It’s official! Version 1.70 of the Virtuali-Tee app is available now. This latest update introduces a feature that really gets your pulse racing...the Heart Rate Tracker. Not only are you now able to measure your heart rate within the app,...
We’re announcing a new feature….but first, let’s have some backstory and some science!
The back story:
Many mobile phone generations ago, back in 2016, whilst the middle of developing version 1.0 of Virtuali-tee for our Kickstarter backers, I remember discovering that my phone (Samsung S6) had a pulse sensor built into it. Right next to the camera was a tiny little rectangular sensor, it had always been there, but I had never noticed it. It worked almost like magic, by simply placing my fingertip over the sensor the phone took my pulse rate and presented it to me.
The Heart Rate is the number which tells you how many times per minute your heart beats. Because there are so many things that can impact your heart rate it changes constantly throughout the day depending on what you’re doing. If you’re exercising your heart rate will increase whereas if you are relaxing your heart will be lower and this is called your resting heart rate.
Every time the valves in your heart open and close to let blood flow through it makes a 'dub-dub' sound. If you’ve ever wondered what your heart sounds like you can listen to your own heartbeat with a stethoscope made from rubber tubing, 2 funnels and a balloon.
Everyone knows the heart - it’s one of the hardest working organs in the body, beating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year keeping us alive. Although the heart may seem like a simple organ, made up out of two halves and four chambers, it is capable of incredibly complex things. It’s fascinating to uncover just what it can do and how it works to keep us alive.
