Not every study requires the same depth of physiological data; a large-scale sleep study and a cardiovascular stress study call for very different sensor setups. EmbraceMini is now available on the Academic & Basic Research Plan, alongside EmbracePlus. Both wearables are part of the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform, connected to the same Care Lap App, the same Care Lab Portal, and the same data pipeline. What differs is the sensor configuration inside the device, and that difference lets researchers match the wearable to the protocol rather than designing the protocol around the wearable.
Start with the data requirements. Then choose the wearable.
The relevant question at the outset of any protocol is not which device to use, but which measures the study design requires. Once that is established, the choice of wearable follows directly.
Choose EmbracePlus if your protocol requires a broad physiological sensor configuration. EmbracePlus is a multi-sensor wearable integrating PPG, electrodermal activity (EDA), accelerometer/gyroscope, and skin-temperature sensors. For studies involving cardiovascular or pulse-related measures, electrodermal activity, peripheral skin temperature, or the widest physiological coverage in the Empatica portfolio, EmbracePlus is the suitable option.
Choose EmbraceMini when the protocol is movement-focused. EmbraceMini is a compact wearable equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and ambient light sensor (ALS), designed for actigraphy and activity- or motion-focused research. It supports continuous collection of physical movement and sleep-related activity data, circadian rhythm analysis, and quantified motion, with ambient light data providing additional environmental context.
EmbraceMini: Continuous actigraphy and activity-focused research
EmbraceMini extends the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform with a compact wearable designed for actigraphy, activity, and motion-focused research. It is FDA-cleared under 510(k) for sleep, circadian rhythm, and physical activity monitoring, and is designed to be worn alongside a watch or other accessory, supporting protocols that run for weeks rather than days with minimal participant burden.
By concentrating the sensor set on movement and ambient light, EmbraceMini delivers continuous, high-quality actigraphy data with the runtime required for long-duration study designs, within the same platform, the same Care Lab App, and the same Care Lab Portal that study teams are already familiar with.
The sensor set is deliberately focused. EmbraceMini does not include PPG, EDA, or temperature sensors, and does not measure pulse, respiratory rate, or temperature. Studies that require those parameters are best served by EmbracePlus.
Understanding sensor modes
A sensor mode is a predefined configuration that focuses the wearable on the parameters relevant to a given study, balancing battery consumption, algorithm performance, and data volume. Each mode is tested against every product release.
Previously, the Academic & Basic Research Plan offered EmbracePlus in a single configuration, focused on cardiac activity: the mode now designated Pulse Rate Pro. With the current release, the full set of predefined sensor modes becomes available to academic researchers on both wearables.
For EmbracePlus specifically, the Academic & Basic Research Plan now includes four sensor modes that were not previously available. Actigraphy Pro and Actigraphy Optimized provide Empatica's full range of actigraphy-related digital biomarkers, with raw accelerometer data captured at 64 Hz and 32 Hz, respectively, with the reduced sampling rate in Actigraphy Optimized enabling extended battery life. Gyroscope Max adds IMU gyroscope raw data, supporting a fuller characterization of device movement. Gyroscope 100 captures gyroscope data at 100 Hz in a format compatible with the McRoberts and Mobilise-D libraries, which can be used to compute activity biomarkers downstream.
As a result, researchers already working with EmbracePlus gain additional configuration options for the device they currently use, independent of whether they also adopt EmbraceMini.
Pulse Rate Pro is the one mode not available on EmbraceMini. This mode produces Pulse Rate, Pulse Rate Variability, IBI, and Respiratory Rate biomarkers, all of which depend on PPG, EDA, and temperature sensing, none of which are present in EmbraceMini. As a result, no workaround or partial version of this mode exists on the device.
For the actigraphy and gyroscope modes, the two devices produce the same core actigraphy data, with each adding something the other does not: EmbracePlus captures temperature and EDA in Actigraphy Pro, while EmbraceMini captures ambient light (ASL). They also differ in form factor and in expected recording duration per charge. Download our full info sheet for a mode-by-mode breakdown of expected battery duration, which can also be compared during study configuration.
Consistent data infrastructure across EmbracePlus and EmbraceMini
Whichever you choose, the rest of your workflow is identical. Both devices pair with the Care Lab App, transfer data to the Empatica Cloud, and surface it in the Care Lab Portal for review or direct download in the same CSV formats. Study setup, participant management, and offboarding work the same way.
Current EmbracePlus studies are unaffected
EmbracePlus remains the recommended wearable for physiological research and continues to be available on the Academic & Basic Research plan. Studies currently running on EmbracePlus are unaffected by this release; existing devices, data access, and Care Lab Portal accounts remain unchanged.
Availability and how to order
Orders can be placed through Empatica's online store; research teams requiring more than 30 devices are encouraged to contact Empatica directly. The 25% academic discount applies to EmbraceMini bundles on the same terms as EmbracePlus.
Not sure which device is right for your study? Get in touch with our team and we will help you find the right configuration for your research.
Legal notice: EmbraceMini and EmbracePlus are components of the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform, intended for use by trained healthcare professionals or researchers. EmbraceMini is FDA-cleared (K252981) and CE-marked under EU MDR 2017/745. EmbracePlus is FDA-cleared as part of the Empatica Health Monitoring Platform. The Care Lab App and Care Lab Portal are intended for research use only and should not be used as part of diagnostic or clinical procedures. Neither device diagnoses or treats any condition.