Fujitsu, one of Japan’s well-known information and communications technology leaders, has just announced the development of a smartphone and tablet app that will help people monitor their health over time without the need of operating specialized equipment or sitting still for long periods of time. The real-time heart pulse monitors helps users to keep track of their heart rate activity by use of a face imaging technology that utilizes a computer's camera to measure brightness variations in a person’s face.
With the intent of providing proactive employees and senior-citizens with a technological solution to health monitoring, Fujitsu’s new software aids in increasing the awareness of proper health maintenance for a more enjoyable and successful life. Data gathered by the pulse-monitoring app will also be uploadable to the cloud for convenient storage and analysis.
Base concept for the detection method (via Fujitsu)
The innovative technology works by shooting a video of a person’s face. Hemoglobin in the blood is known to absorb green light; thus, by measuring changes in the color brightness variation of a person’s face, a direct correlation to blood pulse can be found. The software achieves this by stripping the video-recorded data down to the brightness waveform of the green component of light. Each peak of the waveform, which indicates blood movement in a person’s face, is then used to compute the pulse rate over a time as little as five seconds. Another feature includes the automatic removal of data segments that may disrupt calculation, normally caused by facial and body movements.
Fujitsu’s software will allow its users to monitor their health whenever they’re in front of a front-facing, camera-equipped device - whether it’s on the computer, smartphone, or on a TV. The company hopes to start rolling out their flashy new software later this year for a variety of health application and even some security applications that may include checking for suspicious people at airport gates.
Overall, Fujitsu’s real-time heart monitoring program will definitely provide a practical solution for health monitoring that will benefit many. Slowly, it seems, technological focus on improving the lives of others may have a positive impact leading to a more productive and healthy world.
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