GoBe3: How does heart rate monitoring work?

GoBe3 measures your heart rate with the help of an optical heart rate monitor using green light.

How does it work?

GoBe3 uses a sophisticated technology known as photoplethysmography to track your heart rate. Included in Gobe3 is a special kind of optical sensor that combines a green LED light that shines on your wrist and a camera that tracks the reflection emitted by your blood. Because your blood absorbs green light, we can track how much blood is flowing through your wrist by shining this light and reading with a special sensor how much of the green light is absorbed, thus inferring your heart rate.

The optical heart sensor supports a range of 40–210 beats per minute.

This special technology allows GoBe to be compact and still give accurate heart rate information without the need for a special chest harness or other apparatus.

When should the green LEDs be on?

The behavior of the green LEDs depends on the device status:

• If GoBe3 has not yet been initialized and is in standby mode, the LEDs on the back of the device may remain continuously lit.
• During normal operation, the LEDs should be on when the band is worn and has contact with your skin.
• After you remove the band from your wrist, the LEDs do not turn off immediately. They usually turn off within approximately 2 minutes.
• When you put the band back on and skin contact is restored, the LEDs usually turn on within approximately 10–15 seconds.

This behavior is related to the operation of the optical heart rate sensor and the device’s skin contact detection.

How to get more accurate heart rate measurements:

Many factors can affect the performance of the GoBe3 heart rate sensor. Fit is incredibly important, so you should wear the device tightly enough on your wrist, but loosely enough so you don't feel constricted or irritated by its presence.

Motion is also a very important factor that can affect the heart rate sensor. The optical sensor accurately determines the pulse during rhythmic movements, such as running or cycling. When exercising in the gym, measurement accuracy may decrease.

If you have any questions, please email us at gobe@healbe.com We will be happy to help you!