Wearable Internet of Things for Personalized Healthcare: Study of Trends and Latent Research

In this age of heterogeneous systems, diverse technologies are integrated to create application-specific solutions. The recent upsurge in acceptance of technologies such as cloud computing and ubiquitous Internet has cleared the path for Internet of Things (IoT). Moreover, the increasing Internet penetration with the rising use of mobile devices has inspired an era of technology that allows interfacing of physical objects and connecting them to Internet for developing applications serving a wide range of purposes. Recent developments in the area of wearable devices has led to the creation of another segment in IoT, which can be conveniently referred to as Wearable Internet of Things (WIoT). Research in this area promises to personalize healthcare in previously unimaginable ways by allowing individual tracking of wellness and health information. This chapter shall cover the different facets of WIoT and ways in which it is a key driving technology behind the concept of personalized healthcare. It shall discuss the theoretical aspects of WIoT, focusing on functionality, design and applicability. Moreover, it shall also elaborate on the role of wearable sensors, big data and cloud computing as enabling technologies for WIoT.