You may not need a smartwatch or chest strap to monitor your heart rate in the future, your WiFi router could do the job.
A new study presented at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Distributed Computing in Smart Systems and the Internet of Things (DCOSS-IoT) introduces Pulse-Fi, a system that uses ordinary WiFi signals to track heartbeats with surprising accuracy.
Developed by researchers Pranay Kocheta, Nayan Sanjay Bhatia, and Katia Obraczka, Pulse-Fi works by analyzing Channel State Information (CSI) from WiFi signals. CSI refers to the way wireless signals change as they pass through and bounce off objects, including the human body. With each heartbeat causing tiny, almost imperceptible movements, WiFi signals carry hidden patterns that Pulse-Fi can capture.
Instead of relying on costly medical devices or consumer wearables, Pulse-Fi processes this signal data through a custom-built Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network, a type of machine learning model designed to detect subtle time-series patterns. This allows the system to translate fluctuations in WiFi signals into reliable estimates of heart rate.
To validate the system, the researchers used two major datasets:
- ESP-HR-CSI Dataset, collected locally with ESP32 microcontrollers.
- EHealth Dataset, consisting of recordings from 118 participants using a Raspberry Pi 4B.
These datasets represent one of the most comprehensive collections for WiFi-based vital sign monitoring to date. The findings showed that Pulse-Fi achieved accuracy levels comparable to, or even better than, traditional hardware systems with multiple antennas—devices that are often far more expensive.
The implications are broad. In healthcare, where remote and non-intrusive monitoring is becoming increasingly critical, a low-cost WiFi-based solution could allow hospitals, clinics, and even households to track vital signs without expensive equipment. Unlike wearable devices that require charging or continuous skin contact, Pulse-Fi is passive and unobtrusive, potentially making it more suitable for elderly patients, newborns, or individuals who struggle with wearable compliance.
For everyday users, this could mean that the same router streaming your favorite show might also keep tabs on your cardiovascular health.
References
Kocheta, P., Bhatia, N. S., & Obraczka, K. (2025). Pulse-Fi: A Low-Cost System for Accurate Heart Rate Monitoring Using Wi-Fi Channel State Information. 2025 21st International Conference on Distributed Computing in Smart Systems and the Internet of Things (DCOSS-IoT). IEEE.