HeartBeat: Tactile Support for Keeping a Target Heart Rate

In cardiac rehabilitation, physical activity is essential, but the intensity of exertion as defined by the heart rate should be kept within specific limits. A heart rate monitor helps the user maintain the target range of physical exertion for maximum benefit. According to experts, visual heart rate display are often distracting and uncomfortable. In this paper, we present the results of a less intrusive approach where heart rate zones are encoded with continuous vibro-tactile feedback. In a participatory design study, we obtained designs for tactile heart rate displays, and in a user study with 16 participants we evaluated one design in comparison to a common design. In a second study with 20 participants, we showed that users are able to assess and maintain their optimal heart rate significantly better using our design.