Wearable technology for humans is all the rage. As "the next big thing", it involves head-on clashes between some of the largest companies on the planet. Those interested in such technologies would therefore be wise to take a look at wearable technology for animals - from ultrasound-delivering treatment patches and electronic saddle optimisation for horses to collars on many other animals that variously track, identify, diagnose and so on. Multi-functionality is a trend as with the human equivalents, both facing the challenge of "do more but stay simple to use". Increased sophistication of function is the order of the day and now mobile phones can often access the data, replacing costly infrastructure, again mimicking the situation with human equivalents.

The new IDTechEx report Wearable Technology for Animals 2015-2025 covers the needs, technologies and markets of wearable electronics for livestock, pets and wild animals. It forecasts that the global market will reach $2.6 billion in 2025. The research analyses in detail six application markets sectors.

Fig 1. Main purposes of wearable and internal electronics for animals, with indication as to their maturity level - dark blue: very mature, light blue: maturing, orange: very early stage.

Source: IDTechEx