VSMART: Vital Sign Monitoring viA Remote Tracking

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $500,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Radar technology for monitoring vital signs, including heart rate and respiration rate, shows significant potential in transforming health monitoring via remote, continuous observation of multiple individuals. While phased arrays have been widely used in radar-based vital sign monitoring due to their low cost and effectiveness in single-person applications, they lack the flexibility to generate beams with well-controlled sidelobes required for monitoring individuals in close proximity. This project introduces VSMART (Vital Sign Monitoring via Remote Tracking), a system that integrates hardware, signal processing, and machine learning to enable continuous, remote monitoring of vital signs across multiple individuals. VSMART is designed to reduce interference and deliver high-accuracy performance at low cost. The research also explores the system’s adaptability for remote blood pressure monitoring. VSMART is particularly suited for deployment in crowded critical care environments, assisted living facilities, and nurseries, with applications including apnea detection and identification of sudden infant death syndrome in newborns. Additionally, the project contributes to curriculum development and offers opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students to engage in research. The research pursues the following objectives: (i) Develop a novel, cost-effective radar transmitter architecture capable of producing well-controlled beams targeted at specific regions of the hu

Key facts

NSF award ID
2433397
Awardee
Rutgers University New Brunswick (NJ)
SAM.gov UEI
M1LVPE5GLSD9
PI
Athina P Petropulu
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Wireless comm & sig processing
Estimated total
$500,000
Funds obligated
$500,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028