The Mobile and Vision Laboratory of the Centre for Automation and Robotics (CARR) is cooperating on a life-changing project with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, where a non-contact, hand-held device, called ‘BREATHEASY’ is being developed for measurement of respiration rates.

The existing respiration rate monitoring devices are generally inconvenient to use and can be inaccurate. Respiration rate is the average number of times air is inhaled and exhaled. It is a critical measure of a person’s health and thus it needs accurate measurement. In some situations respiration rate is measured by visually counting chest movements. This method is subjective. BREATHEASY provides respiration rate in a convenient, accurate, and noncontact manner.

The device has undergone some tests that demonstrated its functionality, however more developments are ongoing for it to be commercialised.