Ignis Technology Overview: How Contactless Health Monitoring Works

Last updated: 2026-10-09 · Beijing YanShu Technology Co., Ltd.

Ignis is a contactless health monitoring platform based on rPPG (remote photoplethysmography). With only an ordinary camera, users can obtain heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen and blood pressure estimates, respiratory rate, and stress/emotion trends — no wearable required. This page explains the technology, measurement conditions, accuracy boundaries, and data privacy rules.

1. What is rPPG (contactless health monitoring)?

rPPG (remote photoplethysmography) is a family of techniques that measures physiological signals from video. Each heartbeat causes periodic changes in blood volume in the microvasculature of the skin, which slightly alters the light reflected from the skin. A camera cannot "see" blood directly, but it can record these pixel-level color changes; signal processing and deep learning algorithms then reconstruct the pulse waveform and estimate heart rate and related metrics.

The approach was first demonstrated by Verkruysse et al. in 2008 and has since advanced in algorithmic robustness (e.g., CHROM and POS methods) and motion scenarios. It is an actively researched direction in contactless physiological monitoring.

2. What Ignis measures

Full API field definitions are in the API documentation.

3. How to measure: steps and recommended conditions

Steps

1. Open the Ignis home page, go to "Real-time Measurement", and allow camera access (or use the Android app);
2. Center your face in the frame and click "Start";
3. Stay still and keep a natural expression until the progress completes;
4. View real-time metrics and historical trends.

Recommended conditions

• Lighting: even light on the face; avoid backlight, flicker, or strong side light;
• Distance and posture: face the camera, roughly 30–50 cm away, avoid large movements;
• Duration: typically 15–30 seconds (about 30 seconds for a complete result set); follow on-screen prompts;
• Environment: avoid measuring right after intense exercise; 1–2 minutes of rest improves stability.

These are general recommendations; actual conditions are subject to the product's on-screen prompts.

4. Accuracy, error, and limitations

The table below shows error data from Ignis internal comparison testing (self-reported by the company, not third-party certified).

Notes: (1) Internal comparison error is the result of synchronized measurement against reference devices; the statistical methodology follows the internal test protocol. (2) The data is not certified by any third party. (3) The sample size N = 348 refers to the initial heart-rate validation sample; a comparable sample size is not disclosed for the other metrics and this figure must not be applied to them. (4) Individual results vary with lighting, motion, camera quality, skin tone, facial occlusion, and makeup.

Credibility notes by metric

• Heart rate (HR) — literature-validated: the most extensively validated rPPG metric. Under controlled conditions, reported errors are typically in the single-digit BPM range (Li et al., CVPR 2014; Wang et al., IEEE TBME 2017).
• Respiratory rate — literature-validated: based on video motion and signal modulation analysis, supported by multiple public studies; suitable for trend observation at rest or during sleep.
• SpO₂ — research reference: medical-grade SpO₂ requires multi-wavelength light sources; RGB-camera estimates are limited in accuracy. Trend reference only, not a medical basis.
• Blood pressure — research reference: video-based blood pressure estimation remains a research area; Research reference only; not for diagnosis.
• HRV / stress / emotion — research reference: AI estimates combining facial and physiological signals, for observing state changes; not a psychological assessment or medical diagnosis.

Boundaries and disclaimer

• Ignis is not a medical device and holds no medical device certification; blood pressure and SpO₂ do not replace professional devices;
• Under motion or poor lighting, measurement variance increases significantly; measure at rest under even lighting;
• For any abnormal metric or physical discomfort, rely on examination at a medical institution.

See the full Health Disclaimer.

5. Data and privacy

• The camera is activated only after you explicitly start a measurement;
• During measurement, the browser transmits the video frames required for analysis to the analysis service over an encrypted connection (HTTPS/WSS) to compute metrics in real time;
• Measurement history is stored locally on the user's client device by default; the web client separates it by account, while the Android app uses device-local storage; it is used for historical trends and can be cleared in Settings;
• Face photos are used only when you actively upload them for recognition settings;
• Complete data processing rules are described in the Privacy Policy; for data-related questions, contact wuac@yanshutech.com.

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How accurate is webcam-based heart rate measurement?

In internal comparison testing under controlled conditions (N = 348), heart rate error against an ECG / clinical-grade heart-rate monitor was ±1–2 BPM. With even lighting, a still body, and an unobstructed face, rPPG tracks heart rate trends fairly consistently. However, Ignis is not a medical device; individual and environmental factors affect results. Treat it as a wellness trend reference, not a diagnostic basis.

2. What metrics can contactless health monitoring measure?

Ignis provides heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen and blood pressure estimates, respiratory rate, and reference metrics such as stress, attention, relaxation, and emotion trends. See the API documentation for the exact field list.

3. How long does a measurement take? What conditions are required?

Typically 15–30 seconds of staying still with your face toward the camera (about 30 seconds for a complete result set), preferably under even lighting at a distance of 30–50 cm, avoiding backlight and large movements.

4. Can it replace a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, or medical checkup? Does it have medical device certification?

No. Ignis is not a medical device and holds no medical device certification. In internal testing, blood pressure error was about ±8 mmHg and SpO₂ about ±2–4%, but these remain research-reference values and cannot be used for diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for professional medical equipment. For health concerns, consult a physician or visit a medical institution.

5. What is the technical principle behind rPPG?

rPPG captures tiny periodic color changes in reflected skin light caused by blood volume changes, then reconstructs the pulse waveform through signal processing and algorithms to estimate heart rate and related metrics. This direction has an extensive public research literature.

6. How are video and facial data handled during measurement?

The camera is activated only when you start a measurement. Measurement frames are transmitted over an encrypted connection to the analysis service to compute metrics in real time; measurement history is stored locally on the user's client device by default; the web client separates it by account, while the Android app uses device-local storage. History can be used to view trends and cleared in Settings. Complete rules are described in the Privacy Policy.

7. Which platforms does Ignis support? How do developers integrate it?

Ignis supports the web (browser camera) and Android app. Developers can integrate via WebSocket: the client pushes video frames or provides an RTSP stream URL, and the server returns JSON metrics in real time. See the API documentation for details.

8. Why are blood pressure and SpO₂ labeled as estimates?

Camera-based blood pressure and SpO₂ are inferred from optical signals and do not reach medical-device accuracy. Internal comparison testing showed about ±8 mmHg for blood pressure and ±2–4% for SpO₂, but these remain research-reference values. To avoid misleading users, we label them explicitly as estimates and recommend using professional devices for measurement.

7. Disclaimer

This page describes the technology and usage of Ignis and does not constitute medical advice. Ignis is not a medical device; measurements are for wellness reference only and must not be used for diagnosis or treatment. For health concerns, consult a qualified physician.

Company: Beijing YanShu Technology Co., Ltd. · ICP: 京ICP备16046078 · Contact: wuac@yanshutech.com