Your Regular ANC Earbuds Can be Used in Measuring Heart Rate, Claims Google Researchers

Google engineers have recently shown off technology that can turn regular Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) headphones into a heart rate monitor. Further hardware or sensors are not needed for this. To determine the heart rate, the device employs a signal that resembles a pulse.

As to the research article, the technology has no effect whatsoever on the earbuds' ordinary functioning, not even on how long their batteries last. Mobicom 2023 included this technology. Additionally, Google made available the technology's research paper, "APG: Audioplethysmography for Cardiac Monitoring in Hearables."

How would this technology work? 

While wearing it, Headphones use technology to send sound to your ear and then listen for echoes. When blood vessels change, they make small changes in your ear. It also changes the echo and shows your heartbeat.

Based on this information, Google created algorithms to understand echoes and the way to find heartbeats and how it changes with that sound. This new method allows you to monitor your heart rate with regular noise-canceling headphones, even while you're moving or listening to music. 

Google believes that the signals it uses to operate the technology cannot be heard or changed when you are listening to music. The researchers believe that APG is a new way to learn about health through technology and opens up new opportunities for affordable health screening. The researchers added that the technology can be added to existing headphones with a simple software update. The only requirement is that the headphones have Active Noise Canceling (ANC) technology.

APG Technology

Google's research shows that the APG is capable of measuring heart rate (3.21% error) and heart rate (2.70% error) for most people. We also found that the APG works well for people with different skin tones, even if the headphones don't fit perfectly. 

The study also claims that APG technology is superior to the current light-based photo plethysmograph (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors we see in most heart rate smartwatches today, which add weight, cost and burden to the battery life of the device.

Will it be available in the market soon?

The study was conducted over eight months with 153 people to test APG in various situations, but there is still no word if the technology will be available in all headphones on the market.