Ford pioneers in-seat heart-rate technology

The modern motor cars will increasingly be used for medical diagnostic duties if Ford's research continues to bear fruit

Ford's safety technology group pioneered the airbag seatbelt and the Blue Oval's European Research and Innovation Centre in Germany has now publicised research on a new car seat that can monitor the driver's heart rate.

The idea behind the innovation is that the car could "open the door to a wealth of health, convenience and even life-saving potential."

The research is being seriously considered by Ford, which it says would "initially be of most benefit to drivers known to have heart conditions – primarily those in more mature age groups, a globally growing population".

Dr. Achim Lindner, Ford European Research and Innovation Centre medical officer, said the new technology would have a positive effect on diagnosing cardiovascular issues in driver's.

"Although currently still a research project, the heart rate monitor technology developed by Ford and RWTH Aachen University could prove to be a hugely important breakthrough for Ford drivers, and not just in terms of the ability to monitor the hearts of those known to be at risk," explained Lindner.

"As always in medicine, the earlier a condition is detected the easier it is to treat and this technology even has the potential to be instrumental in diagnosing conditions drivers were previously unaware they had.

Six heart-rate sensors are concealed within the seat backrest to measure the driver's pulse, and are sensitive enough to measure heart rate through the seat material and clothing.

"The [heart rate] sensors use a very specially designed system and carefully researched materials to be able to give a good signal without contact on the skin," Lindner explained.

"We are still fine-tuning their operation to work with some materials; certain types of synthetic fabric and lamb's wool can cause electrical interference that upsets the signal, but we can achieve a strong signal through 10 layers of cotton."

The research is a joint project being undertaken by Ford and the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, and the some of the uses of the technology could be data collection, which would then be analysed by doctors and/or software and even linked to remote medical services. The real-time heart rate data alert emergency services to heart attacks.

Ford's new pulse monitoring technology is not foolproof, however, and is unlikely to be seen in a production car in the short term. Between 90 to 95 per cent of people tested were compatible with the technology.

Ford is also examining other car-based medical innovations, particularly medical devices connected via Bluetooth and smart phone apps, which could potentially offer voice-controlled health aids, such as asthma management tools and diabetes management services.

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