TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A research team at the Indonesian National Innovation Research Agency's (BRIN) Telecommunications Research Center has utilized the radio detection and ranging (radar) technology to monitor heartbeats and respiration without physical contact. This is particularly beneficial for patients in special rooms who are difficult to approach directly for medical reasons. "The radar measurements have been accurate," said the research team leader, Yuyu Wahyu, in Bandung to Tempo on July 24, 2026.
Yuyu is a researcher and developer of radar technology. Over the past two years, his team, consisting of five colleagues at BRIN and involving students, has been conducting radar research related to biomedicine. They utilized a modified Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) QWR 1443 radar to detect human heartbeats and respiration without physical contact.
The method involves a radar system that emits electromagnetic waves and captures their reflections via a transmitter and receiver antenna, targeting deflections or changes in the chest cavity and heart related to heartbeats and respiration. Yuyu stated that the 77 GigaHertz FMCW radar has high resolution to detect deflections with low power. "It is not harmful to the human body due to bioelectromagnetism," he explained.
According to Yuyu, the radar's operation is combined with mathematical equations and software to process data and solely focus on detecting heartbeats and respiration. The results are then displayed in real time on a monitor screen via the internet.
Yuyu mentioned that the team has conducted tests and compared the results with direct body-attached heartbeat and respiration measuring devices. "The difference is minimal, for instance, 96 compared to 97 for heart rate, which is not significant," he said.
In the intended application scenario in hospital rooms, the radar device is installed hanging from the ceiling, while patients wear sensor belts to reflect radar signals. Before being utilized by hospital patients, the research team will continue to test the system in fitness centers. The radar's position will no longer be above but in front of the person being monitored for heartbeat and breath. "Users will be able to directly see the results on the monitor screen," Yuyu stated.
Furthermore, the research team is also working on enabling a single radar unit to monitor three patients simultaneously in one room. They are currently seeking ways to optimize the radar and its software. The radar used was purchased from the United States for Rp6 million.
"The research development aims to provide patients with modern and high-quality vital monitoring, while also supporting the improvement of medical services nationally."
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