The position can be determined with AirTags, but Apple apparently has even bigger plans for the small tracker format. Now indications have surfaced that the group is working on AirTags that can be worn on the body and can collect astonishingly precise data.
AirTags are quite a controversial product: in addition to the rather harmless use as a tracker, the device has made the headlines mainly because of secret stalking. To prevent this, Apple and Google recently agreed on a standard that makes unknown trackers visible to nearby devices. Now there are indications that Apple has been working on trackers for some time that is very similar to AirTags but can do much more.
Patently Apple recently uncovered a patent, simply titled “Wearable Tag,” describing a tracker that can collect comprehensive data about the wearer’s health, activity, and environment. For this purpose, the developers envisage that the tracker can be integrated into clothing and worn on different parts of the body.
The patent lists a variety of possible functions, including: “posture monitoring, sun exposure monitoring, physical therapy, assisted running, fall detection, fitness/activity monitoring, motion tracking, medical applications, biometric applications, and personalized training.”
The patent also describes interaction with a smartphone or other wearable such as a smartwatch. Accordingly, the developers imagine that the position of the tag on the body is first recognized and then the appropriate tracking function is activated. An example illustrated in the patent is the ability to measure the flexion of a knee by placing a ” wearable tag ” above and below the joint. Another illustration shows a user who has multiple tags placed all over their body to enable full-body tracking.
Tags, with which body parts can be precisely tracked, have been known in the VR community for some time. But with Apple’s anticipated foray into the world of VR and AR, trackers with such capabilities could be a valuable addition to the company.
The patent was filed in 2020 under the name of an Apple employee, but with the publication a few days ago under European patent application number EP4175534, the group is now listed itself.
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