Making Your Driving Experience Healthier

by Jeff Gilbert
WWJ AutoBeat Reporter

Cars can protect you in an accident and use "active safety" to prevent those crashes.  Now, Ford is looking at using connectivity to keep drivers healthy.

Ford's Sync system already connects to smart phone apps.  They are looking at including health oriented apps, and even working with medical companies to connect to medical devices.

Insulin pumps for diabetics would be a natural use, says Gary Strumolo, global manager, Interiors, Infotainment, Health & Wellness Research, Ford Research and Innovation.

"We envision that we're able to contact the device and query it to determine what the blood sugar is, and which way it's trending," Strumolo told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert.

This would be particularly helpful, Strumolo said,  to let parents who are driving measure the insulin levels of children in car seats.

Heart monitors could also be connected to the system.

"It can measure something as simple as your stress level," said Strumolo.  "If your stress level is high, it might offer mitigating things."

Strumolo says that could include different lighting, changing the music, and even offering alternative routes.

Ford is not promising when, or even if, these products will come to market.

"These are research projects we are engaged in," said Strumolo.  "Some, obviously, require more effort than others."

One of the simpler efforts would be to give drivers more health related information, like allergy alerts and pollen readings, which could be of help to allergy sufferers.

"There are huge numbers, I think the estimate is in the tens of millions of them in the country," said Strumolo.  "This would be great information as they start their day."

Follow Jeff Gilbert on Twitter @jefferygilbert