Project Ideas for Biomedical Engineering Students & Scholars with Base Paper References (IEEE, ScienceDirect, PMC)

Biomedical engineering has rapidly emerged as a bridge between healthcare and technology, enabling innovative solutions for diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and patient monitoring. For students and researchers, choosing the right project is often the first step toward applying theoretical knowledge to practical, real-world challenges. This article presents a comprehensive list of biomedical engineering project ideas, ranging from mini-projects and final year major projects to Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 concepts. Unlike other sources, this list is enriched with base paper references from IEEE, ScienceDirect, and PMC, helping you directly access credible research work that supports each idea. Whether you’re an undergraduate student, a postgraduate researcher, or someone preparing for national-level hackathons, this curated collection offers innovative and feasible projects to explore.

• Wearable Fall Prevention Device Detects imbalance or falls in elderly users using inertial measurement units (IMUs) with accelerometers and gyroscopes. The device monitors gait characteristics and triggers alerts with high sensitivity and specificity. Typically realized with wearable sensors placed on the waist or shoe insoles. System development involves quaternion-based fall detection algorithms and real-time alerting via SMS.Frontiers in Digital Health (2022)PMC - Wearable-Sensor-Based Fall Detection System (2015)\

• ECG-Based Personal Identification Device Collects electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and uses pattern-matching for secure biometric identification. Explores heartbeat rhythm characteristics for user validation. Employs low-cost ECG sensors and basic programming.Frontiers in Digital Health (2025)

• Simple Fetal Movement Counter Worn belt with accelerometer or pressure sensors detects and logs fetal movements for pregnancy wellness tracking. Provides data for expectant mothers to monitor fetal activity. IEEE Xplore sample article on fetal movement detection sensors 

• Virtual Heart Rate Variability Analyzer Analyzes ECG data using software tools like MATLAB, Python, or LabVIEW to calculate heart rate variability (HRV) for cardiac screening. Includes automated HRV computation and graph plotting. IEEE Xplore - Heart Rate Variability Analysis Using MATLAB

• Basic Cell Counting and Tracking Microscope-captured images processed to count and track cells using Python and OpenCV. Streamlines repetitive manual cell counting via object recognition algorithms.PMC - Automated Cell Counting Using OpenCV

• Sleep Stage Detection Simplified Home polysomnography using EEG/EOG sensors and microcontroller to classify sleep stages. Employs open-source signal processing libraries for 2-3 sleep stage detection. IEEE Xplore - Portable Sleep Stage Classification Using EEG

• Portable Eye Pressure Estimator for Glaucoma Prototype device uses non-contact optical sensors or air-puff mechanisms to estimate intraocular pressure for glaucoma risk screening. Low-cost approach for primary care. ScienceDirect - Non-contact Tonometry Using Optical Sensors

• Rehabilitation Hand Exercise Counter Sensor-based glove with accelerometers or bend sensors records hand movement counts and types for stroke rehab progress monitoring at home. IEEE Xplore - Glove-Based Rehabilitation Monitoring

• Rapid Milk Quality Assessment System Camera and microcontroller-based analyzer read color changes on milk test strips to assess spoilage or contamination. Utilizes basic image processing and color detection for accessible quality checks.ScienceDirect - Image Processing for Food Quality Control (Representative paper)

• Temperature Indicator for Medicine Storage Thermochromic chemical strips visually indicate whether vaccines or medicines have exceeded safe temperatures. Inexpensive, disposable monitoring solution using color-changing pigments.ScienceDirect - Thermochromic Sensors for Medical Applications (Related research)

• Patient Fall Detection System Wearable or room-based system using IMU sensors or image processing to detect falls and trigger emergency alerts. Targets elderly safety with Arduino or Raspberry Pi prototypes.PMC - Fall Detection Systems Survey

• Simple Automated Pill Reminder Box Microcontroller-based box with scheduled audible and visual reminders for medication intake. Uses clock modules and basic programming for elderly or chronic disease patients.IEEE Xplore - Automated Medication Reminder Systems

