Gemalto is to supply wristbands embedded with contactless chips and a fitness tracker for transit riders in Wuhan, China.
For the pilot, Gemalto will preload wristbands with the transit application, enabling users to ride buses and metro with a tap of the wrists. It will also integrate a fitness tracker for commuters to keep an eye on their day-to-day activities such as steps taken, distance covered, and sleep pattern. Consumers can perform balance check and account top-up through a smartphone application.
Gemalto has been providing contactless transport cards to Wuhan - one of the most populous cities in central China and a major transport hub - for more than three years. Thirteen million cards are already in circulation.
"China wearable device market is expected to exceed 10 billion Yuan ($1.6 billion) this year," says Suzanne Tong-Li, president for Greater China and Korea at Gemalto. "With extensive experience in contactless deployments, both in transport and payment domains, we can offer innovative wearables that contribute to Wuhan's vision to become a world-class transportation hub."
If the wristbands prove a hit with commuters they may be extended to incorporate payments and other value-added services in the future, she says.