Project Mentor: Amirtaha Taebi, Assistant Professor, Bioengineering
2026 Impact Fellows:
Project Description:
This project aims to democratize access to cardiovascular and respiratory monitoring using the built-in sensors of smartphones. Millions of people in underserved regions lack regular access to clinics or diagnostic devices capable of detecting early signs of cardiovascular disease. To address this challenge, our team will develop a cloud-connected mobile application that records chest vibrations, known as seismocardiography (SCG) and gyrocardiography (GCG), using a phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. The system will analyze these signals in real-time to estimate cardiorespiratory activity and health indicators.
Three app versions will be designed for distinct user groups: (1) clinicians, who can monitor and manage their patients’ data remotely; (2) patients, who can self-record and track their cardiorespiratory signals; and (3) researchers, who will collect data from control groups to improve the app’s background algorithms.
Field implementation will be conducted in partnership with healthcare institutions in the Philippines, a country facing significant disparities in healthcare access. The project combines engineering, computing, and global health to create a scalable, sustainable health monitoring platform.