Wearable technology has experienced something of a resurgence lately, thanks to cutting edge devices such as Google Glass. It was only a few years ago that these devices were seen as something of a gimmick, a futuristic toy that wouldn’t be of much use.

It promises to transform how medicine is practised, giving doctors access to information everywhere and (almost) anywhere. Training courses are going to have be revised to take into account this new way of accessing data.

Already, companies are going beyond Glass to think of better ways of making the body more connected to devices. Google announced a collaboration with the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis on Monday to help develop and sell Google’s contact lens which can measure the amount of glucose in tear fluid, avoiding taking any blood like the traditional test.

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, said: “Our dream is to use the latest technology in the miniaturization of electronics to help improve the quality of life for millions of people.”

Other kind of smart lens are in the works, promising to develop efficient drug delivery systems to the eyes and other sensitive parts of the body. The new developments might mean we see students taught in more practical ways, rather than being constrained to the classroom.