The chipmaker is not just putting its Snapdragon Wear chip into smartwatches...
Qualcomm has been showing off a smart clothing prototype that showcases how its new Snapdragon Wear processor could be used in other wearable devices.
The smart leggings were being demoed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and use five sensors packed into the ankle, knee and base of the spine of the clothing.
Essential reading: The biggest benefits of smart clothing
Applying the tech to the world of football, data can be sent over Bluetooth to a smartphone in real time to potentially allow the manager or coach to track positioning and posture of multiple players on the pitch. Data can also be collected all at the same time. This could help influence tactical decisions or help judge when it’s time to bring somebody off the subs bench.
Qualcomm has partnered with smart clothing manufacturer AiQ, while the chipmaker’s LTE-enabled Snapdragon Wear 2100 wearable processor does the brainwork. By teaming up with AiQ and its washable garments, you’ll also be able to monitor biometric data such as heart rate and respiration as well.
And it’s not just for football either. It could be used to improve performance in other sports and has also already been demoed as part of a smart golf clothing prototype as well.
Qualcomm only recently announced its Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor dedicated to powering wearables in the future. It’s smaller and more efficient than the Snapdragon 400 processor that featured under the hood of most Android Wear watches that launched last year.
It’s interesting to see that the company sees a future for its new processor away from the wrist and it could lead to some really exciting, groundbreaking wearables that are not smartwatches.
