Post by thread:[PIC]: Biometric sensors

part 1 1515 bytes content-type:text/plain; charset=us-asciiunfortunately, I do. What exactly do you wish to measure? Might make sense to move this to [EE]: since it will become mostly an analog discussion. |--------+-----------------------> | | Ellen Spertus| | | <spertus@MILL| | | S.EDU> | | | | | | 03/29/01 | | | 04:12 PM | | | Please | | | respond to | | | pic | | | microcontroll| | | er discussion| | | list | | | | |--------+-----------------------> >----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | To: .....PICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU | | cc: (bcc: Scott Touchton/US/UNIPHASE) | | Subject: [PIC]: Biometric sensors | >----------------------------------------------------------------------------| Does anyone know anything about sensors of biometric/medical information that can be connected to a PIC to measure heart rate, body temperature, etc.? Ellen Spertus spertusKILLspammills.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics part 2 2028 bytes content-type:application/octet-stream; (decode) part 3 144 bytes -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics

> Does anyone know anything about sensors of biometric/medical > information that can be connected to a PIC to measure heart rate, > body temperature, etc.? Pulse rate, GSR (galvanic skin response) and temperature sensors are quite easy too make. Sensors to measure more subtle effects such as muscle or neuro- functions need more sohisticated circuits because of the lower voltages to be measured. Pulse rate has been a topic before, you'll find discussions in the archives -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics

I have a certain degree of humpback, only when someone reminds me will I aware to straighten my back intentionally. I've tried some correctional waistcoat that made me feel uncomfortable when my back was bent, this would remind me not to hump. But I want to do it a more high-tech way. I wonder if there is any Biometric sensors that will detect the curvature of the spine, so that I can build a device to warn myself when my back is curved, or I can even log the frequency I received the warning for reference. >just wondering if any of you know how the >heart monitor works on a stairmaster? > >it looks like two metals bands going around the >hand grip, no idea how this works...thanks _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

A bend sensor would be perfect for your purpose, but I have never seen one longer than 4 or 5 inches. I suppose you could use 2 or three of them in a row. Shouldn't be difficult to monitor them with a PIC and some sort of simple output (a vibrating pager motor would be nice and private!). Ron {Quote hidden}>From: John Waters <.....john_fm_watersKILLspam.....HOTMAIL.COM> >Reply-To: pic microcontroller discussion list <EraseMEPICLISTspam_OUTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> >To: PICLISTspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU >Subject: Re: [PICLIST] [PIC]: Biometric sensors >Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 14:13:05 -0500 > >I have a certain degree of humpback, only when someone reminds me will I >aware to straighten my back intentionally. I've tried some correctional >waistcoat that made me feel uncomfortable when my back was bent, this would >remind me not to hump. But I want to do it a more high-tech way. I wonder >if >there is any Biometric sensors that will detect the curvature of the spine, >so that I can build a device to warn myself when my back is curved, or I >can >even log the frequency I received the warning for reference. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

At 02:59 PM 3/30/01 -0500, you wrote: >A bend sensor would be perfect for your purpose, but I have never seen one >longer than 4 or 5 inches. I suppose you could use 2 or three of them in a >row. Shouldn't be difficult to monitor them with a PIC and some sort of >simple output (a vibrating pager motor would be nice and private!). Perhaps like these secretive folks? http://www.spinalsensor.com/ "The Spinal Sensor tm posture trainer is a discreet lightweight electronic device that monitors the wearer's spinal curvature and gives real-time feedback (a gentle vibration) when their posture needs correction." Best regards, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" @spam@speffKILLspaminterlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com Contributions invited->The AVR-gcc FAQ is at: http://www.bluecollarlinux.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

> just wondering if any of you know how the > heart monitor works on a stairmaster? > > it looks like two metals bands going around the > hand grip, no idea how this works...thanks > > > anybody 'hacked'into the computer on a stairmaster?? > > I was thinking of accessing it and hooking up an rf txmitter ...thanks This may not be what you are looking for, but you can already get heart monitors that transmit. They are worn around the chest and the receiver is a special wrist watch that can display the heart rate. Two manufacturers I know of are Polar and Sports Instruments. ******************************************************************** Olin Lathrop, embedded systems consultant in Littleton Massachusetts (978) 742-9014, KILLspamolinKILLspamembedinc.com, http://www.embedinc.com -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

