Google has unveiled a new research project called Passive Heart Rate Monitoring (PHRM), which can estimate a user’s heart rate using only a smartphone’s front-facing camera. The system analyzes subtle skin color changes caused by blood flow during an 8-second selfie video captured after face unlock, eliminating the need for a smartwatch or fitness tracker.
Trained on more than 350,000 video clips from nearly 700 participants, the technology achieved accuracy levels comparable to industry standards and estimated resting heart rate within five beats per minute of a Fitbit Charge 6. While challenges remain, including performance consistency across different skin tones and privacy considerations, the research suggests that smartphones could one day provide wearable-style heart health monitoring for billions of users without additional hardware.
Source: Android Authority
