TshWatch Is an ESP32 Timepiece with an E Ink Display
This wearable device measures vital signs and transfers data wirelessly.
Two years ago, Ivan decided to create a smartwatch with a pedometer, heart rate sensor, and skin temperature sensor. The idea was to collect data about his activity trends and process it on an external server via Wi-Fi communication. While there are certainly watches on the market that will do such tracking, you don’t necessarily have control over this data, and buying something off-the-shelf doesn’t give you a chance to learn about the electronics involved
Ivan’s watch, as of its current 1.4 version/third PCB, can operate for four days on its rechargeable 300mAh battery, and features a pedometer, skin temperature sensor, barometer/humidity sensor, current/voltage reading, and an E Ink display that certainly helps with battery life. An ESP32 module serves as the brains of the device, which sleeps as much as possible to save power.
The under development tshWatch 1.5 is equipped with a beautiful E Ink display, a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor to theoretically show stress levels, and a MAX30102 pulse oximeter and heart rate sensor. Ivan has also planned Android application that will employ the ESP’s Bluetooth capabilities for communication. A larger ~400mAh battery should keep this version operational for a week at a time between charges. There’s even a screen-less version with an extra finger-based heart rate sensor that looks neat as well.
The tshWatch 1.5 is a slick device, but perhaps what’s most interesting for Ivan is the process of constructing it and what he’s been able to learn along the way. Impressively, this was his first try at building electronics, and will certainly provide a nice knowledge base for the next project!