BioBeat, an Analog Heartbeat Display
This simple setup uses an analog voltmeter to show your pulse in real-time.
On some general level, you know that as you exert yourself your heart rate goes up. On the other hand, you may have only a vague idea about how this works, and young kids will have even less experience with this principle. The BioBeat Voltmeter by ElbowPatchScholar, presents an excellent methodology for observing your own heartbeat while learning about engineering and design principles at the same time.
The BioBeat is set up as a sort of old-school sci-fi meter – a la Frankenstein – with the voltmeter that bounces with your heartbeat when a finger is inserted into the measurement receptacle. A knife switch on the 2xAA battery supply turns the device on and off, with a 3D-printed handle in keeping with the old-school theme.
Electronics-wise, the gauge utilizes the pulse sensor, batteries, and a breadboard to hook everything together. Voltmeter readings are taken directly from the sensor with no separate microcontroller/Arduino board.
This simple methodology makes BioBeat a great way to introduce kids to a variety of engineering and biological principles, outlined in the project’s write-up along with the actual build instructions.
Ideas for going further include exploring alternate display methods instead of the analog voltmeter, using either solar or USB power as the supply instead of batteries, and redesigning the housing itself. You also may want to keep an eye on how your pulse changes with effort, or even over the day, and explore how to scale readings into standard beats per minute (BPM) values.