Biomedical Engineering Project Ideas

• Non-Invasive Neonatal Glucose Monitor Uses skin-surface optical sensors to monitor and log newborn blood sugar levels. Focuses on interface and data logging rather than advanced sensing.ScienceDirect - Optical Non-invasive Glucose Sensors

• Digital Breath Rate Monitor Sensor device counting breathing rate, using thermal or pressure sensors, displaying respiratory statistics. Suitable for clinic or personal health monitoring. IEEE Xplore - Breath Rate Monitoring Using Thermal Sensors

• Smart Bed Sore Prevention Alert Pressure-sensitive bed pads detect prolonged positions, triggering alerts to reduce bed sores. Implements force sensors and timers for hospital or home care. IEEE Sensors Journal - Pressure Sensing for Bed Sores

• Wireless Patient Vitals Logger Bluetooth or LoRa wireless devices collect temperature, pulse, and oxygen measurements, sending data remotely for telemedicine. Combines biosignal processing and wireless communication. IEEE Access - Wireless Biomedical Sensor Networks

• Electronic Posture Alert System Wearable device with IMU or flex sensors detects poor posture and vibrates for corrective prompts. Fits wellness applications in schools or workplaces. IEEE Sensors Letters - Posture Detection Wearables

• Pocket Fetal Heart Rate Monitor Microcontroller-based Doppler or audio device detects fetal heartbeat at home, providing reassurance. Simple sound processing with LCD display. IEEE Xplore - Fetal Heart Sound Monitors

• Smart Walking Stick for Blind Navigation Ultrasonic and speech modules detect obstacles and provide audio/vibration cues to visually impaired users for safe navigation. Affordable and modular assistive device. IEEE Access - Smart Cane for Obstacle Detection

• Biomechanics Analysis with Smartphone Camera Video analysis of physical exercises or walking, measuring joint angles using open-source software. Educational introduction to biomechanics and computer vision. IEEE Xplore - Biomechanics via Smartphone Video

• Basic Gait Analysis Device Pressure sensors in shoes or walkways record step timing and forces for rehab or sports analysis. Data displayed locally or sent to an app. PMC - Wearable Gait Analysis Systems

• Pulse Oximeter with Mobile Interface Finger pulse oximeter displaying SpO2 and pulse rate on LCD, with Bluetooth data transmission to a smartphone app. Practical for health emergencies. IEEE Sensors Journal - Mobile-Interface Pulse Oximeter

• Auto Patient Counting System in Clinics IR sensors at entrances detect patient flow and tabulate clinic crowding for scheduling and safety management. Simple microcontroller implementation with visual display. IEEE Xplore - Patient Counting via IR Sensors

• Infant Phototherapy Intensity Logger Digital light intensity sensor logs UV lamp exposure for treating jaundice in infants, ensuring correct phototherapy dosages in NICUs. ScienceDirect - Phototherapy Monitoring Systems

• Simple Electronic Patient Weighing Scale Microcontroller-based digital weighing system designed for bedridden or wheelchair patients. Can be extended with wireless data transmission. IEEE Xplore - Digital Weighing System

• Infrared Thermometer for Medical Use Contactless IR thermometer circuit for rapid body temperature measurement. Emphasizes calibration and user-friendly LCD readout. IEEE Sensors Journal - Medical IR Thermometers

• Breath Analyzer for Sleep Pattern Monitoring Sensor device analyzing breath pattern variability, useful for sleep apnea screening. Data logged locally or exported to mobile devices. IEEE Xplore - Breath Analysis for Sleep Disorders

• Voice-Activated Wheelchair Controller Voice command modules enable control of powered wheelchairs (left, right, forward, stop). Uses pre-built speech recognition ICs for accessibility enhancement. IEEE Access - Voice Controlled Wheelchairs

• Automatic Timed Blood Pressure Monitor Automated blood pressure measurement system inflates cuffs and displays scheduled readings. Integrates pressure sensors and microcontroller programming. IEEE Sensors Journal - Automated BP Monitoring

• Smart Shoe Insole for Pressure Ulcer Prevention Pressure sensors embedded in shoe insoles monitor hotspots with alerts to prevent foot ulcers, especially in diabetics. Arduino-based with mobile notifications. IEEE Xplore - Smart Insoles for Ulcer Prevention

