Measuring the pulse by placing a finger on it
Anna Linnéa Hölterhoff (16), Jule Henrika Kuhn (15) and Jule Anna Caroline Stevens (16) (from left to right) looked into the question of how the human pulse can be measured precisely and cost-effectively. The Kiel schoolgirls had a brilliant idea: if you send infrared light into the skin and analyze the reflected light with a sensor, the pulse rate should be visible in the signal. Based on this assumption, the young researchers built a heart rate monitor consisting of an infrared sensor, a display and a microcomputer. The device measures the pulse by placing a finger on the sensor. The screen then displays detailed information about the heart rate. They were awarded the VDE Special Prize for Microelectronic Applications.