In February, Google announced that Fit for Android can measure heart and respiratory rate using just your phone. These new camera tracking features from Google Fit will begin rolling out to Pixel phones on Monday.
While these measurements “are not intended for medical purposes”, Google says Fit’s camera-based approach provides a convenient way to “track and improve daily well-being” using the equipment you already own.
Heart rate measurements are made by holding your finger over the lens of the rear camera and applying light pressure for approximately 30 seconds. To increase accuracy in dark environments, the flash can be activated. Google Fit is bringing blood flow closer by tracking “subtle changes in the color of your fingers”, with the algorithms taking into account lighting, skin tone, age and other factors.
Your heart rate provides a snapshot of what is happening to your heart. Your heart beats faster when you are active, but it can also be elevated due to certain foods and drinks or if you are feeling stressed or excited. You will notice a lower heart rate when you are still and relaxed.
As physical activity increases, the heart also becomes more efficient at pumping blood over time. Monitoring your heart rate at rest can help indicate changes in your fitness level.
In the meantime, measuring your breathing rate – the number of breaths you take per minute – starts by leaning your phone against a stable surface so that the front camera clearly sees your upper body and head, hats / masks must be removed. Google Fit is using computer vision to look for small changes in his chest.
Respiratory rate is another important marker of your well-being. It is generally a stable metric, but tracking your trend can help you spot any changes. For example, you may notice short-term changes in your breathing rate if you are feeling stressed, anxious, or unwell.
The processing required to calculate these two metrics takes place in real time and is done entirely on the device. As such, video streams are not saved to your phone or sent to the Google cloud. After each measurement, you are asked if you want the result to be stored in Google Fit for long-term graphics.
On Monday, these Google Fit camera measurements will begin to be implemented on Pixel phones worldwide, and more Android devices will be supported in the future. Make sure you have the latest version of the app installed from the Play Store.
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