Unpad Students Turn Health Innovation into Wearable Tech with MetaBand
A group of students from Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad), participating in the Student Creativity Program — Karsa Cipta (PKM-KC), have developed an innovative device called MetaBand. This smartband utilizes Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology to monitor cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure levels in real time. It is also integrated with a mobile application that stores measurement history and helps detect early symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
The team behind MetaBand is composed of students from various academic backgrounds.
Melsya Meira Syalsabilla and Fahra Dina Qoyyimah are from the Nursing program,
Amar Jamaludin and Naufal Nuha Fahreza study Electrical Engineering, and
Maris Lumban Gaol comes from the History department.
The project is supervised by lecturer Irkham.
Team leader Melsya explained that the idea for MetaBand stemmed from growing concerns about the serious health risks associated with metabolic syndrome, such as heart disease and diabetes. This information was shared through Unpad’s official website on Friday, October 3, 2025.
“Having a comprehensive health monitoring system is essential for early detection and prevention of more serious health problems,” said Melsya.
The team observed that most existing health devices do not simultaneously monitor all key indicators of metabolic syndrome. To address this gap, they developed MetaBand as an all-in-one solution leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
MetaBand combines NIRS sensors, microcontrollers, and calibrated photodiodes to deliver accurate real-time readings. The results are displayed on the smartband’s screen using a color-coded system:
Green for normal levels,
Yellow for caution, and
Red for high or concerning levels.
“This system is user-friendly and provides meaningful data to help users stay healthy,” Melsya added.
The NIRS technology works by emitting near-infrared light into the skin and analyzing the reflected signals. This method allows MetaBand to assess various health metrics non-invasively.
For blood glucose, the device uses infrared light at 1,550 nanometers.
For cholesterol, it uses light at 1,720 nanometers.
For blood pressure, it uses light at 940 nanometers.
In addition to the three main indicators, MetaBand also measures triglyceride levels, waist circumference, body weight, and body mass index (BMI). All collected data is stored in the companion app, allowing users to monitor trends over time and receive personalized health insights.
Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2054528/indonesias-unpad-students-develop-real-time-metabolic-syndrome-monitoring-smartband
