Dentsu Inc. Develops "Pace Sync" Smartphone App That Measures Heart Rate Using Only Facial Imaging to Ease Mental Tension

Dentsu Inc. has developed "Pace Sync"*1, a smartphone application that applies Asahi Kasei's contactless pulse wave detection technology to alleviate mental tension. Compatible with both iOS and Android, the service launches today (free of charge).

"Pace Sync" ( http://www.pacesync.com/) measures the user's heart rate simply by taking a photo of their face with their smartphone. It then automatically plays an animated video with a tempo optimized to match that heartbeat, helping to reduce the user's tension. Guidance prompting the user to take deep breaths at an appropriate pace is displayed within the video, guiding them into a relaxed state.

For example, users facing exams or competitions could watch a slow-tempo animated video for about one minute while taking deep breaths to calm their nerves.

The planning and development were carried out by Dentsu Inc.'s specialist group "Experience Design Studio"※2, which specializes in user experience design, utilizing non-contact pulse wave detection technology developed by Asahi Kasei's Fusion Solutions Laboratory※3. By detecting changes in human facial coloration invisible to the naked eye through a smartphone camera, the app can calculate an estimated heart rate without requiring the user to wear any special device on their body (the heart rate measured by this app is an estimate only and is not intended for medical use).

Through providing "Pace Sync," Dentsu Inc. and Asahi Kasei will accumulate insights for developing and commercializing services/products in vital sensing (measurement and utilization of biological information) and the healthcare domain.

■ "Pace Sync" Screen Image