Skip to main content

Asus shows off VivoWatch BP with blood pressure monitoring, GPS, and more

Asus has previewed the VivoWatch BP smartwatch at Computex 2018. and in addition to an integrated GPS in the new VivoWatch, the BP version’s headline function is blood pressure monitoring.

The VivoWatch BP uses two types of sensors to measure blood pressure. Dual photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrocardiography (ECG) sensors mounted on both the watch case front and back add to its versatility. The inside sensors make contact with the wrist and the front sensors work with a finger press.

Recommended Videos

Asus combines ECG and PPG sensor data to derive accurate blood pressure measurements, supported by an A.I. machine-learning-based algorithm.

ECG sensors measure electrical signals that indicate heartbeat strength and timing. PPG optical sensors measure the relative amounts of reflected light from the skin. The amount of reflected light changes as blood vessels and capillaries expand from greater blood volume when the heart beats and contract when blood volume decreases between beats.

Pulse transit time (PTT), also known as pulse wave transit time (PWTT), is a valid and well-accepted measure of blood pressure that uses ECG-PPG heartbeat signal pairs.

The Asus algorithm translates the sensor data into a systolic blood pressure reading (the first number) when the heart muscle contracts or “beats,” diastolic pressure (the second number) between beats, and heart rate or pulse,  measured in beats-per-minute (BPM).

According to Asus, the VivoWatch BP can provide accurate blood pressure readings in just 15 seconds. Depending on how users configure the smartwatch, they will be able to monitor their blood pressure at fixed intervals or at set times during the day. The smartwatch can even read blood pressure while people sleep — assuming they wear the watch.

In addition to reading blood pressure, the VivoWatch BP can track sleep and activity, the latter measured in steps.

The primary purpose of Asus HealthAI software is to give blood pressure management tips. Based on time with the VivoWatch BP sample at Computex, Engadget reports the advice HealthAI provides is “mainly by recommending the number of steps and sleeping hours you need daily.”

The original VivoWatch had a 10-day battery life per charge, but the new version runs for 28 days, according to Asus.

The Asus VivoWatch BP U.S. retail price will be $169, according to Engadget. Pending FDA approval, the VivoWatch BP will be available for sale in the U.S. in 2019. Sales in Asia start this July.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
GlassesUSA Black Friday Sale: Get 30% off prescription glasses
GlassesUSA frames close up with multiple styles.

Need a new pair of glasses? Want to stock up for your holiday trips before you head to meet up with your relatives? Typically, you'd have to wait until the official Black Friday event, the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even Cyber Monday, but that's not the case this year. Alongside a variety of the best online glasses deals, GlassesUSA is hosting a huge Black Friday sale early, allowing you to save big on prescription glasses and frames with no waiting necessary. Of course, we always recommend browsing the sale of your own accord to see what's discounted because we couldn't possibly cover everything, nor could we know precisely what you're looking for. That said, we've called out quite a few of the best deals below.

Shop Now

Read more
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deals you can shop now
Daughter gifting Ancestry Gift Membership to family

DNA tests are awesome holiday gifts for your family. Together you can all build your family tree and discover your genetic makeup. Unfortunately the tests are pretty expensive, but at least you only need to test once. There are some nice Black Friday deals going on today that will save you a significant amount of money on single tests or bundles. Check out our favorite below, then more more deals worth checking out under that.
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deal
AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit -- $59, was $99

The single person AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit is our pick for the best Black Friday deal already available. The kit normally costs $99, but right now it's down to just $59. That's a nice discount of $30 on one of the best DNA tests available. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so you should grab it soon.

Read more
The 5 best DNA test kits for 2024
We spit in a ton of test tubes to find the best and most unique DNA tests
A 23andme DNA kit.

Despite the fact that tons of competitors have sprung up in recent years, 23AndMe still makes the best DNA test on the market. It's the quickest, it's very comprehensive, and the way the company presents your genetic data is simple and easy to digest. However, depending on what kind of information you're looking for, there are other, more specialized DNA tests that might be better suited for you. Whether it's ancestry, fitness, disease risk, or something else entirely, there's likely a DNA kit that'll uncover that data.

With the rising popularity of these tests, we decided to take a closer look and see which ones are worth the investment. To do this, we secured a mail-in kit from as many DNA testing services as we could find, then shipped them a spit tube full of our precious genetic code for analysis. After looking through all the data and personally trying all of these services, there were a few that stood out from the pack. Here are our favorites:
The best DNA test kit in 2024

Read more