag to the handset is used to indicate distance as well as direction. Traditionally used for hunting dogs and suited to owners who like roughing it and going off the grid.
AI is coming
An exciting development in wearables is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Sensors in wearables collect data which AI learns from to create algorithms that can compare information about the pets breed, age and lifestyle, to find out if pets are truly living their best lives.
Companies such as Anaxeos are already working to create the second generation of these smart wearables. This generation uses algorithms that analyse each dog’s individual data points and translates it into insights about the pet’s potential for heart issues, food/calorie consumption needs, physical pains, need for recovery, or possible illness based on its specific lifestyle.
Big data, safe data
One very important consideration for wearable companies building their offering, is the need to ensure transparency around data. While pets wear the device, the owner’s data is also collected. According to a Bristol University study, data captured on the pet owner is four times higher than that captured about the pet, which could be used to unknowingly build profiles on users. For Europeans, GDPR should protect their data, however, global data rights can still be compromised.
To win over pet parents, wearables need to anticipate both their two and four-legged users’ needs, creating more connectivity and conveniences in their IoT life. Now is the time for brands to invest in the right tech to reach this growing demand.
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