Shimmer Individual Sensors – Wireless Sensors for Movement and Physiological Signal Research

Shimmer Individual Sensors – Wireless Sensors for Movement and Physiological Signal Research

Shimmer Individual Sensors are modular, wireless wearable sensors designed to record biomechanical, movement, and physiological data. The Shimmer platform enables measurements both in the laboratory and during free movement, and data can be transmitted via Bluetooth in real time or stored locally in the device's memory.

The family includes sensors for IMU, ECG, EMG, GSR/EDA, PPG, bioimpedance, and high acceleration measurements, as well as devices that allow for the connection of strain gauges, force, pressure, temperature, and other external measurement modules.

Shimmer sensors can operate as standalone measurement units or as part of a larger, synchronized multi-sensor system. The open architecture and available APIs also enable integration with proprietary software and research systems.

Technical Specifications

Shimmer3/Shimmer3R Wireless Wearable Sensor Platform
Real-time data transmission via Bluetooth
Local data storage on a microSD card
Continuous measurement mode with subsequent download
Simultaneous recording of movement data and selected physiological signals
Integrated inertial sensors in most Shimmer units
Acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field measurement
Altimeter capability in the IMU platform
Ability to determine spatial orientation
Single or multiple synchronized sensor operation
Integration with the Consensys management system
Local data logging and online transmission support
Measurement parameters can be configured programmatically
Open Shimmer firmware
APIs and drivers available for creating custom applications
Integration with C#, Java, Android, Swift, MATLAB, and LabVIEW
Designed for mobile and wearable applications
Sensors can be used in scientific research, R&D, and device prototyping

Available Models

Shimmer3 IMU Unit

Wireless inertial sensor designed for motion analysis and spatial orientation.

Integrated inertial measurement system
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer
Altimeter
Two accelerometers offering a choice of low noise or wide measurement range
Built-in motion processor for 3D orientation calculation
Device status indication via LEDs
Built-in Li-Ion battery management
Connectors for system expansion
Unit dimensions: approx. 51 x 34 x 14 mm

Shimmer3R GSR+ Unit

Sensor designed for GSR/EDA and PPG measurement.

1 GSR channel
EDA electrodermal activity measurement
Skin conductance/resistance measurement
PPG probe connection option
PPG-based heart rate determination option
GSR measurement range: 10 kΩ–4.7 MΩ
Corresponding conductance range: approx. 0.2–100 µS
GSR frequency range: DC–15.9 Hz
Two 1 mm touchproof connectors
Additional analog/digital inputs
Simultaneous measurement of movement parameters
STM32U5A5 microcontroller up to 160 MHz
4 MB Flash memory
2.5 MB RAM
Bluetooth Vela IF820
Built-in 8 GB microSD card
400 mAh Li-Ion battery

Shimmer3R ECG Unit

Wireless module designed primarily for electrocardiographic signal recording.

5-wire/4-lead ECG configuration
ECG measurement capability
2-channel EMG capability
ECG and EMG cannot be measured simultaneously by a single unit
Software-configurable gain: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 12
Sampling rate: 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, or 8000 SPS
Bandwidth: up to 8.4 kHz
Wilson-type Driven Ground
ESD and RF/EMI input protection
Input current limitation
Touchproof inputs compliant with IEC/EN 60601-1 DIN42-802
Device weight: approx. 31 g
Dimensions: approx. 65 × 32 × 12 mm
EEPROM memory: 2048 bytes
Microcontroller STM32U5A5
Bluetooth
microSD 8 GB
Li-Ion 400 mAh battery

Shimmer3R EMG Unit

Wireless surface EMG sensor designed to measure electrical muscle activity.

2 channels of surface EMG
Common reference electrode
Ability to analyze muscle activation
Ability to assess muscle response and fatigue
Ability to simultaneously measure inertial data
The unit also has ECG functionality
ECG and EMG cannot be measured simultaneously from a single unit
Software-adjustable gain: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 12
Sampling rate: 125–8000 SPS
Bandwidth: up to 8.4 kHz
ESD and RF/EMI input protection
Weight: approx. 31 g
Dimensions: approx. 65 × 32 × 12 mm
2048 byte EEPROM memory
Bluetooth
8 GB microSD card
400 mAh Li-Ion battery

Shimmer3R EBio Unit

Sensor for measuring bioimpedance and ECG, intended primarily for testing people in at rest.

