Design 1st Transforms Lab-Based Breath Analysis into Award-Winning Consumer Wearable

Design 1st, a leading product development firm known for solving complex hardware and software challenges, is revealing the role of its embedded software team in the success of Calibre's breath analysis device. The award-winning and first-of-its-kind consumer wearable provides real-time metabolic data with lab-grade accuracy—for under $500.

The collaboration began when Massachusetts-based Calibre Biometrics envisioned a high-performance breath analysis device available to individuals. Previously confined to bulky lab systems costing over $100k, Calibre wanted to put this tech directly into the hands of athletes, coaches, and health-conscious consumers. Knowing that the embedded system required for such a device was not just an engineering but a software problem, they turned to Design 1st.

"Design 1st's expertise was instrumental in turning our ambitious vision into reality," said Udi Meirav, CEO and Founder of Calibre Biometrics, Inc. "Their ability to solve deep firmware and systems challenges made all the difference. Together, we delivered something that's never been done before."

Engineering Real-Time Breath Analysis at the Edge

Design 1st's internal software infrastructure—with custom tools built over a decade of connected device development—enabled rapid firmware deployment, early hardware integration, and fast iterations across multiple test cycles. It helped Calibre stay on track, reduce risk, and get to market with confidence.

The result is a triumph of design and medical-grade precision, validated in multiple design awards and peer-reviewed studies. For the first time, consumers have affordable, real-time access to VO₂Max, VCO₂, fat and carb burn rates, and respiratory exchange data.

The in-house embedded software team at Design 1st worked alongside electrical and mechanical engineers to build a dual-core platform that fuses data from sensors reading CO₂, O₂, humidity, pressure, and temperature—fifty times per second.

The firmware runs custom gas mixing algorithms, steady-state detection, and environmental compensation in real time. Battery life exceeds 14 hours, supported by adaptive power scaling and Bluetooth LE optimization. To streamline manufacturing, the team developed automated calibration routines and Python-based testing tools.

"This project was as technically demanding as it was rewarding," said Yih-shyang Tsai, Senior Embedded Engineer at Design 1st. "Our team architected the firmware, managed power, and aligned every subsystem to meet strict accuracy, usability, and manufacturability requirements."

A Roadmap for Sensor-Driven, Embedded Intelligence Products

The success of Calibre provides a blueprint for product teams building advanced wearables and connected devices. When accuracy, performance, and user trust matter, software and hardware integration can't be an afterthought—it's the foundation.

Real-time sensing, seamless wireless, and day-long battery life don't come from generic firmware or fragmented development. They come from deep, early collaboration between embedded software and product design.

Design 1st helped Calibre achieve what many in the industry believed impossible—clinical-level metabolic breath analysis in a lightweight, consumer-grade wearable. For startups and product teams pushing boundaries, the right embedded partner doesn't just accelerate development—it makes innovation work.