Researchers Develop Cameras for Measuring Vital Signs

A student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology programme is working on a system that could measure vital signs by putting a person in front of a low-cost camera such as a laptop computer’s built-in webcam. So far, graduate student Ming-Zher Poh has demonstrated that the system can indeed extract accurate pulse measurements from ordinary low-resolution webcam imagery. Now he’s working on extending the capabilities so it can measure respiration and blood-oxygen levels. Poh hopes eventually to be able to monitor blood pressure as well. Initial results of his work, carried out with the help of Media Lab student Daniel McDuff and Professor of Media Arts and Sciences Rosalind Picard.