Calling all multitaskers: In the future, you may be able to drive and check your vitals at the same time.
German scientists in collaboration with BMW Group researchers have come up with a device that allows drivers to do quick healths check while in the car, provided their hands are on the wheel. Using technology that integrates sensors into the steering wheel, drivers can find out such things as their heart rates and oxygen saturation levels of their blood while on the road.
The system can also detect skin conductance, a measurement of how well the skin conducts electricity that can vary according to the skin's moisture level. Through this, drivers would be able to tell whether they were under stress or whether their blood pressure was beyond bounds. The information would be transmitted to the car and displayed.
This isn't available for the consumer market yet, but according to a news release, it's a viable version of one that's used in driver stress-measuring studies. Scientists at Technische Universitaet Muenchen say that unlike the study version, their technology allows the driver to be wire-free, thanks to commercially available sensors.