(January 8, 2003) - For runners, bikers, and the elderly, wireless technology might be more than just a convenience: it could save a life. IBM has created and demonstrated a tiny device that measures heart rate, senses if the wearer is in distress, and calls a cell phone for immediate help when necessary. The "distress" signal is sent wirelessly via Bluetooth, a short-range, low-power radio technology that enables communication between PDAs, laptops, printers, and mobile phones - and now, for the first time, the heart rate device joins this list. Heart rate measurement devices have been on the market for some time. Usually worn strapped to the chest, they are especially popular with joggers and bikers. These devices measure how many times an athlete's heart beats per minute. But the utility ends there. Now, inventors at IBM have taken the device one step further. During a recent demo, someone wearing a standard heart rate monitor chest strap was given a radio frequency relay device (about the size of a pack of chewing gum) and a personal digital assistant with special IBM software. A volunteer from the audience, posing as a concerned relative or fitness coach, was given a cell phone with short message service capability. The relay device is very small, lightweight, and hands-free, ideal for runners or bikers who want to continue with vigorous exercise but have had certain heart problems in the past. When the person performing the demonstration reached the "at risk" level, the device instantly sent a message and the volunteer read the actual heart rate to the crowd. "A device such as this that sends out an alarm also could be worn by an elderly person who might find additional comfort in knowing any significant heart-related episode would be reported," Toole said. http://www-916.ibm.com/press/prnews.nsf/jan/531C06459861EC8A85256C920050316B