Latest news with #mentalWorkload
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Scientists say that they have formulated a way to help people in stressful and demanding work environments track their brainwaves and brain usage — an electronic tattoo device, or "e-tattoo," on the person's face. In a study posted in the science journal Device, the team of researchers wrote that they found e-tattoos to be a more cost-effective and simpler way to track one's mental workload. Dr. Nanshu Lu, the senior author of the research from the University of Texas at Austin, wrote that mental workload is a critical factor in human-in-the-loop systems, directly influencing cognitive performance and decision-making. Lu told Fox News Digital in an email that this device was motivated by high-demand, high-stake jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors and emergency dispatchers. Teen Goes From 10 Nightly Seizures To Zero With Brain Implant Lu also said ER doctors and robot/drone operators can also leverage this technology for training and performance enhancements. Read On The Fox News App One of the goals of this study was to find a way to measure cognitive fatigue in high leverage and mentally straining careers. The e-tattoo is temporarily attached to the subject's forehead, and is smaller than current devices in use today. According to the study, the device works by using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) to measure both brain waves and eye movements. 8 Sleep Trackers To Help You Get A Better Night's Rest While most EEG and EOG machines are bulky and expensive, the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution. Lu wrote that in this study, "we propose a wireless forehead EEG and EOG sensor designed to be as thin and conformable to the skin as a temporary tattoo sticker, which is referred to as a forehead e-tattoo." Lu also added that "human mental workload is a crucial factor in the fields of human-machine interaction and ergonomics due to its direct impact on human cognitive performance." The way the study was conducted was with six participants being shown a screen on which 20 letters flashed up, one at a time, at various locations. Participants were asked to click a mouse if either the letter itself, or its location, matched one shown a given number of letters. Each participant carried out the task multiple times, corresponding to four levels of difficulty. The team found that as the tasks became harder, the different types of brainwaves detected showed shifts in activity that corresponded to a higher mental workload response. The device consists of a battery pack and reusable chips with a disposable sensor. Lu said that the device is currently a lab prototype. "Before it can be ready for commercialization, it will need more development, such as real-time, on-tattoo mental workload decoding and validation on more people and in more realistic environments," she said. "The prototype currently costs $200."Original article source: Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
E-tattoo could help you work harder – or slow down if you're too stressed
An electronic 'tattoo' that can track when your brain is working too hard – or not hard enough- has been developed by researchers. The wearable tech is a non-permanent wireless forehead e-tattoo that can decode brainwaves and measure mental strain. Researchers hope this technology will be able to track the mental workload of truck drivers and traffic controllers, whose lapses in focus can have serious consequences. Humans have an 'optimal mental workload' which differs from person to person, said Nanshu Lu, the study's author, from the University of Texas at Austin. "Technology is developing faster than human evolution. Our brain capacity cannot keep up and can easily get overloaded," he said. However, there is a mental sweet spot where humans are neither overwhelmed nor bored and finding a balance is key to optimal performance. This e-tattoo analyses brain activity and eye movement in processes known as electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG). But unlike other bulky EEG caps, which monitor brain activity, this e-tattoo is wireless and paper thin and just has a small battery pack. In a study published in the Cell Press journal Device, the e-tattoo was tested on six participants who completed a memory test that increased in difficulty. As the participant's mental load rose they showed higher activity in theta and delta brainwaves, signalling increased cognitive demand, while alpha and beta activity decreased, indicating mental fatigue – showing the device can reveal when the brain is struggling. Currently the best way of measuring mental workload is the Nasa Task Load Index. This questionnaire is used by workers, such as astronauts after completing a task. But the e-tattoo can deliver continuous real-time data. It's also cheaper than current devices. Researchers say EEG equipment can exceed $15,000, while the e-tattoo's chips and battery pack costs $200, and disposable sensors are about $20 each. 'Being low cost makes the device accessible,' said author Luis Sentis from UT Austin. 'One of my wishes is to turn the e-tattoo into a product we can wear at home.' But currently the e-tattoo only works on hairless skin and researchers are working to make sensors that work on hair. This will allow for full head coverage and more comprehensive brain monitoring, study authors said. As robots and new technology increasingly enter workplaces and homes, the team hopes this technology will enhance understanding of human-machine interaction. 'We've long monitored workers' physical health, tracking injuries and muscle strain,' said Sentis. 'Now we have the ability to monitor mental strain, which hasn't been tracked. This could fundamentally change how organisations ensure the overall well-being of their workforce.'
