Validation of a Video-based System to Determine Heart Rate for Stress Monitoring

Studies estimate that about 50% of all lost workdays are related to occupational stress. Academic researchers have been using heart rate variability (HRV) as an indicator of stress. As a way of providing the needed heart rate data, an unobtrusive approach points to video plethysmography, being a recent method that needs further investigation and validation. Specific barriers such as room lighting conditions and face movement have been identified as the main risks for software progression. The present chapter presents a validation protocol of a video-based system to determine heart rate for stress monitoring, under different illuminance levels and position conditions. We present an in-depth protocol on how to assess the reliability of a video facial recognition software on collecting physiological data (heart rate), and our software results when compared to the gold standard, Electrocardiogram (ECG).