Sunday, March 05, 2006

On Death and Embedded Systems

The queer thing about death is that you die only once. And by then its too late. You of all people cannot participate in your own death. Why am I talking about death and whats it got to do with Embedded Systems?

Something happened today, about which I wrote on another blogsite. My mind has been thinking about death in general since then.

With nuclear families being the norm these days, the chances are that your death would go un-noticed. I for one would like my friends and family to know about my death, as and when it happens. So that they dont have to worry about me there after. Dont get me wrong. I am in no hurry for that to happen.

But what I see here, is a possible business opportunity. Most other things are already in place. Almost every one carries a mobile phone. Even if you dont, no worries. Just get a lil piece of sensor silicon, with a valid SIM card on it, implanted in your body. This sensor monitors your heart. Once your heart stops working, you are dead. The sensor detects that and triggers a series of events. Prior to your death, you must compose a letter and a access database of family and friends that you would want to be notified in the event of your death. The letter could read as follows:

Dear _(Name picked from the Access Database)_

With profound sorrow, I wish to inform you of my untimely death. The end was obviously unexpected. I died at (coordinates of the location when your heart stopped working as detected by the sensor chip) on (time and date, again as detected by the sensor chip).

Given your busy schedule, please do not bother to visit my home to offer your condolences. As you wont have to drive to my residence, It will also save the already fragile environment (less emissions etc.), unless ofocurse, you plan to walk to my home.


Yours Truely, although, not any more


XYZ

All the above would be managed through the network of an Event Organizer. The sensor chip either signals your death to your mobile phone, which in turn sends out a text message to the Event Organizer, with whom you have registered yourself with, or sends out a text message on its own (with its embedded SIM card) to the event organizer's network. The Event Organizer's network, in turns mails out the above mentioned letter to your friends and family.

This sensor chip has yet to be developed and there in lies the business opportunity and big bucks.


Dhananjay Gadre

PS: Please make it a point to die where there is cell phone coverage.

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

An automated obituary sounds like a good idea but the author most definitely overlooked the anguish/nuisance that might result from the silicon-sensor malfunction.

6:42 AM, March 07, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you are thinking like this there must be logic behind it in your mind which is workable.
- This little piece of silicon sensor can work even more than that. It can work as a pulse meter where if pulse slows down alarmingly and this sensor is any how connected with patient's doctor or its lab or to its dear one through net - informing danger to life in a way of stopping heart beat - Possibilities are very fair that an emergency medical aid reached to such person in time and this can save his precious life..
- Yes true it can malfunction with human body and can be more dangerous instead of its benefits.
- Possible way out can be if it is possible that patient can wear this sensor chip like ring, watch, belt or in any other form and is so sensitive that it can detect exact pattern of heart beat.
- Or is it possible to make this chip of such material which is adaptable by the human body.
- Many discussions - many views are required to exchange from experts related to medical and engineering streams.
- It seems to be difficult but not impossible.

3:48 AM, March 10, 2006  
Blogger Unknown said...

Well, although the idea is perfectly technically feasible, and expandable as well (only a true geek would have come up with an extension to something related to death!), I don't think there would be many buyers! There must be very few people, of whom I know none, who would NOT want all those people they know, to attend his/her funeral, immaterial as it may be after one's death.
Also, there is one small question, WHO sues the manufacturer if the implant fails to transmit the news to all the people in the database, since the buyer is no more??

{Rest In Peace}

7:48 AM, April 06, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Get yourself a reliable blog service at www.bloggier.net.

2:31 AM, April 10, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just a stray thought... In case this implant requires intrusive surgery, it may well be a good idea for everyone to just have a pacemaker installed and that cd prevent death altogether :)

10:40 PM, April 17, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

$d, How will the pacemaker prevent death say from AIDS? haha

10:43 PM, April 17, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

death from heart failures?

1:26 AM, April 19, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would say is not a good idea but the use anonymous proposed is worthy and even better.

9:31 AM, May 16, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

not bad really. But people in India will start another ceremony in life(or it happen with marriage;)). Silicon Chip embedding ceremony, where in relatives would be called to participate and give their condolences in advance . Make the chip work so that it senses death 10 mins earlier and then starts playing those recorded condolences.

2:23 PM, May 29, 2006  
Blogger Dhananjay Gadre said...

I am sure this technology will become quite popular and spread all over the world very soon. You can avail of a great early bird offer (50% discount) if you register for embedding this chip in your body today. Send a mail to: embed.mychip@gmail.com

dvg

4:55 AM, May 30, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Something different I must say but I think living guys need more attention as compared to dead.

2:20 AM, November 02, 2006  

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