Measuring Heartbeats with Light This week’s CardioTrack demo explored how the MAX30102 pulse oximeter measures heart rate in real time — using nothing but infrared and red light . The goal was to see just how close a low-cost optical sensor could get to the accuracy of a commercial-grade wearable like the Apple Watch . Using the ESP32 microcontroller and custom Arduino code, the sensor captured raw data from reflected light on the fingertip. A rolling algorithm filtered noi

Table of Contents Small Tech, Big Impact How It Works Built for Precision and Efficiency Easy Integration Why It Matters Learn More Measuring Heart Rate (Code) Measuring Blood Oxygen Levels (Code) Small Tech, Big Impact The MAX30102 is one of the smallest yet most capable sensors used in biomedical prototyping — including my ongoing CardioTrack project. It measures heart rate and blood oxygen levels (SpO₂) using just light, making it ideal for low-cost, portable health-

A New Standard for Real-Time Cardiac Simulation and Education Across North America, healthcare systems face a growing crisis — a shortage of physicians and skilled clinical staff. From rural emergency departments to urban ICUs, this gap increases patient risk, particularly during cardiac events. CardioTrack aims to explore solutions to this challenge. Currently in development, it is a proof-of-concept system designed to demonstrate how microcontrollers and biomedical sensors