Heart rate detection in cars? That's a new one!

Saw this article about Toyota's heart rate detection patent. Sounds like something straight out of sci-fi! But I'm wondering, is this really measuring anything useful? Or just another gadget? What do you guys think?

Honestly, it's kinda creepy. I mean, I get the safety aspect—maybe detecting if the driver's having a heart attack or something. But you know what? I'd rather have a good old fashioned pulse oximeter than a car that monitors my vitals. More stuff to break, right?

From a safety standpoint, it makes sense. Heart rate could indicate drowsiness or stress. But I'm with Paul on the reliability. These systems need to be foolproof. Imagine false alarms while driving... not good. Also, anyone know what kind of sensor they're using? Radar? Optics?

Good point about false alarms. The article says it's non-contact, so probably radar or optical. I've seen those in some health monitors. But in a car? Gotta be rugged. Wonder if they'll add it to trucks for work sites too?

If they do, I bet the first thing a mechanic does is disconnect it. Haha. But seriously, let's see if it actually makes it to production. A lot of patents never see the light of day.