The Client
Alert-iT specialise in assistive care technology, providing monitoring devices and alarm systems that help carers support people living with conditions such as epilepsy.
Their latest product, the Pulse Companion, connects to a wearable armband and continuously monitors the user's heart rate. If readings move outside safe thresholds, the device triggers an alarm, helping carers and loved ones respond quickly when assistance may be needed.
Alert-iT approached Swipe & Tap to develop a companion iOS and Android app that would allow users and carers to monitor readings in real time, connect securely to the Pulse Companion device, and manage important settings such as minimum and maximum heart rate thresholds.
The Challenge
Alert-iT already had a production application in development, used by manufacturers to test Pulse Companion devices before they left the factory. The original plan was to adapt this existing codebase for the consumer-facing application.
However, during our technical review, we identified a significant challenge. The existing application had been developed using a cross platform technology was no longer supported, meaning we would need to rebuild the Bluetooth communication layer from scratch, using the original application only as a functional reference.
While this presented a technical challenge, reliability was the greater priority. The application would be used alongside a healthcare monitoring device relied upon by vulnerable individuals and carers, making accuracy, stability and trust essential from day one.
With software playing a key role in monitoring a user's wellbeing, quality assurance could not be treated as a final stage activity. It needed to be embedded throughout the entire development process.
The Solution
We developed a native iOS and Android application that connects directly to the Pulse Companion device over Bluetooth, delivering real-time heart rate readings and configurable safety settings through a simple, user-friendly interface.
Bluetooth Connectivity
The app scans for nearby Bluetooth devices and guides users through pairing their phone with the Pulse Companion armband. Once connected, it maintains reliable communication with the device and streams live heart rate data directly to the user's phone.
By rebuilding the Bluetooth communication layer from the ground up, we were able to create a dependable connection designed specifically for the needs of the Pulse Companion platform.
Configurable Safety Thresholds
From within the app, users and carers can configure a range of personalised safety settings, including adjustable maximum and minimum heart rate limits.
When readings move outside these configured thresholds, the Pulse Companion triggers an alarm, helping ensure timely intervention when required. This flexibility allows monitoring to be tailored to the specific needs of each individual user.
Built for Safety
Given the nature of the application, reliability and quality were fundamental requirements throughout development.
The app underwent rigorous testing from the earliest stages of the project, with a strong focus on Bluetooth stability, device communication, data accuracy and user experience.
Development followed secure coding practices aligned with OWASP guidance and ISO27001 principles, helping ensure a dependable and trustworthy solution for both users and carers.
The Results
The completed Pulse Companion app provides Alert-iT customers with a reliable and intuitive way to stay connected to their monitoring device.
Carers and individuals can monitor heart rate readings in real time, confidently manage personalised safety thresholds, and trust that alerts will be triggered when attention may be required.
By combining rigorous engineering, extensive testing and secure development practices, Swipe & Tap delivered a solution that supports both the success of the Pulse Companion product and the people who rely upon it every day.
The project demonstrates how thoughtful software engineering and a secure-by-design approach can help organisations build technology that users and carers can trust when it matters most.
