A handle electrode system for measuring heart rate while riding a bicycle.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Wearable Technology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Accurate heart rate monitoring is crucial for training and health assessment in cycling.
• Existing methods for heart rate monitoring during cycling can be intrusive or inconvenient.
• Developing non-invasive, user-friendly solutions for physiological data acquisition in dynamic environments is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel handle-electrode system for unobtrusive heart rate measurement in cyclists.
• To assess the system's ability to capture electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, specifically R waves, while riding a bicycle.
• To determine the system's applicability across different road surface conditions.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a handle-electrode system using conductive cloth electrodes integrated into bicycle handlebars.
• Development of an algorithm for detecting heart rate from the acquired ECG signals.
• Experimental validation involving cyclists riding on four distinct road surfaces: lawn, asphalt, tiled, and uneven terrain.

Main Results:

• The proposed handle-electrode system successfully acquired electrocardiogram (ECG) signals during bicycle riding.
• The system demonstrated the capability to detect R waves, essential components for heart rate calculation.
• Preliminary results indicate the system's potential utility across varied road conditions, suggesting robustness.

Conclusions:

• The developed handle-electrode system offers a practical and non-invasive approach for monitoring cyclist heart rate.
• The system's ability to detect R waves validates its potential for real-time heart rate estimation during cycling.
• Further research and development could optimize the system for widespread adoption in sports and health monitoring.