Event cameras, also known as neuromorphic cameras, are an emerging technology that offer advantages over traditional shutter and frame-based cameras, including high temporal resolution, low power consumption, and selective data acquisition. In this study, we propose to harnesses the capabilities of event-based cameras to capture subtle changes in the surface of the skin caused by the pulsatile flow of blood in the wrist region. We investigate whether an event camera could be used for continuous noninvasive monitoring of heart rate (HR). Event camera video data from 25 participants, comprising varying age groups and skin colours, was collected and analysed. Ground-truth HR measurements obtained using conventional methods were used to evaluate of the accuracy of automatic detection of HR from event camera data. Our experimental results and comparison to the performance of other non-contact HR measurement methods demonstrate the feasibility of using event cameras for pulse detection. We also acknowledge the challenges and limitations of our method, such as light-induced flickering and the sub-conscious but naturally-occurring tremors of an individual during data capture.

翻译：事件相机（又称神经形态相机）作为一种新兴技术，相较于传统快门式及帧式相机具有高时间分辨率、低功耗和选择性数据采集等优势。本研究拟利用事件相机的特性，捕捉腕部区域因脉动血流引起的皮肤表面细微变化，探究事件相机用于连续无创心率监测的可行性。我们采集并分析了25名不同年龄段与肤色的受试者的事件相机视频数据，以传统方法获取的心率真实值作为基准，评估了基于事件相机数据自动检测心率的准确性。实验结果及与其他非接触式心率测量方法的对比表明，事件相机用于脉搏检测具有可行性。同时，我们也揭示了该方法面临的挑战与局限性，例如数据采集过程中光照诱发的闪烁效应以及个体难以自控的生理性震颤。