• Noninvasive Long-term Bladder Urine Pressure Measurement System Wireless catheter-free sensors using bioimpedance or piezoresistive methods for continuous bladder pressure monitoring, enhancing patient comfort. IEEE Xplore - Noninvasive Bladder Monitoring

• Measurement of Inhaled and Exhaled Respiratory Parameters Noninvasive flow sensors and gas analyzers integrated with microcontrollers quantify respiratory volumes, flow rates, and gas concentrations in real-time. PMC - Respiratory Flow Systems

• Dry Contact Electrode EEG Acquisition System EEG acquisition system using dry electrodes that avoid conductive gels, combined with amplification and filtering for wearable brain monitoring. IEEE Sensors Journal - Dry Electrode EEG Systems

• BIO-monitoring System with Conductive Textile Electrodes Integrated into T-shirt Smart T-shirt embedded with conductive textile electrodes for long-term physiological monitoring (ECG, breathing). Wireless data transmission enables telemedicine. ScienceDirect - Textile Electrodes in Wearable Health Monitoring

• Child Activity Recognition Using Triaxial Accelerometer and Barometric Pressure Sensor Wearable system at the waist combines a triaxial accelerometer and barometric sensor. Extracts features for machine learning classification of child activities with high accuracy. IEEE Sensors Journal - Child Activity Recognition

  
  

  

  Biomedical Engineering Project Ideas

  
  

High-Level (Final Year & PG) Project Ideas

• Automated Brain Tumor Detection in MRI Utilizes deep learning neural networks for segmentation and classification of brain tumors in MRI scans. Enhances tumor boundary delineation for precise radiological analysis. Requires large annotated datasets and clinically validated algorithms. ScienceDirect - Deep Learning for Brain Tumor Segmentation (2023)

• Computer-Aided Mammography Analysis Applies convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automated breast cancer detection in mammograms. Includes mass detection, classification, and feature extraction for aiding radiologists. IEEE Access - Deep Learning Mammogram Analysis (2024)

• Automated Tissue Engineering Bioreactor Programmable incubator providing dynamic fluid flow, mechanical stresses, and environmental control for 3D cell/tissue cultures. Integrates sensors with real-time feedback control software. ScienceDirect - Automated Bioreactors in Tissue Engineering (2025)

• Multi-Modal Biometric Security Platform Fusion of fingerprint, iris, and voice biometrics using deep learning for secure identity verification in high-security applications. Employs privacy-preserving architectures and hardware integration. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security (2024)

• Dental Radiograph Forensic ID System Pattern-matching and analysis of dental X-rays for disaster victim identification using image processing and statistical methods. Requires large forensic dental databases. ScienceDirect - Dental Radiograph Identification Systems (2023)

• Dynamic Ligament/Tendon Analyzer Materials testing platform measuring viscoelastic and mechanical properties of biological ligaments and tendons. Integrates sensors with motor control systems and software analytics.

• Cartilage Properties Assessment System Biomechanical rig evaluates cartilage elasticity, compression, and degradation for osteoarthritis research using standardized testing protocols and sensor feedback. ScienceDirect - Cartilage Biomechanics Assessment (2024)

• Deep Belief Network Modeling for Automatic Liver Segmentation Uses deep belief networks with unsupervised pretraining for liver segmentation in CT images, improving diagnostic accuracy with over 90% Dice similarity scores. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics (2024)

• Classification of Breast Cancer Histology Images Using Multi-Size Discriminative Patches CNN-based multi-class classification of histology images using cell- and tissue-level patches, improves diagnostic accuracy to 95% aiding pathologists. ScienceDirect - CNN Classification of Breast Cancer Histology Images (2023)

• A New Hybrid Algorithm for Retinal Vessel Segmentation on Fundus Images Hybrid vessel-enhancement and U-Net CNN-based method for segmentation of retinal vessels, including fine micro-vessels, outperforming traditional methods in sensitivity and accuracy. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (2024)

