Apple Watch ready for stress prediction: Here’s all you need to know

Updated on 05-Jan-2023

HIGHLIGHTS

A recent study has shown that Apple Watch can be used for stress prediction

Apple’s smartwatches have been getting health features added to them with every generation

The study was done by researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada

With every release of the Apple Watch, the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has been trying to pack in more and more health-focused features into their smartwatches. They have been a fan favourite and have prompted more and more individuals to take the plunge into the world of smartwatches. Now, a study has shown that the sensor data obtained from the Watch could be used to develop a stress prediction tool.

Ever since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2014, there have been incremental updates added to both the software and hardware capabilities to ensure that there is an increase in the suite of health features that the watch has to offer. The latest Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra come with Blood Oxygen, ECG App, and Heart Rate monitoring. Additionally, there are tracking features like Irregular rhythm notification, temperature sensing, and cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates.

Apple Watch – A sea of possibilities to explore

Coming back to the study that highlighted the possibilities that could be explored using the data from the Apple Watch, it was done by researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada and was titled – Using apple watch ECG data for heart rate variability monitoring and stress prediction: A pilot study.

There, the researchers worked with data collected from 33 study participants, which was modelled using the Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) techniques. Commenting on the finding, the researchers wrote, “Our models showed specificity in their capacity to assess “no stress” states but were less successful at capturing “stress” states. Overall, the results presented here suggest that, with further development and refinement, Apple Watch ECG sensor data could be used to develop a stress prediction tool.”

There are multiple tracking apps available on the Apple App Store for users to look into and get started on their own as well!

While these findings look to be promising, there are still a lot of possibilities left to be explored. As pointed out in the study as well, data collected from further research into this could also help authorities globally to form new and effective health policies too.

Satvik Pandey

Satvik Pandey, is a self-professed Steve Jobs (not Apple) fanboy, a science & tech writer, and a sports addict. At Digit, he works as a Deputy Features Editor, and manages the daily functioning of the magazine. He also reviews audio-products (speakers, headphones, soundbars, etc.), smartwatches, projectors, and everything else that he can get his hands on. A media and communications graduate, Satvik is also an avid shutterbug, and when he's not working or gaming, he can be found fiddling with any camera he can get his hands on and helping produce videos – which means he spends an awful amount of time in our studio. His game of choice is Counter-Strike, and he's still attempting to turn pro. He can talk your ear off about the game, and we'd strongly advise you to steer clear of the topic unless you too are a CS junkie.