10 Innovations In Wearable Tech That Aren't Just Smartwatches

Anyone worried we'll all be buried in our phones in the future need only look at Nixie — a drone-like camera that takes off from your wrist. Not only does this eliminate the need to stop the action to take a picture, it also gets rid of those awful selfie sticks.

Ever wish you had a third hand? The ProGlove might be as close as you can get — short of surgery. Using sensing technology and wireless connectivity, the ProGlove can unlock all new levels of productivity and help train those in manufacturing jobs.

OK, that whole "short of surgery" comment — scratch that, because Open Bionics has developed an open-source prosthetic hand you can print at home. The best part — it's made of plastic instead of titanium, making the total cost under $1,000.

Sports channels claim to take you "inside the action," but they don't fulfill that as literally as First V1sion's smart jersey. Boasting an optical lens and biometric sensors, this jersey might even prevent injury by measuring heart rate and blood pressure.

For nearly 200 years, we've measured Parkinson's disease subjectively — but that's about to change, thanks to big data. With wearables on select patients, researchers have unprecedented access to PD patterns, which could create new treatments.

Who says all wearables need to be useful? In 2012, fashion designer Christian Joy — famous for crafting elaborate stage costumes for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs — prototyped a denim jacket fitted with LEDs that light up in response to guitar chords. Rock on.