Smart trackers are one of the latest innovations in the growing market of wearable and highly portable devices. Intended to help the user track or find items such as keys, critical features include multi-standard wireless connectivity — such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and near field communication (NFC) — as well as reliable sensing and feedback to communicate the devices location. These high levels...

Gaming controllers and peripherals are expected to have fast, accurate controls, reliable haptic feedback, and a long battery life. The nature of these devices means they must also be lightweight, comfortable to hold, and fairly durable. Connectivity options include RF signals, WiFi, Bluetooth, and near field control (NFC), and many controllers and peripherals integrate more than one of these. Oth...

Electronic smart locks are increasing in popularity with the rise of IoT and smart homes, as they provide convenience and a sense of security to consumers. Because they are typically battery-powered, energy efficiency to maximize battery life is crucial. The nature of these devices means they must also offer ease-of-use, stable operation, and the ability to withstand wide temperature ranges and ex...

Drone remote controllers must be able to offer consumers the precise, reliable control of drones and multicopters without hindering speed, navigation, or flight time. Wireless connectivity, as well as fast data processing and communication across a broad transmission distance, are crucial to ensure proper control and safety. Many new designs also feature LCD or LED interfaces, or even smartphone c...

Handheld thermometers provide a direct method for measuring personal body temperature. Contactless thermometers are crucial for cases in which measurements must be taken while minimizing the spread of viral and bacteria contaminants. This allows users in clinical settings, as well as homes and businesses, to get instant results while minimizing contaminant propagation. These portable devices requi...

Portable printers are incorporating more features into a small, lightweight packages. New designs are expected to include easier wireless connectivity, support for multiple input types, easy-to-use interfaces, and longer battery runtime. These printers must be able to quickly print high-quality renditions of documents or photos, as well as keep up with energy-saving trends that have increased the ...

Wearable fitness and activity monitors compose a sizeable portion of the growing wearables market. These small devices provide consumers a highly convenient option to track and monitor health information, send and receive notifications, and more. They can be worn on the wrist or clipped to a belt, and typically offer multi-standard wireless connectivity — from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to cellular baseb...

Electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG) devices measure heart rate based on electrical activity. This key piece of medical equipment is used in home, first responder, and clinical settings. New ECG designs are incorporating additional features such as wireless connectivity and innovative user interfaces. These devices are under a constant need to deliver highly accurate, reliable performance with reduced ...

Docking stations offer a convenient way to plug in a laptop to common peripherals, such as DVI, COM, USB, and Ethernet — all with one connection. Typically, docking stations are made for a particular computer module, and offer different docking styles that allow a laptop computer to act like a desktop computer. With an increasing need for more peripherals and more complicated laptops, power design...

Smartwatches are one of the leading products in the rapidly growing wearables market, and offer consumers a highly convenient option to track and monitor health information, send and receive messages or other notifications, run various apps, quickly tell time, and more. High-resolution displays on compact screens, audio quality, and sensor accuracy are integrated into these increasingly popular, h...

Power banks are an increasingly popular option for charging consumer electronics on the go. Because of the devices portable nature, power bank designs need to maintain a small overall size and be easy to use for end consumers. As fast charging is becoming a more widespread industry trend, power banks must offer the fastest safe charging possible with minimal thermal dissipation and the ability to ...