researchers have developed a new technology called APG that can turn any existing ANC earbuds into cardiac monitors with the help of a software update. The tech giant published aGoogle says APG is an acoustic sensing system that sends a low-intensity ultrasound probing signal using the speakers on ANC earbuds and headphones and receives the echoes via the onboard microphones. The company then uses a mathematical model to analyze and convert the ultrasound echoes into heart rate readings.
Google conducted an eight-month field study with 153 participants to evaluate APG and found that it is highly accurate in reporting heart rate readings and heart rate variability readings . The tech even works to monitor cardiac activity when music is playing on the earbuds and when the body is in motion while doing activities like running.
Google is now focusing on testing APG with more rigorous motion activities like hiking, weightlifting, boxing, and HIIT to improve the performance of the tech. The company believes that APG has the potential to enable many other exciting health research opportunities.