Google is launching a new feature that will let you use your phone’s camera to measure your heart rate and respiratory rate. The feature which will be available in the Google Fit app will first roll out to Google Pixel phones before expanding to more Android devices.
Google says the new feature utilizes your phone’s front camera to take a video in which your face and upper torso are captured. That’s all, Just record a video breathing normally and the app will measure your respiratory rate.
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Google explains how the smartphone’s camera can track tiny physical signals like chest movements at the pixel level. It can also detect subtle changes in the color of your fingers to measure your heart rate. “For example, since our heart rate algorithm relies on approximating blood flow from color changes in someone’s fingertip, it has to account for factors such as lighting, skin tone, age, and more in order to work for everyone,” Google said in a blog post.
