CES 2017: Hyundai goes health conscious in Las Vegas

They say that health is wealth and it seems like Hyundai want to live up with that phrase as they introduced a new concept at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Dubbed as “Health + Mobility Cockpit,” the Korean automaker said that this concept has the ability to monitor health and help manage stress, as well as other negative effects of driving. Overall, the main idea of the concept is to increase focus and relaxation while driving.    

So how does Hyundai’s Health + Mobility Cockpit concept works? In a nutshell, the cabin is integrated with a series of sensors which monitor the physical and mental state of the driver. The sensors also evaluate the driver’s posture, respiratory rate, and breathing depth. Moreover, it could measure heart-rate and track the driver’s alertness. It seems that future cars can tell if we have too much ‘bulalo’ during lunch.

Hyundai said that the concept generate mental awareness and focus by delivering a “customized multi-sensory experience” via “Mood Bursts.” Mood Burst works in a number of ways, depending on what is the most applicable response.

To give you an idea, the system can automatically adjust the driver’s seat to a more upright position if the driver is losing focus or alertness. On the other hand, if the sensors detect driver discomfort it will activate pneumatic lumbar systems that can massage the driver’s lower back.

The Health + Mobility Cockpit concept can also emit different scents such as eucalyptus-based aromas, said to have the ability to calm a driver. In addition, cedar or peppermint scent intends to energize and invigorate the senses. With this feature, could road rage incidents go down?

The sensors could also adjust the cabin’s light, temperature, and sound in order to reduce the driver’s stress level.

However, Hyundai has yet to reveal as to when will the Health + Mobility Cockpit concept be equipped in production cars.