INTRODUCING THE CHIRON HEADSET
OUR STORY
Headset design with Vital Emotional Response Quantification (VERQ) via Machine Learning (ML) using Photoplethysmography (PPG) at earlobe and HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and SPO2
The heart rate activity is one of the biggest health concern of this era. It varies whether we’re happy, sad, stressed or relaxed. We’re used to wearing smart watches everyday to keep track of our heart. What if I told you there was a better alternative ?
Hello, my name is Abdur-Raheem and I’m a biomedical engineer. In my thesis, I found that many of the issues (motion artifact, data storage and light leakage) of smartwatches can be lowered or eliminated using the ear instead of the wrist. Together with Dr. Sumayyah, we’re proposing a new headset design, the Chiron, with that goal in mind.
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started"
Mark Twain
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Advanced AI-powered PPG Headset
Our design approach combines the best of the software and hardware world.
On the hardware side, we use the MAXM86161 optical sensor released in mid-2019, meant specifically for ear applications. Our modular sensor placement design is similar to the shock-absorbing design in ambulances and airplanes, allowing for accurate read-out.
On the software side, we use an AI-driven algorithm to detect changes in heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). The quantification can provide medical insights and emotional expressions
USE CASES
We intend to focus on immobile applications for our device. The use cases shown below are based on research papers to validate our claims. First mover advantage is applicable
Our passion for creating meaningful change for clients is what sets us apart. The CHIRON Monitoring Headset team believes in the potential of our great idea, and it truly shows in all of our work. We work tirelessly in order to bring you a better tomorrow, and we’re proud of every single member of staff. To learn more about the incredible CHIRON Monitoring Headset team, please have a look below.
EDUCATION (ONLINE)
Bored or Exciting Classes ?
Heart monitoring in education are pretty much non-existent and all research papers point to physical exercises (PE) or weight loss within a young demographics (high school). Providing an accessible tool which is not a new experience (wearing headphone is a common place experience and can reflect a more stable result compared to new contraptions)
Figuring out how ‘bored’ students are can be essential in figuring our individual performance. How attention (and for how long) is retained can also be figured out, proposing changes which will make for a more interactive experience, hence better learning.
PROFESSIONAL E-SPORTS
Stressed vs. Relaxed players ?
There exists no wearable for gamers to accurately monitor their sessions with respect to vitals variation. There are chest straps which are used by some streaming gamers but it is not officially used in the professional gaming industry and long-term wearing is not comfortable.
Identifying stressed players and propose implementable & proven methods to reduce stress for better performance based on the severity of stress. Heart rate tracking will also show the elevation percentage of the player
MEDICAL
Outside hospital heart monitoring. Healthy/not ?
Healthcare heart monitoring either require an expensive contraption or a trip to the hospital, both of which are not available to everyone whether lack of financials or inability to travel comfortably.
While the goal is not to provide clinical data for diagnostics of disease, the headphone can be used for quick short-term monitoring which should be reflective of the current heart activity and by extension provide a status of the health of the heart.
ENTERTAINMENT
Music & movie industry
While scientific analysis on the ‘successful determinants’ are present, there are no tools available except for qualitative surveys for recording the likeability of a newly made song (prior to release)
For the music industry, ‘pleasing’ sections of the song can be better identified and ‘template’ can be provided for subsequent song composition. The opposite which include part of the song which are not well-received can also be identified. Same for the movie industry.
MARKET POTENTIAL
Heart Rate Monitors market size is projected to reach USD 17160 million by 2026, from USD 13030 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 4.7% during 2021-2026.
In the projected period 2021-2026, increasing global urbanisation, higher sales of Consumer Goods, multinational corporations, local merchants, and supply chains are driving the expansion of the "Heart Rate Monitors Market".
THE TEAM
HOSANY SUMAYYAH
Medical Consultant, Liason
Graduate doctor (Wenzhou Medical University, Oncology)
Having left her footprint on many a country and continent, Sumayyah's decade of travels has had a profound impact on the way she sees the world; a world upon which she has labored to leave her mark via her prolific partnership with Chiron HRM.
Her extensive medical knowledge is essential in creating the framework required to extrapolate and interpret the data acquired. Followed up by medical advice and self-care tips.
HOSANY ABDUR-RAHEEM
Team Lead
B.Tech Biomedical Engineer (VIT University, India)
The man behind the make. Abdur’s studies of engineering, combined with a versatile portfolio brimming with experience in CAD design, photo/videography & editing, and graphic design have sat him comfortably at the helm of the project. It is his innovative, out-of-the box thinking that can be credited for not only the inception of the Chiron design, but for the inspired, articulate, and innovative affect that has come to define its renowned.
Author of the thesis which is the inspiration behind this project. Co-founder at AMALGAM Watches, Mauritius' first watch brand. His hobby includes history and mythology, video games, writing and ‘dreaming’. He can be seen on his bicycle roaming around. His life motto: Always forward.
RESEARCH PAPERS
Our idea is backed by extensive research paper published post 2015.
"The advantage of using the earlobe as location for measuring heart rate data using the photoplethysmographic technique has been linked to an equally good read out values compared to ECG. Correlations with r > 0.9 were found between ECG-HRV and PPG-HRV measures."
"According to MIT Technology Review ‘Using your ear to track your heart’, The ear is a much better source of data than the wrist because it offers an area where blood flows well. Blood also flows to different parts of the ear at different rates, which can be used to measure different metrics."
"In summary, we found strong evidence that changes of cognitive load during game playing can be measured by parameters derived from PPG signals in real time."
“The attributes of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) are analyzed to describe emotions, namely happy, calm, unhappy (sad), and fear using Machine learning technology. …The accuracy of 91.81% is achieved. This emotion recognition system can be used in fields like robotics, virtual reality, and gaming, advertising, education, working conditions and safety.”
THE PPG WAVEFORM
The Possibilities Are Endless
By performing mathematical processes such as differentiation, more data can be obtained to quantify valuable information such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Research shows the the HRV also changes in emotional shifts (sad to happy, neutral to excited, neutral to bored).
As shown on the right, the PPG waveform between a healthy subject and an unhealthy subject is different. While we don't intended to make our design a medical device for medical diagnosis, it can provide important data on health and wellness.
