A system and method for camera-based heart rate tracking. The method includes: determining bit values from a set of bitplanes in a captured image sequence that represent the HC changes determining a facial blood flow data signal for each of a plurality of predetermined regions of interest (ROIs) of the subject captured by the images based on the HC changes applying a band-pass filter of a passband approximating the heart rate to each of the blood flow data signals applying a Hilbert transform to each of the blood flow data signals adjusting the blood flow data signals from revolving phase-angles into linear phase segments determining an instantaneous heart rate for each the blood flow data signals applying a weighting to each of the instantaneous heart rates and averaging the weighted instantaneous heart rates.