SIH 2025 Project Ideas in MedTech/BioTech/HealthTech

The Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 includes multiple pressing problem statements focused on healthcare technology innovation. Below are curated project ideas for biomedical engineering students, aligned with SIH challenges, along with authoritative base papers for deeper research:

• E-Tongue for Dravya Identification (Ministry of Ayush) Develop a sensor array-based electronic tongue using ion-selective electrodes and conductometric sensors to chemically profile Ayurvedic herbs. Neural networks analyze “taste” and purity, with options for UV-VIS/NIR spectroscopy integration and disposable rapid test cartridges. Frontiers in Pharmacology - Electronic Tongue Sensors and AIPMC - Applications of Electronic Tongue Technology

• Swadeshi Modular Diagnostic Kits (AICTE) Design indigenous modular diagnostic kits with interchangeable sensor modules for essential tests (blood sugar, hemoglobin, malaria) mounted on a universal “Swadeshi Board.” Create telehealth briefcases for rural clinics incorporating basic diagnostic tools connected to cloud systems. ScienceDirect - Modular Diagnostic PlatformsLinkedIn - Swadeshi MedTech Manufacturing

• Real-Time Pressure Measurement for Orthotic Design (MoSJE) Develop smart insoles equipped with flexible thin-film or MEMS pressure sensors to wirelessly transmit plantar pressure distribution. Combine this with prosthetic socket sensor matrices and accelerometers to capture dynamic gait and pressure profiles for orthotic adjustment. Haptic feedback bands can alert users to unsafe pressures. Herald Open Access - Pressure Sensing for ProstheticsPMC - Combined Motion and Pressure Sensors

• Smart Foldable Aluminium Axillary Crutch with IoT (MoSJE) Create an IoT-enabled smart axillary crutch integrating gyroscopes, accelerometers, and pressure sensors to detect falls, misuse, or excessive loading. Include GPS location tracking and Bluetooth alerts, with a cloud-based usage analytics dashboard for caregivers. ScienceDirect - IoT in Mobility Aids

• Smart Blind Stick for Enhanced Mobility (MoSJE) Design a multi-sensor navigational stick combining ultrasonic, IR, and camera sensors to detect obstacles in real time. Implement AI-based hazard recognition to announce environmental hazards via voice prompts. Include Bluetooth-enabled SOS alerting functionality. IEEE Access - Smart Cane for Obstacle Detection

• Affordable Upper Limb Prosthetic Terminal Device (MoSJE) Develop modular 3D printed prosthetic end-effectors for partial hand amputees featuring snap-fit mechanisms for easy repair. Incorporate low-cost surface EMG sensors for simple myoelectric grip control. Also explore mechanical cable-driven body-powered options for resource-limited settings. PMC - Affordable Upper Limb Prosthetics

• Soft Insert Contouring Device for 3D-Printed Prosthetic Sockets (MoSJE) Create inflatable air or gel inserts controllable manually or electronically to adjust pressure zones inside prosthetic sockets. Use shape-memory polymers to mold sockets to limb contours. Develop diagnostic sleeves mapping pressure prior to prosthesis fabrication for optimized socket design. Herald Open Access - Pressure Sensing and Contouring

• Dextra: Switch-Controlled Wrist-Hand Orthosis (MoSJE) Build wrist-hand orthosis with quiet motor or pneumatic actuators controlled via thumb or touch switches, adaptive grip strength modulation with force sensors, and customizable modular switch interfaces for different disabilities. ScienceDirect - Wearable Rehabilitation Devices

• Early Detection Screening Tool for Neurological Conditions (MST) Develop wireless EEG/EMG headbands with dry electrodes and embedded ML models to detect Parkinson’s, tremors, seizures. Integrate sensor-based grip and dexterity testers and cognitive-motor VR games for remote neurological assessment and monitoring. PMC - Wireless EEG/EMG MonitoringScienceDirect - Neurological Screening Tools

By offering verified base paper links, this collection ensures that you not only get project topics but also access to solid scientific groundwork to start your research journey. Whether you aim to publish, prototype, or compete, these ideas will help you contribute meaningfully to the future of healthcare technology.