When the automobile was invented in the 18th century, it was little more than an engine with a driver’s seat - a machine designed with the sole purpose of transporting its driver from Point A to Point B.
But today, cars are no longer just for driving. With modern accoutrements, cars have become vessels in which drivers can accomplish simple tasks, such as placing phone calls using voice automation, or listening to news and podcasts on SiriusXM.
Soon, the car will also be a place for health and wellness and enterprising entrepreneurs should take note. With the rapid advance of self-driving cars and new automobile technology, routine health checkups will be part of a driver’s every day commute. Although this technology is still nascent, engineers are currently developing sensors that can monitor our health as we drive. These sensors include cushions that can measure weight, steering wheels that measure heart rate, and video monitors to detect driver drowsiness. Taken collectively, these technologies could provide an unobtrusive physical exam every time a driver gets behind the wheel.
We have barely begun to scratch the surface of consumer car technology. Few engineers and app developers realize that the car is a perfect platform to deploy health and wellness services to millions of Americans and billions around the globe. There is enormous opportunity for automobile innovation. So far, most of the hype has been centered around
What’s most exciting about this trend, is the opportunity it will create for today’s digital health entrepreneurs. It’s time for innovators to stop thinking of the car as a vehicle and start thinking of the car as a sophisticated platform. The concept is not far-fetched. A cell phone was just a phone until
Today we are living in the “Blackberry” age of car technology. As a general rule, each car company personally develops and deploys the software available in modern cars. There are a few smart companies, such as SiriusXM, that offer their service as an opt-in piece of software, and sell their product to multiple vendors (car companies). But by and large, software developers have yet to realize that the car’s computer is merely another platform to deliver apps to consumers. And I believe the biggest and (most meaningful) impact will be made in health and wellness apps.
Americans spend a lot of time behind the wheel. In fact, drivers are logging an average of about 30 miles per day, according to a recent survey. All that time on the road - an average of 46 minutes per day - could be put to better use. In the future, the car will be a space for health and wellness instead of stress and frustration. With Google and Apple’s self-driving car initiatives, the roads will be safer, and drivers will become passengers. With no need to keep eyes on the road, the car will become a place of quiet respite.
But innovators don’t have to wait around for self-driving cars. Automobile health tech is ripe for development now. Car companies like Ford are making headway in the effort to equip cars with health sensors that can detect possible health problems. For now, car companies have safety in mind, hoping to detect emergencies (like heart attacks) and offset the risk of a deadly crash.
For example, Ford has teamed up with the medical device company Medtronic in an effort to sync the car’s computer to blood glucose monitors used by diabetic patients, asthma management tools and allergen-detection systems. People with medical conditions might be the first to benefit from a car loaded with extra sensors, but Ford has also said it wants to use in-car technology to improve the overall well being of all drivers. The company is also pioneering an initiative to link wearable devices to its car technology.
It’s easy to imagine a world in which a car is just as useful as a smartphone in monitoring health trends. For example, if your car runs basic physical, or “check-up,” every day using on-board sensors, the car’s software would be able to track changes over time. This might offer an early warning system for gradual declines in health, or acute attacks.
These tools would be even more helpful to professional drivers, such as truck drivers or cab drivers. We’ve all heard that sitting is the new smoking. Indeed, sitting for long stints can have serious detrimental health consequences. A smart car would be able to help professional, long-distance drivers be vigilant about their own health.
The market for on-board health sensors is growing. In 2013, Americans purchased 15.6 million new cars and trucks - an 8% increase in auto sales over the previous year. Worldwide, analysts predict that almost 74 million automobiles will be sold in 2015. As of today, the full potential of car technology remains undiscovered. There is enormous opportunity for the car to become a platform to improve health and wellness for the more than 200 million drivers in the United States and many more around the world.
So for all you digital health entrepreneurs out there working to break through, the auto industry is not only in the midst of disruption, it is becoming a new platform that may be your biggest opportunity yet.
