Emerging Applications of VR in EKG Monitoring

Could EKG Biometrics and Virtual Reality help mitigate stress?

Virtual Reality (VR) is a concept that is somewhat new to us all. VR refers to a computer-generated simulation in which a person can interact within an artificial three-dimensional environment using electronic devices, including: special goggles with a screen or gloves fitted with sensors.

The most common uses of VR are:

• Gaming
• Leisure e.g. allowing clients to visit different destinations in a virtual setting before making travel choices
• Remote Work Collaboration
• Employee Training

VR can be used for a wide variety of reasons with one upcoming use of VR being for the management and mitigation of stress levels. With stress levels rising across our populations due to the uncertainty and chaos the current pandemic is bringing, a tool to manage these stress levels is extremely beneficial.

HeartKey® ID, Stress and Heart Rate Demo using VR

The key property of HeartKey® is that the algorithms work in real time – the data is processed immediately and information extracted continuously, meaning our customers can be very flexible in where they can deploy this technology.

Braj Srigengan, Head of Product

Enhancing VR with EKG Biometrics
To show the power VR can have in controlling our stress levels, we put our Head of Product, Braj Srigengan, to the test and made him face his biggest fear…heights.

We used HeartKey® to monitor his vitals, as seen in the video above. Braj is calm and relaxed at the start of the video, but as soon as the elevator doors open to reveal the plank at the top of the building, we see Braj’s heart rate and stress rapidly increase. Although he knows it is not real, the VR can’t help but make him feel stressed as it appears so realistic.

In the same way as VR can be used to place a user in a stressful environment to help them gradually overcome fear, alternatively VR can be used to relax and calm a user who is experiencing chronic stress. Combining the deep health data insights of EKG monitoring with the immersive techniques being developed could create a powerful therapeutic approach to mitigating chronic stress in the workplace.