Future AirPods might be able to assess the number of breaths you take per minute. As surprising as it may sound, Apple has actually made headway in the area. Teaming up with Cornell University, the tech major, has published new research on the topic recently.
The research deep dives into the possibility of measuring a person's respiratory rate through the sound produced when one takes a breath. The model-driven research mapped such audio data from 21 individuals, using "microphone-enabled, near-field headphones."
The participants were asked to record four one-minute audio clips. These clips had to be recorded before, during, immediately after, and while cooling down from a nine-minute workout session. The session was specifically designed to induce heavy breathing and involved six minutes of physical exercise with breaks.
The sound patterns recorded from the varying breathing rates were then examined for a total of two metrics. One, to distinguish between normal and heavy breathing and two, to estimate a person's respiratory rate through the patterns.
Findings from the study conclude that such a breath-rate measurement tool is indeed possible through the use of "versatile noncontact sensors," like those on AirPods. Error rates on the measurements can be reduced through data augmentation and simple acoustic distortion.
AirPods: The new health wearable?
While such functionality on the AirPods has an obvious benefit of real-time tracking of one's breathing patterns, it is likely to help a person maintain over time fitness. By the time the use-case reaches consumers in the form of a new feature on the AirPods, Apple is likely to enhance it to map one's respiratory rates over time.
The research paper specifies that the feature is not meant to be relied on as a clinical breathlessness detection mechanism, though the findings could be used for medical applications.
Changes in respiratory rates, for instance, can be monitored for a prolonged period, indicating an anomaly. The study states that such an objective method for breathlessness detection "would lower the burden in identifying this symptom" and may provide a hint to patients' underlying medical conditions to the healthcare providers.
The method also promises to be a much more cost-effective alternative to medical equipment required for measuring cardiorespiratory health. Though these instruments are more accurate, they cannot be used every day and involve a lot of costs. Wearable headphones, in contrast, are relatively "economical, accessible, comfortable, and aesthetically acceptable," the study notes.
The research is not the only update linking Apple's AirPods to health monitoring tools. As pointed out by 9to5Mac, there have been speculations that next year's AirPods Pro will have new sensors for onboard fitness tracking. All this is likely to categorise Apple's famous TWS earbuds as a health and fitness wearable soon.
Apple research shows how AirPods might soon help monitor breathing rate - India Today
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