Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have introduced a novel soft autonomous sensor that attaches to the eyelid and tracks eye movements to gauge human fatigue levels. This was reported by NotebookCheck, referencing Tech Xplore.

The device, described in the journal Nature, combines a new type of sensor with artificial intelligence algorithms that analyze data in real-time.

Testing results indicated a measurement accuracy of 96.4%. The technology is based on the discovery made by the same team in 2021 regarding the giant magnetoelastic effect in soft materials. This effect enables a polymer composite to convert mechanical pressure from eyelid movements into magnetic signals and subsequently into electrical signals.

The sensor's design features a layer of silicone rubber embedded with micromagnets and a thin conductive gold coil printed on a thermoplastic elastomer. The device is stretchable, waterproof, and intended for direct wear on the eyelid. It converts eye movements into precise signals processed by a neural network.

The algorithm analyzes six parameters of blinking to determine the user's fatigue level. The developers note that the discovery of the magnetoelastic effect in soft systems has significant scientific potential yet to be fully explored.