Bioimpedance measurement
Simultaneous or alternative ECG measurement
Ability to analyze breathing-related parameters
Ability to determine respiratory rate
Ability to analyze volume changes related to breathing
Ability to study bioimpedance changes related to fluid content in the lungs
Simultaneous 9DoF IMU data measurement
3-axis accelerometer
3-axis gyroscope
3-axis magnetometer
Local data storage on an SD card
Real-time data transmission
Manufacturer-declared operating time exceeding 2 days during local data storage
Over 8 hours of operation in data transmission mode

Shimmer3R Bridge Amplifier+ Unit

A module enabling the connection of external strain gauge, resistive, and load cell sensors.

Compatible with strain gauges and load cells
Force measurement
Pressure measurement
Mass measurement
Torque measurement
Pressure measurement
Resistance measurement
Compatible with a resistive temperature sensor
Integrated 2.8 V ±5% excitation source
Two Bridge Amplifier channels
Standard channel gain: 183.7 ±1%
High Gain channel gain: 551 ±1%
Standard channel bandwidth: DC–1 kHz
High Gain bandwidth: DC–100 Hz
Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR): >110 dB
Input impedance: 50 MΩ
Two 3.5 mm TRRS connectors
2048 byte EEPROM memory
Device dimensions: approx. 65 × 32 × 12 mm

Shimmer3R 200g IMU

A reinforced version of the IMU sensor designed to capture high accelerations, impacts, and high-energy events.

Acceleration measurement up to 200g
Designed for capturing strong impacts and G-forces
Integrated 9DoF IMU system
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer
Altimeter
Compatible with the Shimmer3R platform
Compatible with Consensys hardware and software
Local data storage
Real-time data transmission

PROTO3 Deluxe Unit

A module designed for building custom measurement systems and integrating external sensors with the Shimmer3R platform.

Possibility to connect sensors from other manufacturers
Support for sensors with analog output
Support for sensors with digital output
UART support
Parallel data interface support
4 analog input channels or 2 digital input channels
Two 3.5 mm TRRS connectors
3 V power output for external devices
Software peripheral power on/off
Analog input measurement range: 0–3 V
Sampling rate depends on the connected device and firmware configuration
2048 byte EEPROM memory
Optional PWM support upon request
Shimmer3R main board supplied with the unit

Software

The manufacturer provides several solutions for operating Shimmer Individual Sensors. There's no need to use just one specific program – the choice depends on how the device is used.

ConsensysBASIC

Free software for Windows
No license required
Single Shimmer sensor operation
Basic device configuration
Bluetooth data transmission
Basic data visualization
Logging data sent from the device
Downloading data stored on a microSD card
Exporting data for further analysis
The manufacturer does not provide technical support for ConsensysBASIC.

ConsensysPRO

Extended, commercial software, especially recommended for more advanced research and multi-sensor systems.

Multiple sensor configuration
Simultaneous data transmission from multiple devices
Real-time data visualization
Data logging
Multi-device synchronization
Event markers
Data annotations
Advanced graphs
Online and offline data processing
6DoF and 9DoF orientation algorithms
ECG to Heart Rate conversion
PPG to Heart Rate conversion
Inter-Beat Interval calculation
Activity reporting for kinematic data
EMG signal bandpass filtering
200g accelerometer support
32- and 64-bit versions for Windows
License renewed periodically

API and development tools

The manufacturer also provides:

ShimmerCapture / Shimmer C# API
Shimmer Java/Android API
Shimmer Swift API for macOS and iOS
Shimmer MATLAB Instrument Driver
Shimmer LabVIEW Instrument Driver
ShimmerCapture for Android
Shimmer 9DoF Calibration

This allows the devices to be integrated with proprietary research software, a mobile app, a laboratory system, or a product prototype.

Applications

Human movement analysis
Biomechanics
Gait analysis
Posture analysis
Range and dynamics measurement
Rehabilitation
Neurorehabilitation
Orthopedics
Ergonomy
Sports medicine
Sports technique analysis
Physical activity monitoring
Activities of daily living studies
Tremor analysis
Fatigue analysis
EMG surface electromyography
ECG electrocardiography
Heart rate monitoring
Heart rhythm analysis
Recording cardiac events in research projects
GSR measurements
EDA measurements (electrodermal activity)
PPG measurements
Heart rate determination
Stress studies
Psychophysiological arousal studies
Affective computing
Emotional response studies
Psychological and cognitive studies
Neuromarketing and consumer research
Bioimpedance
Respiratory parameter studies
Strain gauge studies
Force measurement
Compression measurement
Weight and load measurement
Torque measurement
Pressure measurement
Temperature measurement Using external resistive sensors
Impact detection
Recording overloads up to 200 g
Head injury and concussion testing in scientific applications
Monitoring structures and objects
Wearable device prototyping
Integration of external sensors
Creating custom measurement systems
Development of research applications
Academic projects
R&D research