The Ford Motor Company is taking multi-tasking to a new level with its entry into the healthcare space.
Imagine a car that not only lets the driver select music or talk on the phone without taking his or her hands off the steering wheel or eyes off the road, but helps monitor blood sugar, blood pressure and stress and provides allergy alerts.
If the stress level is high, incoming calls are automatically routed to voicemail. If pollen allergy symptoms are detected, the car offers an alternate route.
Ford’s technology, called SYNC, is now installed in 5 million cars. And there is more to come, promised Gary Strumolo, Ford’s global manager for health and wellness, interiors and infotainment research and innovation, during a Tuesday morning session titled “The Car That Cares,” part of the HIT X.0 offerings at the 2013 HIMSS Conference and Exhibition.
“We’ve only begun to explore the potential of SYNC," Strumolo said. “We’re not just catering to the entertainment needs of our customers, but contributing to their well-being.”
Since the launch of SNYC, Ford has partnered with several technology companies to make other health products available, including technology that can track driver behavior and distraction.
"There’s a strong business case to explore health options," Strumolo said.
Chronic illness has risen at the same time that the number of physicians has decreased. People are showing an increasing willingness, even eagerness, for looking up health information online, using sites such as WebMD. Most significantly, consumers are on the road more than ever, driving their children to and from sports events and other school activities and traveling to and from work and business events.
What if a car could use that time to maintain well-being, Strumolo suggested. “If you could have a car that could look after you, who wouldn’t want that?”
Drivers could manage their health while in motion, said Strumolo, or more likely while at a red light.
Ford has the technology, like SYNC, built into the vehicle. Other technology is brought into the car, and more is beamed in from the cloud. To accomplish this, Ford has forged partnerships with companies like Healthrageous Microsoft, Medtronic, IMS and WellDoc.
