Project Post #1 Heart Rater

Heart Rater

Sungjin (SJ) Park

A description of what you would like to create

What does your project do?

  • My project idea is to make wearable glove that measures heart rate.

Who is your project for?

  • My target potential wearers are people with high blood pressures and athletes so they can check their heart rate at any time. Mainly, 20s to 60s will be the potential wearers for my project.

Describe how someone would use the developed device. What are the steps that a user would go through to interface with the technology?

  • They have to turn on the switch on their device and connect to their smartphones with Bluetooth. As soon as Bluetooth is connected to their phone, wearers’ heart rate automatically starts to be recorded seamlessly. The display will be simple and direct. Only heart rate will be showed at this point of the project. A few more functions might be added in further.

What makes your project different from existing products?

  • The sensor itself has its pure functionality of measuring heartbeat. I am going to distinguish my project from existing features by attaching it to the glove and hiding the device underneath double layered threads. It is going to be subtle but smooth in terms of design.

Inspiration images/artists/designers/projects that are relevant to your idea

  • I had design inspiration from https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Glove-Controller-With-E-Textile-Sensors/ which has totally different feature from my idea in terms of functionality, but has aesthetic design. The glove from the link above was designed to control VR by putting input sensors on the finger tip parts. The design is what I liked the most while I was researching similar glove projects. It was made from spandex fibers to make hand and finger movements more naturally. I think I am going to implement spandex material on the first layer and wool material on the second layer so that the second layer can cover bulky parts of the device and connectors.

digital or scanned sketches of your project

  • My first layer of the glove.

  • Final look with the second layer

A bulleted list of the materials/tools you’ll use/need

  • ARDUINO UNO REV3
  • PROTOCENTRAL PULSE OXIMETER & HEART RATE SENSOR BASED ON MAX30100
  • Seeksmile Adult Lycra Spandex Gloves from Amazon
  • Bruceriver Men’s Pure Wool Knitted Gloves with Thinsulate Lining and Elastic Rib Cuff from Amazon

List of skills/concepts that you will need to master for completion

  • Need more experience with sewing.

A timeline

  • Milestone 1 (March 25): Prototype design is completed, and its function is tested by checking errors.
  • Milestone 2 (April 8): Attaching first layer to the second layer.
  • Milestone 3 (April 22): Checking for whether it is comfortably wearable and fully functional. Evaluating design in terms of aesthetics.

A fallback plan

  • I could use backup plan when my initial project is not going well. I will keep the idea of making tech glove and use same Arduinos but for controlling volumes or brightness on the phone by gestures. I could minimize loss by keeping similar forms and devices.
  • I consider my bare minimal outcome to be its functionality. If it can keep track of my heart rate on the display without falling off of my hand, it would be a success for me.