Case Study: Liverpool John Moores University measures anxiety during real-life driving with Shimmer Research

Liverpool John Moores University measures driving anxiety with Shimmer over 5-day studies

Liverpool John Moores University researchers sought to objectively measure the negative emotions of anxiety and anger during real-life driving to understand their impact on long-term cardiovascular health. Their challenge was to capture physiological data and driving information continuously and unobtrusively without any manual input from participants. To achieve this, they integrated Shimmer technology, specifically using Shimmer3 ECG and IMU sensors.

Shimmer provided the wearable sensor solution that enabled the continuous recording of electrocardiogram (ECG) data and acceleration. This data was processed to calculate heart rate and heart rate variability, which are physiological correlates of emotional states. The analysis revealed a significant relationship between driving speed and cardiovascular activity for 77% of participants, with low speed associated with increased heart rate, a marker of anger. By leveraging Shimmer's technology, the university successfully developed a pervasive mobile lifelogging platform to gain novel insights into psychobiological processes during driving.

Liverpool John Moores University