Generalitat seeks five thousand volunteers to measure the body during a total eclipse

Published on 2026-07-04 | Translated from Spanish

The Generalitat has launched a study in Tarragona for the solar eclipse on August 12, requiring 5,000 volunteers. Participants will wear smartwatches that record pulse, breathing, and emotions via an app. The idea is to find out whether such an impactful phenomenon alters our organism. An opportunity to do free science and understand how we react to the extraordinary.

cinematic photorealistic scene of a crowded outdoor amphitheater in Tarragona at midday during a solar eclipse, thousands of volunteers wearing smartwatches on raised wrists, glowing app interface visible on phone screens showing real-time heart rate and breathing data, emotional state wave patterns pulsing on the digital display, eclipse shadow casting dramatic crescent light on the crowd, fingers tapping on smartwatch touchscreens while looking up at the darkening sky, technical illustration style with ultra-detailed wearable tech, golden hour meets twilight contrast, motion blur from a few people adjusting their devices, high-end medical research visualization lighting

Smartwatches and real-time physiological data 🌟

The study relies on consumer wearable technology. The smartwatches will continuously measure heart rate, pulse variability, and respiratory rate. A specific app will collect emotions reported by the user during the eclipse. The data will be sent to central servers for analysis. The Generalitat is looking for patterns that link visual awe with physiological changes. A massive experiment that leverages a unique event to validate monitoring methods.

The eclipse will leave you breathless (and out of battery) 😅

Can you imagine being so absorbed watching the sky that you forget you're wearing a smartwatch? Well, the 5,000 volunteers will have to remember to charge it before the eclipse. Nothing like an astronomical phenomenon to remind you that your smartwatch battery lasts less than the moon's shadow. If your pulse quickens, let it be from the spectacle, not from the anxiety of seeing the remaining 5% battery.