KITT Can Now Test Your Blood Sugar!!!!!!!

by **J The Kidd** Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:26 pm

Excess amount of alcohol in the blood can impair one’s ability to
drive (among other things) a deficit in glucose or blood sugar can also
have a dangerous effect when you get behind the wheel. In fact, the
effects of type 1 diabetes can lead to dizziness, seizures and even a
loss of consciousness, which makes operating a vehicle even more
dangerous.

So to reduce the risk of accidents caused by diabetes, a company called
Medtronic has created a dashbboard mounted device that works in
conjunction with a glucose monitor to track the driver’s blood sugar
levels. The monitor uses a wireless sensor that samples the driver’s
blood glucose level every few minutes, and if it drops below an
acceptable level, the dashboard unit notifies the driver with an
audible warning. Unfortunately at that point it’s up to the driver to
do the responsible thing and pull over until they get their glucose
level back into the acceptable range, since the device in its current
form is not able to disable the vehicle. However, I imagine it could
eventually be used much like a built-in breathalyser to prevent the
vehicle from starting in the first place if the driver’s blood sugar is
at a dangerous level