With Project Ara, it’s easy to think of swappable modules as being easy ways to get a faster processor, or a higher resolution camera, or extra RAM. However, those modules can potentially do much, much more, including adding significant new features through hardware, such a blood oxygen level tracker.
Paul Eremenko, head of the Project Ara team, recently showed off a pulse oximeter module that measures the oxygen content in a user’s blood. The module was just a prototype, but it was completely functional and it shows the potential of adding on new modules onto a smartphone.
Eremenko believes that as smartphones begin to track more and more personal information about their owners, it wouldn’t be too crazy to think that they could hold our medical history and information at some point in the near future. Many smartphones already come preloaded with tons of fitness and health applications, so adding on some new ways to keep up with other things makes a lot of sense. It would also help many users to keep up with their health, and that’s never a bad thing.
Still, don’t expect any Project Ara stuff to be available until some time in 2015. Even then, Eremenko said they’ll be launching a pilot program, so widespread availability is something Google still has to figure out.
source: Venture Beat
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