A Video-Based Technique for Heart Rate and Eye Blinks Rate Estimation: A Potential Solution for Telemonitoring and Remote Healthcare

Current telemedicine and remote healthcare applications foresee different interactions between the doctor and the patient relying on the use of commercial and medical wearable sensors and internet-based video conferencing platforms. Nevertheless, the existing applications necessarily require a contact between the patient and sensors for an objective evaluation of the patient’s state. The proposed study explored an innovative video-based solution for monitoring neurophysiological parameters of potential patients and assessing their mental state. In particular, we investigated the possibility to estimate the heart rate (HR) and eye blinks rate (EBR) of participants while performing laboratory tasks by mean of facial—video analysis. The objectives of the study were focused on: (i) assessing the effectiveness of the proposed technique in estimating the HR and EBR by comparing them with laboratory sensor-based measures and (ii) assessing the capability of the video—based technique in discriminating between the participant’s resting state (Nominal condition) and their active state (Non-nominal condition). The results demonstrated that the HR and EBR estimated through the facial—video technique or the laboratory equipment did not statistically differ (p > 0.1), and that these neurophysiological parameters allowed to discriminate between the Nominal and Non-nominal states (p < 0.02).