Early results on wrist based heart rate monitoring using mechanical transducers

Heart rate monitoring has been a significant topic of interest in the areas of healthcare, sports and gaming. Compared to locations such as the neck, ear, or chest, the wrist is a convenient measurement point, as the measurement technology can be integrated into a wristwatch. However, key technical challenges exist, namely a small physiological SNR and large disturbances due to motion artifact. This paper reports early results on a packaging concept to monitor the heartrate during rest and motion using off-the-shelf piezoelectric PVDF film sensors. Evaluation has shown good results at rest and unsatisfactory results during motion. Results from this investigation will nonetheless be used as input for the development of a wrist-based heartrate monitor which could function during activities such as running, walking or typing on a keyboard.