A smart watch has been launched for five-year-olds as toddlers lead the way into a new era of wearable technology.
The watch includes an on-board video and stills camera, voice recorder and a connection to a home computer to download images and sound.
All are controlled through a 1.4in touchscreen, while the software allows children to edit and manipulate the captured images.
But the technology does not stop there, for the Vtech Kidizoom smartwatch includes a motion sensor, three built-in video games, an alarm clock, timer and stopwatch.
Apart from all the bells and whistles the watch, it also tells the time with users able to choose between a traditional analogue display or simple digital numbers.
Major tech companies are putting wearable technology, everything from wrist bands that can track the pulse to socks that measure stride length, at the heart of their new products this year.
Samsung has launched its Galaxy Gear watch and Sony has its own smartwatch, while Apple is expected to launch its iWatch in 2014.
Separately the Google glass, which is worn like a pair of spectacles, will put the internet in front of people’s eyes and allow them to video and share what they see and do.
However, the launch of the VTech watch means that five-year-olds could join the wearable technology revolution even before their parents.
The company has a track record of bringing technology to toddlers. Last year it launched the ‘iPad for babies’, a tablet designed for youngsters aged 12 months and up.
Vtech’s Charlotte Johnson said: ‘We know that firms like Samsung and Sony have already created smart watches for adults, but we want children to be able play their part in the development of this technology.
‘This is about using technology to improve and enhance a simple product like a watch. It will help develop skills that will become important in the future.’
The smartwatch provides new evidence as to how technology is revolutionising traditional toys and playtime.
