Audi wants to calm your nerves and put you in a healthier state of mind on the way to work, by a connecting a fitness tracker to the car.
The German manufacturer is already building a platform, called Audi Fit Driver, which integrates with wearable fitness trackers and provides the car with data to make you healthier and more relaxed.
See Also: Will autonomous cars kill motorsports?
Audi wants to track heart-rate and skin temperature to assess the driver’s state. It also tracks the weather, breathing rate, and traffic conditions. From there, the car tries to relax the driver through massages, changes to air conditioning and lighting levels, and infotainment updates.
The car may also come to an immediate stop if it thinks the driver is incapable of continuing, which could be for the best if the driver lacks sleep or is intoxicated. Audi will provide breathing exercises to try and relax the driver.
Audi Fit Driver is currently in testing, but the developers say they are ready to roll the software to real users in the near future.
“More than ever, health and fitness are becoming top priorities in our daily life,” said Audi board member for sales and marketing, Dietmar Voggenreiter. “With the fully connected car, we are creating the time and space to respond to this need while also driving. Automotive health is an outstanding example of the many opportunities that digitalization opens up for us.”
Audi may find difficulty combining health and driving, due to regulatory bodies. Ford tried to add heart-rate sensors to its seats a few years ago, but ultimately scrapped the concept, possibly due to pressure from the FDA or other bodies associated with health and safety.
