Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving skill; 
however, current training methods often lack the immediate, personalized feedback necessary to help trainees master proper compression force, frequency, and hand placement. To address this gap, a team of four students from Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, launched their project “Smart Device for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Training with Real-Time Feedback.”
The team created an innovative vest that “uses a smart instrumentation system that combines thin-film piezoresistive force sensors (FSR) and a Time-of-Flight (ToF) optical distance sensor,” project leader José Luis Moreno Campeón explains. These sensors measure compression force, depth, and rate in real time, while a Raspberry Pi 4 processes the data and displays performance trends through a web interface.
“The system provides real-time auditory feedback, such as an adaptive metronome and alert cues, to guide the user toward the target compression depth and rate recommended by the American Heart Association. This closed feedback loop allows trainees to correct their technique immediately, improving learning effectiveness during the training session rather than only after it has concluded,” Campeón adds.
The team partnered with the instructors and personnel of the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Cali (Cali Fire Department). During testing sessions, firefighters “were able to interact directly with the system and experience how objective, real-time feedback can support CPR instruction,” Campeón shares.
This collaboration was essential in validating the project’s impact. Feedback from the fire department was “consistently positive,” with participants expressing “strong interest in the project’s potential to enhance CPR training,” Campeón notes. Their enthusiasm, including plans for an event involving 150 firefighters, demonstrates how community-engaged engineering can strengthen solutions by grounding them in real needs.
Campeón plans to continue growing in the fields of electronic instrumentation, intelligent systems, and machine learning. He hopes to pursue a master’s degree to further develop his technical background and research skills.
“Experiences such as this EPICS in IEEE project have reinforced my interest in the research-oriented side of engineering, where solutions are not only designed and implemented, but are rigorously analyzed, validated, and improved over time,” Campeón shares. “Whether in industry, applied research, or advanced academic studies, my goal is to contribute to engineering solutions that are both technically solid and socially meaningful.”
This life-saving project was made possible by funding from the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS), an EPICS in IEEE partner.
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