Soundbites: Health and Wellness Forum
Ford researchers recently demonstrated a series of possible in-car health and wellness connectivity services and apps aimed at helping people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma or allergies, so they can manage their condition while on-the-go. Gary Strumolo, Manager for vehicle design and infotronics in the research an advanced engineering lab, says Ford is essentially creating the car that cares.
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"Ford is very concerned with safety in general, but in the classic sense we want to extend that safety beyond accidents, to the health and well being of both the driver and the passengers." :10 sec.
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Strumolo says they're utilizing the connectivity of SYNC Bluetooth system to work in concert with companies like Medtronic's. Their newest system provides Bluetooth capability that monitors the blood glucose level of Diabetics with their personal health information and sends the information to the driver or the passenger in the car, giving them their vital statistics without having to take their hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. |
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"If you're a diabetic, certainly you want to have a continuous knowledge of your condition, but it's particularly critical if you're driving, because that can effect your ability to drive, and not only endangers you, but others on the road." :12 sec.
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According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million adults and children are currently living with diabetes in the U.S., 3-plus million more than there were four years ago. Numbers grow even higher for asthmatics and allergy sufferers, with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reporting that some 60 million Americans have asthma and/or allergies. These new health apps broadens the SYNC paradigm, improving people's lives by giving them access to personal health information; For example, if you suffer from Allergies….the apps health system would sound like this. |
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"Welcome to Allergy alert, please say a command, "Allergy." "Today's Allergy index is medium or 7.0 out of 12,." Please say a command. "Asthma" "Today Asthma index is medium low or 3.5 out of 12. Please say a command. Pollen, "Predominant pollens are Ash, Maple and Birch." Please say a command, "UV." Today's UV index is medium high or 9.0 out of 12." :23 sec.
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According to Strumolo, the driver goes to Pollen.com data base obtains the data on air quality, which ultimately may change their decision on controlling the air quality in the car. |
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"Ultimately, you may want to change the way in which the vehicle operates, because of that information, temperature wise, recirculation mode, you may not want to taking air from the outside, you may want to recirculate a bit more, so that's an important thing for you to know. Ultimately, if you go on trips you might want to know what the pollen level is where you are now, but what will it be when you get to your final destination, and that information can be obtained through a connectivity system to the internet." :28 sec.
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Venkatesh Prasad, Senior Technical leader, says the Ford engineers where thinking broadly of embracing digital technologies in a holistic way to our digital life style by having the automobile be an integral part of that whole experience. |
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"We're looking at cars as technology platforms. When the car becomes a technology platform you can then build whole spectrum of applications on top of that platform." :08 sec.
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Prasad says Ford's approach to utilizing SYNC, is the bedrock of disseminating information that consumers want, when they want it. |
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"It's the car that cares in a lifestyle that we understand you live in, but we want to make your lives easier, and less stressful, and we do that by giving you the information you want at your convenience and in the privacy of the car, done through vehicle controls in a comfortable convenient manner, without compromising safety." :15 sec.
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The ongoing Ford health and wellness research projects are still in the prototype and research phase, but according to Prasad… |
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"It's certainly coming soon to a showroom near your, but could come straight to a pocket near you, a person near you, and through that car near you , the car that you already have." :07 sec.
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Ford is working with leading healthcare industry experts such as medical device maker Medtronic; mHealth pioneer WellDoc; and SDI Health, developers of the informational allergy website www.pollen.com to develop its initial Health and Wellness connectivity portfolio. |
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