Biometric sensor platform for wearables and IoT by STMicroelectronics and Valence

Valencell, an innovator in performance biometric data sensor technology, and STMicroelectronics announced the launch of a new, highly accurate and scalable development kit for biometric wearables that includes ST’s compact SensorTile turnkey multi-sensor module integrated with Valencell’s Benchmark biometric sensor system. Together, SensorTile and Benchmark deliver the most useful portfolio of sensors to support the most advanced wearable use cases.

The SensorTile is a tiny IoT (Internet of Things) module (13.5mm x 13.5mm) that packs on board a powerful STM32L4 microcontroller, a Bluetooth Low Energy chipset, a wide spectrum of high-accuracy motion and environmental MEMS sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure, temperature sensor), and a digital MEMS microphone.

Integrating ST’s SensorTile development kit with Valencell’s Benchmark sensor technology simplifies the prototyping, evaluation, and development of innovative wearable and IoT solutions by delivering a complete Valencell PerformTek technology package, ready for immediate integration and delivery into wearable devices. The collaboration with ST expands on previous work that incorporated the company’s STM32 MCUs and sensors into Valencell’s Benchmark sensor system.

“Valencell’s Benchmark solution leverages the high accuracy of ST’s MEMS sensor technology along with SensorTile’s miniature form factor, flexibility, and STM32 Open Development Environment-based ecosystem,” said Tony Keirouz, Vice President Marketing and Applications, Microcontrollers, Security, and Internet of Things, STMicroelectronics. “Combined, SensorTile and Benchmark enable wearable makers to quickly and easily develop the perfect product for any application that integrates highly accurate biometrics.”

“Working with ST has allowed us to bring together the best of all sensors required to support the most advanced wearable use cases through our groundbreaking Benchmark sensor system,” said Dr. Steven LeBoeuf, president and co-founder of Valencell. “What attracted us to the SensorTile was the flexibility of the platform and the ultra-low power consumption, which will enable our customers to create highly accurate and powerful wearables and hearables in any form factor.”

At just over 180mm², STMicroelectronics’ SensorTile is currently the smallest turnkey sensor board of its type, and it is jam-packed with a MEMS accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, and a MEMS microphone. With the on-board low-power STM32L4 microcontroller, it can be used as a sensing and connectivity hub for developing firmware and shipping in products such as wearables, gaming accessories, and smart-home or IoT devices.

Adding to its features, SensorTile has a complete Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver including a miniature single-chip balun onboard, as well as a broad set of system interfaces. It can be simply plugged into a host board, and when powered it immediately starts streaming inertial, audio, and environmental data to ST’s BlueMS smartphone app that can be downloaded free of charge from popular app stores.

The market leader, Valencell’s PerformTek sensor systems provide accurate, robust and flexible technology, powering more biometric hearables and wearables. The technology gives wearable and hearable devices the ability to continuously and accurately measure blood flow signals, even during extreme physical activity or when the optical signals are weak. These signals can be translated into biometric data, including continuous heart rate, VO2 and VO2 max, resting heart rate, heart rate response, heart rate recovery, continuous energy expenditure (calorie burn), cardiac efficiency and heart rate variability assessments.

STMicroelectronics and Valencell will showcase the new integrated development kit at CES in the Valencell Booth # 44330 and in a private STMicroelectronics suite.