International Tennis Star Andy Murray Shares Insight on Upcoming Wearable Technology UX 2014 Conference
20 August 2014 - 5:16PM
Business Wire
The perception of wearable technology through a
professional athlete’s eyes
Professional sports and wearable technology go hand in hand. New
York Knicks star, Carmelo Anthony has been in the headlines for
investments and partnerships through the creation of his firm M7
tech partners. Now international tennis star Andy Murray wants to
get in the wearable technology game. Currently ranked number 9 in
the world, Murray is the British No.1, 2012 US Open Champion, 2013
Wimbledon Champion and reigning Olympic Singles Champion.
International Tennis Star Andy Murray
Shares Insight on Upcoming Wearable Technology UX 2014 Conference.
(Photo: Business Wire)
Murray and his firm 77Group, have recently expressed interest in
wearable technology and have confirmed they will be sending
representation to Smithers Apex’s Wearable Technology UX 2014 event
as they explore the industry for investment opportunities. The
focus on user experience is the key to building a relationship with
customers and a product. Murray’s passion for wearable technology
derives from the data it can provide to enhance his game. Always
striving, and succeeding, to be the top, Murray provided Smithers
Apex with an exclusive interview into the user experience of
wearable technology through the eyes of a professional athlete.
Smithers Apex: What’s your opinion on form factor
exploration of wearable technologies (location on the body, the
possibility of these devices becoming invisible) as we move toward
technology on the body becoming nearly invisible? How would this
affect your usage?
Andy Murray: As a tennis player, I need to feel that
whatever I have on isn't affecting my game. I guess different
sports will have different views on that - an NFL player is used to
wearing a lot of kit, so a sensor to him might be no big deal. But
in a sport like mine, it's very different.
Looking at it from a different angle, it would be possible,
probably, to have a sensor in my racket right now. It's just the
body is a very different challenge. So yeah, I think the smaller
sensors - ones that stick to you and you almost forget about - will
be game changing. And like I said, things that work for me in terms
of comfort will work for anyone. We all want to be comfortable with
what we wear after all.
The complete interview is available at
www.wearabletechnologyux.com.
Smithers Apex’s Wearable Technology UX 2014 conference is
dedicated to the human connection with wearable technology. The
conference will take place 22-23 September 2014 in London at
Central Saint Martins.
“The user is the key factor of the theme we are presenting at
Wearable Technology UX 2014. Hearing from someone like Wimbledon
champion Andy Murray in this interview, gives our readers an
opportunity to identify with the pro-athlete and more importantly,
the everyday athlete,” said Barbara Fowler, Conference Director,
Smithers Apex. “If pro-athletes feel this way, want this product,
like this, hate that, it’s what everyday consumers will strive
toward too. This interview gives an example of what type of
perspectives you’ll find at Wearable Technology UX 2014.”
With two days of presentations from industry giants like Intel,
Google, Microsoft, and Adidas, this conference will complement the
technology providers with the user experience models from other
industries with presentations from Fred & Ginger, Fjord, The
Family Business Tattoo, and Taylor Wessing among others. “This
combination of viewpoints from across the spectrum will provide
attendees with a new outlook on how to best approach their next
product design with the user in mind,” says Conference Director
Barbara Fowler.
For more information on Wearable Technology UX 2014, visit
www.wearabletechnologyux.com. Sponsorship and exhibition
opportunities are still available. Interested parties should
contact Steve Frier at sfrier@smithers.com.
About Smithers Apex: Smithers Apex, a global business
that provides events, market research, publications and strategic
and technical consulting to an expanding list of niche, emerging
and high growth industries, including home and personal care;
lighting, imaging and displays; plastic electronics and alternative
energy. For more information about Smithers Apex, please visit
www.smithersapex.com
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140820005884/en/
Smithers ApexStephanie Whitman, +1
207-781-9616swhitman@smithers.com