Contactless Remote Assessment of Heart Rate and Respiration Rate Using Video Magnification

Research into methods to assess heart rate and respiration rate through non-contact means has been ongoing for many years [1], and this work has expanded in scope in recent years following the publication of two methods in 2012 and 2013, respectively: video magnification (VM) [2] and remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) [3]. Both methods are founded on similar core principles of exploiting subtle changes within a video frame in either color, motion or a combination of the two, followed by signal processing to enhance and magnify these changes. This has allowed for non-contact methods to detect skin color changes within the pulse wave for heart rate measurement or motion of the chest associated with respiration. This work reviews recent advances and relevant works associated with the application of these techniques for non-contact sensing that supports remote assessment of heart rate and respiration rate. Remote assessment requires an effective means for non-contact assessment that also allows the separation of the sensing from the assessment processing and/or a user of the assessment through supporting communications networks so that each can be potentially at different locations.