It's great to see that big center console screen in the car being used for something which is intriniscally valuable, as opposed to another (dangerous) entertainment distraction. Hoping we will see more stuff like this going forward.
Wow. With long commutes, I can understand how consumers would be attracted to these advances. Our cars are like a personal room. Why not personal attributes? The big question is whether these features become a competitive feature for consumers.
The 5 percent of the population who want these kinds of devices are probably part of the 30 percent who text while they drive creating insanely dangerous driving conditions. Only severe diabetics may need to know their sugar levels while in a car. If a passenger, they can do a test quickly on their own. If driving, they should pull over and do a test. This is an example of the excessive cost that General Motors and Ford pile into cars, making them economically unattractive. There's a significant part of the population that wants cars that get us from Point A to Point B in a safe, efficient, and reasonably economic manner. And I'll bet it's a lot more than 5 percent. OK, I'll calm down now and check my blood pressure with my Bluetooth system.
Sure, glucose monitors and heart monitors (and labor monitors) have a certain appeal and obviously some utility. Yet I agree with Doug that an alert going off while behind the wheel on a highway or while in a traffic situation might be more of a dangerous distraction and pose a huge safety issue. And here's something else to consider: If someone is that infirm that they need constant monitoring, should they really get behind the wheel?
I don't know how Ford will market this but, theoretically, cost shouldn't be a big issue, since the wearer of the monitor doesn't buy it from Ford. The idea is that the platform (in this case, Sync), allows you to bring other electronic products into the vehicle at minimal effort and cost. That said, I agree with you, Doug -- I don't want e-mail, glucose monitors or Internet in my vehicle. Unless there's a ball game on, I don't even want the radio most of the time. We need more "A to B" types of vehicles.
I think the real solution here is Google's self-driving car. Google has proven a car can drive itself from San Francisco to Los Angeles. We can really make use of onboard electronic devices if we're passengers in our own cars.
I'm with you Douglas. Why is Ford even developing something like this? I sounds like something that should be on your smart phone. The part I really don't understand is how / why Ford is picking things for their engineering group to develop. It seems it would make more sense for them to create a platform and then simply "allow" those 3rd-party developed functions that they see fit.
Cool story, Chuck, if not a bit random. While it's important for diabetics to monitor glucose levels and have a system that could possibly save them from an accident while driving, why stop there? What about people with heart conditions, for example, or a system that could tell if a pregnant woman is going into labor?
Everyone is focused on the driver being distracted by having this monitoring system, but maybe this is something that could expand to help the passenger. If the passenger needs constant glucose monitoring and the car alerts the driver, the driver could safely pull over and help or take them to a nearby hospital. I like all the new infotainment going into cars and think most of the applications are geared on driving safer.
You're exactly right, Lauren. If a child in the backseat -- or anyone in the vehicle -- has unsafe blood sugar levels, the glucose monitor can alert the driver though Ford Sync.
Lauren & Charles, I understand what you're saying, but I still fail to see the point of car integration. If a person (passenger or drive) has a medical condition that requires constant monitoring, it would need to be connected with the ability to alarm at all times - such as wherever they are traveling to. A DVD player (for instance) is only needed to provide entertainment on the road.
Jack: The point is that it isn't a lot of trouble for Ford to integrate into the vehicle. Ford isn't using the old model -- whereby they do all the design work. I don't want to minimize what Ford engineers did, but it's not a huge task for them. The cost benefit ratio is in Ford's favor, especially if a million customers, such as David, decide they want to buy a Ford as a result.
I'm still not sold on the idea of needing the system in my car. I AM a lot more interested in seeing such a system developed that kept diabetes or any other medication issue from being so consuming. As it stands now, I write write the time, glucose reading, oral medication, and insulin in my planner. Yes, I now that a paper planned certifies me as a dinosaur, but otherwise, if I become involved in a project, a video production runs into overtime, or I simply sit down and become engrossed in a novel. . .I might forget my pill or eat at 7 instead of 5:30. An automatic system that can monitor glucose levels and adjust infusion accordingly would be such a relief. It could also work with seizure medications, blood pressure alerts, and various other medical events. The fact that it could interface with the car via bluetooth is merely a convenience. If the system did that, it could also pop up a display on my computer screen or use my cell to notify someone that I had passed out and give a location ia the GPS capability. There in lies the value of such a system. I don't see it switching Chevy drivers to Ford. (My little Monza took care of that for me.)
My daughter was diagnosed at 5, have friends with 2 year old diabetics. Having the ability to see her numbers on screen while driving would be priceless.
@HJL, I mised that idea, but it would be a great concept, not only for the car, but to pop up on your home network and to send a text message to a parental phone. They might have the kids in the back yard, at the park, or in the movie. I like this concept better and better. Now, if it were only available. I bet there will be an app for that before too long.
