Shimmer3R with BLE: Streaming Physiology in the Browser
The newest Shimmer3R release comes with an updated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, designed to match the throughput of our earlier Bluetooth Classic radios. This is a big step: BLE enables high-quality data streaming while being widely supported. For wearable sensing, that means easier device pairing and seamless integration with laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
1. Why BLE Matters
BLE is natively supported across today’s consumer devices, lowering the barrier to adoption for researchers, developers, and end users.
2. Web + HTML: No App Required
With Web Bluetooth APIs, we can now connect to Shimmer3R sensors directly from a browser—no drivers, no installation, and no heavy apps. You simply open a webpage and start streaming.
Web Bluetooth is supported on Windows, macOS, and Android through Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome, and even works on iOS via the Bluefy web browser. This unified compatibility dramatically reduces the need for platform-specific app development—one webpage can now reach nearly all major operating systems with the same code.
To demonstrate this, we created a short YouTube video showcasing the PPG streaming demo running seamlessly across all four platforms. The video highlights just how simple it is to open the page, connect via BLE, and start visualizing live biosignals in real time—no installations, no pairing utilities, just the browser.
3. From PPG to Heart Rate (with a Skydiving Twist)
The demo uses a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which measures tiny changes in light absorption as blood pulses beneath the skin. From this waveform, we can estimate heart rate (HR), and with more advanced analysis, heart rate variability (HRV)—a useful indicator of stress, recovery, and overall cardiovascular health.
In our example, we paired the live signal with a skydiving video. It’s a playful but powerful way to illustrate the connection between physiology and context: as the jumper leaps from the plane, viewers can see the heartbeat data rise and fall alongside the action. It’s not medical data—it’s a demo—but it clearly shows how real-time biosignals can enhance understanding and engagement.
Takeaway
With the new BLE-enabled Shimmer3R and browser-based streaming, physiological sensing is now more accessible, portable, and engaging. Web Bluetooth support across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS (via Bluefy) means the same webpage can power demos, studies, and interactive tools—without extra app builds. The browser is no longer just for browsing—it’s a lab, a classroom, and a product platform in itself.
Interested in a JavaScript Shimmer Bluetooth API?
We’re exploring a JS (BLE) API and want to hear from folks who’d use it.
If you’re interested, kindly reach out to info@shimmersensing.com for more information.
