Smart Watch: How does a wrist watch read your heartbeat, how does it count steps, know the whole science..

Nowadays, the job of watches is not only to show the time, but also to give important information related to your health. In today's time, it has become common to find heart tracking features in smartwatches and fitness bands. Not only this, but this feature has started being included in smart rings and even some AirPods. It is said that heart rate can give correct information about heart health. If the beats are normal, then understand that the heart is pumping blood well and oxygen is reaching all parts of the body. But the question arises, how do these devices count the beats? Let's know...

A mobile health device

Actually, a smartwatch is not an ordinary watch but a mobile health device. Many types of sensors are installed in it to track blood pressure, heart rate, and activity. You must have often seen the green light flickering at the bottom of the smartwatch. This green light and the optical sensor attached to it work to measure heart rate. Actually, red and green colors are opposite to each other on the color wheel. Blood easily absorbs green light. When the light bounces back after hitting the blood, the optical sensor captures it, and the heartbeats are measured from there.

The sensor records the heartbeat.

This process is called photoplethysmography (PSP). Every time the heart beats, the heart muscle contracts, and the amount of blood in the veins increases. When the muscles relax, the blood pressure decreases. When the veins expand, they absorb more green light and less when they relax. This pattern helps the software count the heart rate, and you see real-time data on the watch.

Indicates diseases

Today, many tech companies are making devices and software that include advanced algorithms. These can not only measure the pulse rate, but can also catch early signs of potential diseases by looking at some patterns. However, this technology is not completely accurate right now, so regular health checkups are considered necessary.

Sensors are there for tracking steps and location.

A sensor called an accelerometer is also installed in the smartwatch to count your motion or steps. It detects the pattern of motion and finds out whether the person is standing, walking, or running. This sensor converts the input received from the motion into a step count and shows the data. Apart from this, the use of GPS sensor is also becoming common in smartwatches these days. This sensor keeps an eye on your location and accordingly tells how much distance you have covered.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.