>A bend sensor would be perfect for your purpose, but I have never seen one >longer than 4 or 5 inches. I suppose you could use 2 or three of them in a >row. Shouldn't be difficult to monitor them with a PIC and some sort of >simple output (a vibrating pager motor would be nice and private!). Where can I buy these bend sensors? Thanks! _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

>I have a certain degree of humpback, only when someone reminds me will I >aware to straighten my back intentionally. I've tried some correctional >waistcoat that made me feel uncomfortable when my back was bent, this would >remind me not to hump. But I want to do it a more high-tech way. I wonder if >there is any Biometric sensors that will detect the curvature of the spine, >so that I can build a device to warn myself when my back is curved, or I can >even log the frequency I received the warning for reference. It may be worth trying to use optical fibre. If the fibre is deformed by being under tension it affects the transmission characteristic. If you could attach some so it was in line with the spine as you lean forward it may affect the transmission characteristic enough to be detectable by sending a suitable pulse up the fibre. It would only need a pulse say once a second, possibly even less often, so the led need not be a big part of the battery drain. I believe in Holland the railways use optical fibre in this manner. By attaching it to the outside of the track (I think that is how they do it) and then sending a pulse down it they can detect the position of a train by the TDR detection of the tiny fibre deformation caused by the track movement from the weight of the train. I imagine the pulses being used are very small with fast rise time, but for your use it may be worth playing with some fibre (I imagine the plastic sort used for those "lamp" things that have a splay of them). -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email RemoveMElistservTakeThisOuTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

> >I have a certain degree of humpback, only when someone reminds me will I > >aware to straighten my back intentionally. I've tried some correctional > >waistcoat that made me feel uncomfortable when my back was bent, this would > >remind me not to hump. But I want to do it a more high-tech way. I wonder if > >there is any Biometric sensors that will detect the curvature of the spine, > >so that I can build a device to warn myself when my back is curved, or I can > >even log the frequency I received the warning for reference. > > It may be worth trying to use optical fibre. If the fibre is deformed by being > under tension it affects the transmission characteristic. If you could attach > some so it was in line with the spine as you lean forward it may affect the > transmission characteristic enough to be detectable by sending a suitable pulse > up the fibre. It would only need a pulse say once a second, possibly even less > often, so the led need not be a big part of the battery drain. > > I believe in Holland the railways use optical fibre in this manner. By attaching > it to the outside of the track (I think that is how they do it) and then sending > a pulse down it they can detect the position of a train by the TDR detection of > the tiny fibre deformation caused by the track movement from the weight of the > train. I imagine the pulses being used are very small with fast rise time, but > for your use it may be worth playing with some fibre (I imagine the plastic sort > used for those "lamp" things that have a splay of them). I have a customer that some years ago was researching the possibility of measuring deformations using this technique. IIRC the results were quite promising, but the government research grant ran out before they could bring it to commercial viability. Bob Ammerman RAm Systems (contract development of high performance, high function, low-level software) -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email spamBeGonelistservspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

>> just wondering if any of you know how the >> heart monitor works on a stairmaster? >> >> it looks like two metals bands going around the >> hand grip, no idea how this works...thanks If you actually place your hands on metal bands for the pickup, then it sounds like they are doing a basic form of EKG. One std hookup is with electrodes on the wrists for differential pickup, and one on the foot for a gnd ref. This is similar to what the Polar chest belts do - they use pickup electrodes on each side of the chest. Regarding the EKG, the wrists are essentially at the same potential as the corresponding side of the chest - ie, the heart dipoles are localized to the center of the body. A not too complicated differential amp should work for this sort of protocol, but you have to be careful not to electrocute yourself when hooking anything electrical to your body --> meaning some kind of isolation. Also, you would need some good bandpass filters to exclude muscle and movement artifacts. - dan michaels http://www.oricomtech.com ================== -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email TakeThisOuTlistservEraseMEspam_OUTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

>I have a certain degree of humpback, only when someone reminds me will I .... Perhaps a piece of surgical-rubber-tubing with one end blocked and the a pressure sensor at the other end. Pressurize slightly, perhaps 5 psig, then look for a pressure rise when the tubing is bent? FWIW. -Barry. ------------ Barry King NRG Systems "Measuring the Wind's Energy" http://www.nrgsystems.com Check out the accumulated (PIC) wisdom of the ages at: PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com/faq -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads