Wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, or data glasses have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They record health data, monitor your sleep, or calculate your calorie consumption. Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed the open-source platform “OpenEarable.” It integrates a multitude of sensors into wireless earphones to enhance health measurements and safety applications in medicine, industry, and everyday life. The scientists are currently presenting their platform at Hannover Messe from March 31 to April 4.

Wearable technologies have made significant progress in recent years, but many of the existing systems are either proprietary, i.e. not customisable by others, or their measurement capabilities are limited. With OpenEarable 2.0, a research team headed by Dr. Tobias Röddiger from KIT’s TECO research group moves 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 solution for health monitoring that goes far beyond what is possible with today’s commercial wearables,” says Röddiger. “OpenEarable 2.0 provides a platform for researchers and developers that is easily customisable and scalable. This allows them to program the earphones individually for specific requirements.” Thanks to its open accessibility, the platform promotes collaboration and the development of further innovations.

Versatile Sensor Technology for Comprehensive Applications

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; 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,” explains 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 is processed and analysed in real time via a mobile app and a web dashboard.

From Research to Practice

The potential of OpenEarable 2.0 goes far beyond mere 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,” says 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,” says Röddiger. “Our next step is to further optimise the platform and to test it in various real-life scenarios.”