A medical mirror for non-contact health monitoring

Ming-Zher Poh, Daniel McDuff, Rosalind W. Picard

Abstract: Digital medical devices promise to transform the future of medicine because of their ability to produce exquisitely detailed individual physiological data. As ordinary people start to have access and control over their own physiological data, they can play a more active role in the management of their health. This revolution must take place in our everyday lives, not just in the doctor's office or research lab. However, current techniques for physiological monitoring typically require users to strap on bulky sensors, chest straps or sticky electrodes. This discourages regular use because the sensors can be uncomfortable or encumbering. In this work, we propose a new mirror interface for real-time, contact-free measurements of heart rate without the need for external sensors. Users can have the experience of remote health monitoring by simply looking into the Medical Mirror.