Smart Eye Trackers to Monitor Fatigue in Real-Time: A Game Changer in Healthcare and Safety
Scientists worldwide are developing 'smart eye trackers' to monitor fatigue in real-time. These devices could revolutionise healthcare and safety protocols. Recent research shows promising results.
A team from the University of Washington and Dongguk University has created such a device. Their 'smart eye tracker', integrated into lightweight glasses, can distinguish between people with chronic fatigue and healthy individuals with 74% accuracy, 75% sensitivity, and 73% specificity. The device tracks blink rates, which closely correlate with self-reported sleepiness, showing a 73% correlation with standard fatigue scales in long-term tests.
Researchers plan to enhance the ergonomics, deliver real-time mobile alerts, and expand clinical trials to include patients with severe fatigue and related disorders. The glasses, weighing 56 grams and drawing less than 10 milliwatts of power, can be worn comfortably all day, with emissions well below international exposure limits. They sense eye blinks and closures using cylindrical carbon nanotube-paper composite (CCPC) sensors embedded in the frames, translating minute changes in the electric field around the eye into digital biomarkers.
The 'smart eye tracker' shows great potential in medical applications and beyond. It could transform safety protocols in industries like transportation and manufacturing by monitoring alertness and issuing warnings before fatigue compromises judgment. Further research and improvements are underway to enhance its effectiveness and usability.
