Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have developed a wireless earphone that can measure a range of health data.

The open-source platform, called OpenEarable, integrates a multitude of sensors into wireless earphones to enhance health measurements and safety applications in medicine, industry and everyday life.

The scientists presented their platform earlier this month at Hannover Messe.

Wearable technologies have made significant progress in recent years, but many of the existing systems are either proprietary, that is not customisable by others, or their measurement capabilities are limited.

With OpenEarable 2.0, a research team headed by Tobias Röddiger from KIT’s Teco research group, has moved one step further: The open-source platform for ear-based sensor applications enables developers to create customised software.

With a unique combination of sensors, more than 30 physiological parameters can be measured directly at the ear, from heart rate and breathing patterns to fatigue and body temperature.

“Our aim was to create an open and high-precision option for health monitoring that goes far beyond what is possible with today’s commercial wearables,” said Röddiger. “OpenEarable 2.0 provides a platform for researchers and developers that is easily customisable and scalable. This allows them to programme the earphones individually for specific requirements.”

Thanks to its open accessibility, the platform promotes collaboration and the development of further innovations.

The earphones are equipped with a wide range of sensors. For example, multiple microphones detect vibrations in the skull to register eating activities. They are also used for speech recognition in noisy environments, and motion sensors can detect falls and biosensors measure health indicators such as oxygen saturation and body temperature.

“Positioning the sensors at the ear is perfect for precise measurements,” said Röddiger. “The ear allows us to capture many important signals that are hard to access elsewhere on the body.”

The wireless earphones communicate via Bluetooth LE Audio, an energy-saving version of wireless data transmission. The collected data are processed and analysed in real time via a mobile app and a web dashboard.

The potential of OpenEarable 2.0 goes beyond laboratory applications. The scientists conducted several studies to validate their platform.

“It was found that the platform captures physiological data very accurately and reliably and that its measurements yield more precise results than the established standard measurements,” said Röddiger.

It can thus contribute to the early detection of diseases in medical diagnostics, increase safety in industry or support athletes by providing a detailed performance analysis.

“With OpenEarable 2.0, we can not only improve the current state of wearable technology, but also open up completely new fields of application such as the development of wearables with real added value for medicine,” said Röddiger. “Our next step is to further optimise the platform and to test it in various real-life scenarios.”

KIT (www.kit.edu) has about 10,000 employees and 22,800 students.