Tesla: The future of Health, I work in the field of Digital Health and I have been encouraged to see that over the last couple of years Australia has made some significant inroads into Electronic Medical Records and Health devices.
Since the COVID -19 the need to move even further towards the Digital Health platform has become decidedly clear. The need to monitor people daily, to communicate with patients regularly, to provide access to online resources when needed has become part of the future of health programs.
This transition as with everything happens slowly. Companies like Apple, Google, Telstra, Amazon and others have all made moves to bring technology to the masses in the field of health.
Some directly and other not so direct but all have one purpose, to allow people to be better informed and to be able to manage their own health.
So why am I talking about Digital Health on a car BLOG?
Most vehicle’s these days have computers, some are more complex than others, but most are rudimentary in their capabilities.
Tesla: The future of Health
Tesla on the other hand decided to build from the ground up, a computer within the car. Sure, the computer helps to manage the full self-driving (FSD) but it also has capabilities that no other car, both present and past, have ever had as part of a vehicle.
Elon Musk recently tweeted “Tesla should really be thought of as roughly a dozen technology startups, many of which have little to no correlation with traditional automotive companies”, (1:28pm, 21 June 2020) https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1274544800558014464
He continued in the next tweet “for example, we created a chip design team, from scratch, for the Tesla full self-driving computer, which is not something other car companies do” (Elon Musk, 1:32pm, 21 June 2020)
The computer that Tesla designed and built has some amazing specifications.
It allows makes millions of computer adjustments every second, which makes the car perform exceptionally well when being driven by the computer.
However, Tesla has also included in its car an infotainment system that is not just about music and air-conditioning but it is also about enjoyment and fun. Computer games, streaming services, movies etc. are just some of the interesting capabilities that Tesla included.
So why could they not be a connected health system as well? When most people are unwell, they usually head to a GP or a Hospital. Maybe they could also get advice from their Tesla.
Is Tesla: The future of Health? Health technology is starting to advance just as quickly as many other industries did 20 years ago. The new thinking that is driving this innovation is fresh and exciting and I believe Tesla Philosophy may also help to drive new and different way of thinking.
Elon has said that Tesla is a number of startups within the company. Maybe another branch could look at how hopping into a Tesla could also offer heath advice if asked.
Example
As an example, a driver hops in the car to drive, they proceed with their journey and feel unwell on the way. They activate a health function that identifies the person has a high temperature with a thermometer system.
Based on the values an algorithm ask a number of questions that help to assess the possible symptoms the person is experiencing. Once that has happened, they could then let them know what some options could be.
A list of options could be suggested such as organizing an ambulance, a G.P. appointment and many more.
This type of future functionality one day will be the norm, all you need is one company to innovate and i believe Tesla has the best position to do so.
Tesla has already shown it can adapt to health applications. When COVID-19 hit hard and ventilators where being sourced, Tesla engineers turned their hand to building ventilators with nothing but car parts.
I know it is a long shot but the reality we are starting to see is that where health is becoming seamless with technology. If technology can become an enabler to provide guidance and strategies on how to manage one’s health then the future could be bright.
Large companies like Apple, Samsung and Google have provided many wearables that hint at the possibilities. Why not consider the possibilities. This would give a different feather to the cap of possibilities that Tesla’s Provide.
If we are heading to a world where computers can drive cars, and organize our lives, it seems logical that they could also help us to monitor our health and allow our cars to help get us to the places that can help.
Dave