Mobile phones have come a long way since first hitting the market three decades ago. No longer just a commodity for the well-to-do, today’s cellular technology is just a part of the ever-expanding smartphone – used by consumers of all socioeconomic levels as devices become more affordable and data networks continue to expand. In fact, eMarketer expected there would be 4.55 billion mobile phone users in 2014.
The 21st century has seen mobile phones continue to skyrocket in functionality, altering the landscape of connectivity as we know it. The “Internet of Things” – a new paradigm of devices communicating with other devices with little or no human intervention – is just beginning to take off, and smartphones are proving to the central hubs of this increasingly connected world. From smart homes and connected vehicles to GPS mapping and mobile payments, we are relying more and more on our smartphones to perform and monitor critical functions in our daily lives. As a result of these market shifts, developers and entrepreneurs are creating applications and uses for smartphones with truly significant capabilities.
One emerging development with enormous potential is health care monitoring via the smartphone. Health care specialists are continually developing ways for individuals with chronic medical conditions – like heart and lung disease – to track, monitor and share vital stats with their medical practitioner. These innovations not only allow health care to become more accessible and affordable for the masses but also potentially save patients the cost and inconvenience of trips to see a doctor or visit a hospital.
Experimental smartphone apps are even being developed to monitor patients with mental health conditions like bipolar disorder. Dr. Melvin McInnis of the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center has recently reported initial results from an app that “monitors subtle qualities of a person’s voice during everyday phone conversations” in hopes of detecting early signs of mood changes that could signal an oncoming manic episode. Eventually, those living with conditions like schizophrenia or even epilepsy could use the technology to help prevent medical emergencies.
For parents and caretakers, a batch of emerging medical alert apps can provide much-needed reassurance that their loved ones are safe and healthy. For example, the Owlet, described as the “World’s First Baby Vitals Monitor,” is a tiny device outfitted to an infant’s foot that connects to a smartphone and allows parents to track their baby’s vital stats … a response to concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The creators hope to eventually be able to alert parents in case of emergency. For the elderly, GPS-enabled apps turn smartphones into a personal tracker that can provide updates to caretakers and family members or summon emergency support at the touch of a button, replacing costly monitoring services that require contracts and monitoring devices. While many of these technologies are still in their infancy, the future looks to be full of smartphone capabilities that will enable us to keep tabs on the vulnerable members of our families.
Fundamentally, smartphones are reimagining the way we approach health care and medical safety. Of course, anyone who has relied on a smartphone for a critical function knows that technology failures can and do occur. In many cases, these failures result in frustration at the least but in this brave new world could be far more serious. Developers and manufacturers also risk consumer abandonment of the technology for critical uses if it consistently presents problems.
Smartphone capabilities are seemingly endless, but as consumers increasingly rely on their mobile device for critical functions in day-to-day life, it is vital that the technologies are dependable. And with smartphones being the most-returned consumer electronics products (study: Consumer Electronics Product Returns, The NPD Group), it is crucial that manufacturers seek out test and measurement platforms that are optimized for comprehensive testing in a high-volume manufacturing environment. Testing and guaranteeing the reliability of a technology will ensure a higher adoption rate and reduce the likelihood of malfunction during a critical operation.
Schmidek is responsible for defining LitePoint’s wireless production test solutions. With over 25 years of experience in wireless product development and marketing, ranging from semiconductors, intellectual property development and ODM services, Schmidek has held a variety of management positions in Silicon Valley including at National Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies and Tropian (acquired by Panasonic). He received his BSEE from the University of California at Davis and his Master’s Degree in business administration from Santa Clara University.