Thanks David - you are 100% right, a simple text to a parental phone at predetermined nearing danger levels would be priceless especially during the school day. Let me know whne you have the app done! - Henry
Good points, but I have to consider that whether or not this technology ends up in the automotobile control system, the development of that technology is significant to those of us who are diabetic. Even without shwingthe information on the car;s dashboard, how wonderful it would be if we had aa device that could sense our glucose levels and adjust the automatic infusion of insulin accordingly. As it is now. we eat, we guess how many units we need, we hope we are right, and if someone put too much sugar into something, these cauculations are rendered useless, This requires retesting, re-medicating, and. .. it is endless. I have to say I don't need it in my car, but I'd l;ove to have it in my life.
There's lots of health related data that one could collect while driving related to the driver's ability to control the vehicle and the status of everyone in range who happens to have a wireless/blue tooth adapter. Whatever data is available could be transferred more effectively to a smart phone (and disseminated from there) than from the car – The cell phone could then talk to the car (as the phones “BIG” user interface) to warn the occupants, along with calling one’s doctors family and emergency people listed in the phone as first responders.Note that the cell phone/smart phone is a more general solution, and it is a lot less expensive than a car and more easily “carried” around with the user.
Driver alertness, pulse rate, blood pressure, and many other things may be more important than changes in glucose when detecting the fitness of the driver. Drug conditions… electronic bracelet activities and other tings may also be of more importance…
Glucose monitor:For continuous glucose monitoring one must have a meter that does not interrupt or the distract the drivers concentration from driving! this implies a meter that does not require a pin prick and manual dexterity to place a sample in a receptacle ect.
By the way, Alertness can effect glucose levels-- while fasting I personally watched my glucose drop 10 points per hour in my office (110, 100, 90) then drove home and found it back at up 110--presumably due to getting up from my desk and the increased concentration to pay attention to my driving. note: I am not I diabetic but I was testing glucose meters for Medisense...
On privacy ... if the data is available on blue tooth or other wireless connection, it needs security. Maybe you want to police or people in the next car, or first responders to know your condition. However, maybe you don’t want everyone who can read your data stream to have access… and know your weaknesses ….
There's lots of health related data that one could collect while driving related to the driver's ability to control the vehicle and the status of everyone in range who happens to have a wireless/blue tooth adapter. Whatever data is available could be transferred more effectively to a smart phone (and disseminated from there) than from the car – The cell phone could then talk to the car (as the phones “BIG” user interface) to warn the occupants, along with calling one’s doctors family and emergency people listed in the phone as first responders.Note that the cell phone/smart phone is a more general solution, and it is a lot less expensive than a car and more easily “carried” around with the user.
Driver alertness, pulse rate, blood pressure, and many other things may be more important than changes in glucose when detecting the fitness of the driver. Drug conditions… electronic bracelet activities and other tings may also be of more importance…
Glucose monitor:For continuous glucose monitoring one must have a meter that does not interrupt or the distract the drivers concentration from driving! this implies a meter that does not require a pin prick and manual dexterity to place a sample in a receptacle ect.
By the way, Alertness can effect glucose levels-- while fasting I personally watched my glucose drop 10 points per hour in my office (110, 100, 90) then drove home and found it back at up 110--presumably due to getting up from my desk and increased concentration to pay attention to driving. note: I am not I diabetic but I was testing glucose meters for Medisense...
On privacy ... if the data is available on blue tooth or other wireless connection, it needs security. Maybe you want to police or people in the next car, or first responders to know your condition. However, maybe you don’t want everyone who can read your data stream to have access… and know your weaknesses ….
xx
There's lots of health related data that one could collect while driving related to the driver's ability to control the vehicle and the status of everyone in range who happens to have a wireless/blue tooth adapter. Whatever data is available could be transferred more effectively to a smart phone (and disseminated from there) than from the car – The cell phone could then talk to the car (as the phones “BIG” user interface) to warn the occupants, along with calling one’s doctors family and emergency people listed in the phone as first responders.Note that the cell phone/smart phone is a more general solution, and it is a lot less expensive than a car and more easily “carried” around with the user.
Driver alertness, pulse rate, blood pressure, and many other things may be more important than changes in glucose when detecting the fitness of the driver. Drug conditions… electronic bracelet activities and other tings may also be of more importance…
Glucose monitor:For continuous glucose monitoring one must have a meter that does not interrupt or the distract the drivers concentration from driving! this implies a meter that does not require a pin prick and manual dexterity to place a sample in a receptacle ect.
By the way, Alertness can effect glucose levels-- while fasting I personally watched my glucose drop 10 points per hour in my office (110, 100, 90) then drove home and found it back at up 110--presumably due to getting up from my desk and increased concentration to pay attention to driving. note: I am not I diabetic but I was testing glucose meters for Medisense...
On privacy ... if the data is available on blue tooth or other wireless connection, it needs security. Maybe you want to police or people in the next car, or first responders to know your condition. However, maybe you don’t want everyone who can read your data stream to have access… and know your weaknesses ….
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