Project Ara shown with conceptual array of medical and environmental sensors

We have covered Project Ara in some depth here on Tech Assimilate. The modular smartphone’s potential is almost unbounded due to its open nature of swappable modules. Now Lapka, a firm which specialises in healthcare technology accessories has come up with a concept Project Ara build bristling with medical and environmental sensors to become something akin to the fabled Star Trek Tricorder.

Lapka’s Project Ara concept

The modules you see slotted into this Project Ara build example include current Lapka products alongside possible future sensors the firm might produce. Lapka says that it would like to kit-out the Ara endoskeleton with a range of sensors including those used to analyse “blood and urine, radiation and carbon monoxide”.

Particular sensors incorporated in the Ara design you can see within this article include:

• Air Quality sensor. To measure things such as pollution caused by fine particles, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity.
• Light and the different kinds of light from the spectrum
• EKG for data including heart rate
• Glucometer, to check food and blood glucose
• Breathalyzer can check alcohol imbued, hydration and metabolism
• Soul module – this mysterious sensor module isn’t detailed!

As the mission statement of Lapka includes the intention to reimagine and redesign the scientific devices used to monitor health as affordable, accessible and innovative accessories and services – its fit with a Project Ara seems very synergistic.

We look forward to more conceptual designs for Ara such as these. The more Project Ara build possibilities that are available to people, the better. If some cool and useful medical tech can make it onto your smartphone then that could be of great utility to many users.

Source: Lapka blog / Via The Verge