Ford Working to Create Cars that Monitor Safety, Health, and Wellness Through Connected Devices

IoT is everywhere, and the majority of manufacturers are researching ways to get involved. But, the truly interesting thing is that it's not the usual suspects that are being most affected by devices that constantly connect us to the Cloud.

Ford is exploring ways to integrate smartwatches and fitness bands into future vehicles. I've been talking a lot about IoT here on Supersite recently because I believe it's an area that will consume our focus in the very near future and will begin supplying an entire ecosystem of new jobs. The Ford example is yet another angle that many probably have not thought of, and it also outlines some very real unanswered questions.

Ford is trying to be very careful in how it implements IoT integration. There's a lot of consumer value to be able to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, and glucose levels on a Ford dashboard. Is it necessary? Probably not. But, imagine this same function as part of a dashboard screen in an emergency vehicle.

Ford's intent does introduce some drawbacks that have yet to be worked out. For example, turning a car into a health device might result in the car company having to gain FDA approval. Additionally, there's the personal privacy concerns. How much information should be shared and with who?

It's hard to imagine right now, but we're embarking on a time when everything we own is interconnected, talking to each other, and sending our information to someone's Cloud. I'm not sure if we should be impressed with our technological advances or we should pull back a bit before things get out of hand.