HealthyPi 5 Vital Signs Monitoring HAT Kit

HealthyPi 5 is an open-source biosignals acquisition device that combines the power of a Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) along with an ESP32-C3, with the ease-of-use of an Arduino. Whether you need a simple monitor for a specific vital sign or a complete health-sensor platform, HealthyPi 5 is an extensible solution to your health-data acquisition challenges.

Out of the box, it handles electrocardiogram (ECG), respiration, photoplethysmography (PPG), oxygen saturation (SpO₂), and body-temperature data. It’s easy to upgrade as well — the Qwiic connectors on the Carrier board let you plug in external sensor modules to capture additional biosignals like galvanic skin response (GSR), EEG, and EMG.

After running a successful Crowd Supply campaign to get this off the ground, HealthyPi 5 is now available directly from ProtoCentral and from Crowd Supply.

Features

• Pocket-sized yet powerful enough for complex signal-processing tasks typically handled by devices ten times the size and cost.
• Built-in storage and onboard compute support standalone edge-computing applications.
• Simplified application development on the solid Zephyr RTOS ecosystem with a focus on connected, stable, and secure firmware. Also supports Arduino IDE and MicroPython, with ready-to-use Arduino libraries for all the onboard sensors.
• Pre-packaged firmware images for common applications — streaming data over USB, driving the Display module for usage without programming. Simple drag-and-drop interface to upload your code over USB.
• Expandable through standard Qwiic-compatible ports for external sensors and modules.
• Support for open-data formats; Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) compatibility for real-time synchronization with existing research platforms.
• Open hardware and open-source software — customize freely without proprietary client software fees.
• Unlike previous generations of HealthyPi, the fifth edition is a complete standalone system. No host Raspberry Pi or computer required — ideal for remote areas and developing-country deployments.

Specifications — HealthyPi 5 main board

• Microcontroller & wireless: RP2040 dual-core ARM Cortex-M0 + ESP32-C3 RISC-V module with BLE and Wi-Fi
• Firmware: Arduino IDE and Zephyr RTOS
• ECG & respiration front-end: Maxim MAX30001 analog front-end
• Pulse oximetry front-end: TI AFE4400 PPG / SpO₂ analog front-end
• Temperature sensor: MAX30205 over onboard Qwiic / I²C
• Connectors: 40-pin Raspberry Pi HAT header, two USB Type-C ports (one for the RP2040, one for ESP32 programming)
• Storage: Onboard micro-SD card slot beneath the main board
• Power: On-board Li-Ion battery management with USB charging, power-path management for automatic battery/USB switching
• Dimensions: 75.5 × 56 × 17 mm

Important notice

HealthyPi 5 has many features of a medical-grade patient monitor but is not a certified medical device (no FDA, CE, or IEC approval) and is not approved for medical or diagnostic use. It is intended for research, education, and evaluation only. When connecting electrodes to the body, ensure the host is on battery power, never mains.