Wearable technology has been labeled the future of the 21st century computing revolution. Synthesizing powerful technology with the latest trends in fashion, these wearable devices serve many practical functions, which range from fitness tracking to health monitoring.

The wearable revolution started in 2012 with the launch of Google Glass. This nifty little device, which resembles a pair of glasses, can perform normal smartphone functions, such as taking photos, replying to text messages, and providing voice-guided map instructions, in a much easier and more novel way. A really cool device, in my opinion, because smartphones need not be the middlemen anymore in pushing notifications to the user.

Since then, the wearable technology industry has exploded. Especially competitive is the sector for fitness wearables; Jawbone, Nike, and Fitbit are just three of the many companies that have launched devices to help consumers actively track their exercise and workout regimen, as well as their diet and supplement intake. Consumers are coming to rely more and more on these devices for their health goals.

And it doesn’t stop with fitness. Wearable technology has also played a constructive role in the medical field, helping patients monitor their ailments and associated symptoms. San Francisco-based startup Alivecor has leveraged the power of the wearable device industry by building a sensor that measures heart rate variability by recording patients’ electrocardiograms (EKGs), or cardiac electrical activity.

Alivecor Chief Technology Office, Ravi Gopalakrishnan, believes that the future of wearable medical devices is saturated with potential.

“Given the recent advances in wearable technology, the medical field has been significantly impacted,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Wearable devices can empower patients to take control of their diseases and help them in the recovery and management process.”

Do these wearable devices serve any practical uses, or are they simply additional “nice-to-have” gadgets?

Honestly, I think the paradigm for mobile technology is slowly shifting towards wearable technology, which has the potential to become huge if developed and marketed properly. Like I mentioned earlier, many people find it annoying to take out their smartphones to receive notifications. For them, having a wearable device that directly pushes notifications and other information from their phone to the device would help in ease of use.

“There are three types of wearables at the moment. Notification medium, fitness trackers, and gesture detection devices, ” said Rahul Iyer, a software engineer at a stealth mode startup. “What’s making all of this possible is sensor technology, specifically microelectromechanical systems. The two significant challenges with wearable devices currently are fashion statements and battery capacities.”

Iyer is part of a team developing gesture detection devices.

And it’s not that these wearables look horrible on people. In fact, it’s just the opposite: these gadgets have a sense of style embedded in their design.

One of the more recent examples is Motorola’s “smartwatch,” the Moto 360. This device, which resembles a finely polished aluminum watch, has a touchscreen display running the latest version of the popular Android operating system. The Moto 360 smartwatch seems to do everything that was previously only possible in science fiction movies. The watch can provide voice-guided directions, notify and reply to text messages, and even record sound. It’s not a smartphone. It’s a watch.

Even though these devices might seem superfluous at this point, the concept behind wearable technology is definitely a unique one. With a little more time and development, these devices will soon find themselves a new home on our bodies.