Design Capstone Project 8
- Lillian Ni
- Sep 27, 2023
- 2 min read
In the realm of capstone projects, each week brings us closer to the realization of our vision. As I journey through the intricate landscape of my project, which focuses on leveraging heart rate sensors to detect depression, I'm excited to share the latest progress update. This week has been all about research, and it's taken me on an enlightening path through the connection between depression and heart rate and the search for the perfect sensor for my ring.
Depression and Heart Rate: A Significant Connection:
Understanding the physical manifestations of depression is a crucial step in my project. Research has revealed some fascinating insights into the relationship between depression and heart rate. On average, individuals experiencing depression have a heart rate that's approximately 10 to 15 beats per minute higher than those without depression. Additionally, depression is accompanied by an increase in both heart rate and blood pressure. These findings underscore the potential of using heart rate as an indicator of depression, a discovery that's motivating my project's direction.
The Quest for the Right Sensor:
Armed with this newfound knowledge, I embarked on a mission to find the ideal sensor for my project, one that could fit seamlessly into a ring. The search began with an exploration of the sensors typically used in smartwatches, but the information was limited. It wasn't until I expanded my search to include smart rings that I discovered a promising technology—the optical heart rate sensor.
Understanding Optical Heart Rate Sensors:
Optical heart rate sensors are the beating heart of many wearable devices, including smartwatches and, importantly for my project, smart rings. These sensors work on a fascinating principle: they emit light into the user's skin and then measure the amount of light that's reflected back. As your heart pumps blood through your blood vessels, the volume of blood in your skin changes with each beat. This, in turn, affects the amount of light reflected. By continuously monitoring these fluctuations, the sensor can calculate your heart rate with remarkable accuracy.
This week's progress has been both enlightening and empowering. My research into the connection between depression and heart rate has solidified the foundation of my project. Armed with the knowledge that heart rate can be a valuable indicator of depression, I've ventured into the world of optical heart rate sensors—a technology that promises to be the perfect fit for my ring.
ChatGPT4 has been used to format my words.
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