Non-invasive breathing rate detection using a very low power ultra-wide-band radar

In this paper we present a novel method for remote breathing detection based on ultra-wide-band (UWB) radar. This is a method that does not require any wearable sensors, making it more comfortable and convenient for users. Furthermore, because of the wall penetrating characteristics of the transmitted signal, our system is useful in emergency situations such as monitoring people who may be trapped under earthquake rubble. For our investigation we used a Novelda UWB radar that provides high processing speed and low power consumption. In this paper we present two new convolution-based methods to extract breathing rate information from the received radar signal. This method was tested on several people who were monitored while laying down on a bed. The subject´s position and breathing rate were calculated. Experimental results including 20 different subjects are provided, showing that this is a viable method for monitoring breathing rate using a low-power UWB radar.