Is it possible to build an exercise stress test treadmill from a Xiaomi treadmill and OpenBCI?

Last Updated on November 19, 2023 by pg@petergamma.org

In theory yes. An exercise stress test treadmill basically consists of a treadmill which is contolled by a computer and is able to run the Bruce protocol:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_protocol

Xiaomi treadmills can be controlled in Python and Home Assistant, but they do not offer the option to uplift the treadmill. But we suppose it is not to difficult to implement this feature for instance with the components described in our journal under the tag treadmill:

https://petergamma.org/category/treadmill-calibration/

The other component an exercise stress test treadmill requires is a 12 channel ECG device

Such a device can be built from OpenBCI. Bu we do not know anything about the software which is available to analyze data obtained with the Bruce protocol and a 12 channel ECG device. But we suppose that there are papers available how to analyze these data. Such papers can be found for instance here:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=de&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=bruce+protocol+treadmill+test&btnG=

Another issue is that professional stress test treadmills weight about 5 times as much as high end Xiaomi treadmills

But we suppose that the professional devices are much more robust and eventually also run more stable. But to find out about this, we can go to a place where there is a professional stress test treadmill available and do a test for comparison.

Here we can find stress test treadmills in Switzerland:

https://www.google.ch/search?q=stress+test+laubband+site:.ch&lr=&sca_esv=583768629&tbm=isch&sxsrf=AM9HkKnLN8RA7HbvdmU8nF9r1v3BKTL55A:1700394656480&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwifx-jb_8-CAxX52AIHHQuFBcoQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1376&bih=664&dpr=1.4

One place which offers a treadmill ECG stress test is Sports medicine Berner Oberland

which is a cooperation between the Thun Hospital and the Medbase Panorama-Center, Thun:

https://www.sportmedizin-berneroberland.ch/angebot/leistungsdiagnostik

The center offers a stress ECG test where pulse, blood pressure and electrical current flow in the heart is monitored. An ECG stress test is available there for 150 USD.