When everything you touch knows how you feel

The world is moving into an era where sensors are so plentiful, the devices we touch may soon know more about us than we do about them.

Tech companies have for several years increased the number of sensors in and around our homes, placing them in speakers and smoke alarms, not to mention our handheld devices. But the technology is evolving so fast that it’s able to function inside devices we cling to, which may soon change the way we drive, cycle or ride.

Sensors have existed for some time in the fitness space, with the grips on handlebars on cycling bikes, treadmills and ellipticals able to read user heart rates, for example.

Tech experts from The Australian in 2024 expect more personalisation in the fitness space, first in the form of services such as that of Everlab, the boutique healthcare start-up set to bring a personalised health service mainstream from about $1000 a year, which will include health advice from doctors, dietitians and nutritionists.

In the appliance space, phones are increasingly expected to be the control device for other products. Samsung will take the lead on this one, last year promising all of its appliances would have Smart Things – its smart home app – connectivity.

We also expect Samsung to come out with some kind of dock for its mobile devices this year, following in the lead of Google and Apple.

When it comes to listening, things are about to come full circle. The manufacturers of earpods are introducing smart cases reminiscent of the iPod and MP3 player era.

JBL was the first in the world to do that with its Tour Pro 2 True Wireless Earbuds, which arrived with a case with touch screen that could be used to control the buds. In 2023, Apple was granted a patent to design a similar concept.

Bluetooth, meanwhile, is also at the dawn of a new era with Auracast, a broadcast capability allowing multiple people to tune into a single device from their own headsets.

There’s a massive commercial opportunity here for the likes of silent fitness classes and tour guides, not to mention extending service capabilities for people with certain audio sensory needs.