MIT grad student Ming-Zher Poh has found a way to use the webcam as a heart rate monitor, with the webcam installed into a mirror to read people's faces.
What Ming-Zher Poh found was that by "using an open-source face-tracking program, Poh taught his camera to study someone's face and, according to MIT, measure 'slight variations in brightness produced by the flow of blood through blood vessels in the face.'"
Pulse-Measuring Mirrors
Ming-Zher Poh Develops a Webcam that Tells the Health of Your Heart
Trend Themes
1. Pulse-monitoring Technologies - Using webcams and image tracking to monitor heart rate in daily life.
2. Smart Mirrors - Incorporating health monitoring and analysis technology into mirrors for easy daily use.
3. Open-source Health Technology - Providing accessible and cost-effective health monitoring technology through open-source software.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare Technology - Opportunities to integrate webcams and image tracking into existing healthcare technology for remote monitoring.
2. Home Goods - Applying smart mirror technology to installable and affordable home goods for personal health tracking.
3. Software Development - Creating and innovating on open-source software to increase accessibility and affordability of health technology.