Lightweight wrist photoplethysmography for heavy exercise: motion robust heart rate monitoring algorithm

• Published in: Healthcare technology letters Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 6 - 11
• Main Authors: Lai, Po-Hsiang, Kim, Insoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.02.2015
• Subjects: accurate heart rate estimation; body sensor networks; heavy exercise; lightweight wrist photoplethysmography; low complexity‐highly accurate heart rate estimation; mean absolute error; medical signal processing; motion artefacts; motion robust heart rate monitoring algorithm; patient monitoring; photoplethysmography; smart watch; test data set; watches; mean absolute error; watches; lightweight wrist photoplethysmography; accurate heart rate estimation; smart watch; low complexity-highly accurate heart rate estimation; heavy exercise; test data set; patient monitoring; medical signal processing; motion robust heart rate monitoring algorithm; photoplethysmography; body sensor networks; motion artefacts
• ISSN: 2053-3713; 2053-3713
• DOI: 10.1049/htl.2014.0097

The challenge of heart rate monitoring based on wrist photoplethysmography (PPG) during heavy exercise is addressed. PPG is susceptible to motion artefacts, which have to be mitigated for accurate heart rate estimation. Motion artefacts are particularly apparent for wrist devices, for example, a smart watch, because of the high mobility of the arms. Proposed is a low complexity highly accurate heart rate estimation method for continuous heart rate monitoring using wrist PPG. The proposed method achieved 2.57% mean absolute error in a test data set where subjects ran for a maximum speed of 17 km/h.