Cardiio is a App designed and developed around cutting-edge research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This application reads heart rate by using the front-facing camera on the iPhone to read and analyze the amount of light reflected of the face. This might sound impossible, but the complex algorithms and back-end calculations allows the app to accurately calculate the users pulse without the need for any additional hardware. One of the reassuring things about Cardiio, is that the studies behind
the application have shown that the measured heart rate from the app are
within 3 beats per minute of the same rate taken with a pulse oximeter.
The simple but very gorgeous user interface of the application is broken down into measuring the hear rate, gaining an insight into the results and a settings panel that provides additional app information. The information overload really comes through the Insights section, with Cardiio giving some nice statistics about life expectancy and how the users results stack up against the averages. Apart from the fact that the app has a very attractive interface, it also goes to show that innovation can be applied to even the oldest concepts.
Download ($4.99) [iTunes Link].
