Suchergebnisse

High physical and cognitive strain, high pressure, and sleep deficit are part of daily life for military professionals and civilians working in physiologically demanding environments. As a result, cognitive and physical capacities decline and the risk of illness, injury, or accidents increases. Such unfortunate outcomes could be prevented by tracking real-time physiological information, revealing individuals' objective fatigue levels. Oculometrics, and especially eyeblinks, have been shown to be promising biomarkers that reflect fatigue development. Head-mounted optical eye-trackers are a common method to monitor these oculometrics. However, studies measuring eyeblink detection in real-life settings have been lacking in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to validate two current mobile optical eye-trackers in an unrestrained military training environment.; Three male participants (age 20.0 ± 1.0) of the Swiss Armed Forces participated in this study by wearing three optical eye-trackers, two VPS16s (Viewpointsystem GmbH, Vienna, Austria) and one Pupil Core (Pupil Labs GmbH, Berlin, Germany), during four military training events: Healthcare education, orienteering, shooting, and military marching. Software outputs were analyzed against a visual inspection (VI) of the video recordings of participants' eyes via the respective software. Absolute and relative blink numbers were provided. Each blink detected by the software was classified as a "true blink" (TB) when it occurred in the software output and the VI at the same time, as a "false blink" (FB) when it occurred in the software but not in the VI, and as a "missed blink" (MB) when the software failed to detect a blink that occurred in the VI. The FBs were further examined for causes of the incorrect recordings, and they were divided into four categories: "sunlight," "movements," "lost pupil," and "double-counted". Blink frequency (i.e., blinks per minute) was also analyzed.; Overall, 49.3% and 72.5% of registered eyeblinks were classified as TBs for the ...

Objectively determining soldiers' fatigue levels could help prevent injuries or accidents resulting from inattention or decreased alertness. Eye-tracking technologies, such as optical eye tracking (OET) and electrooculography (EOG), are often used to monitor fatigue. Eyeblinks-especially blink frequency and blink duration-are known as easily observable and valid biomarkers of fatigue. Currently, various eye trackers (i.e., eye-tracking glasses) are available on the market using either OET or EOG technologies. These wearable eye trackers offer several advantages, including unobtrusive functionality, practicality, and low costs. However, several challenges and limitations must be considered when implementing these technologies in the field to monitor fatigue levels. This review investigates the feasibility of eye tracking in the field focusing on the practical applications in military operational environments.; This paper summarizes the existing literature about eyeblink dynamics and available wearable eye-tracking technologies, exposing challenges and limitations, as well as discussing practical recommendations on how to improve the feasibility of eye tracking in the field.; So far, no eye-tracking glasses can be recommended for use in a demanding work environment. First, eyeblink dynamics are influenced by multiple factors; therefore, environments, situations, and individual behavior must be taken into account. Second, the glasses' placement, sunlight, facial or body movements, vibrations, and sweat can drastically decrease measurement accuracy. The placement of the eye cameras for the OET and the placement of the electrodes for the EOG must be chosen consciously, the sampling rate must be minimal 200 Hz, and software and hardware must be robust to resist any factors influencing eye tracking.; Monitoring physiological and psychological readiness of soldiers, as well as other civil professionals that face higher risks when their attention is impaired or reduced, is necessary. However, improvements to eye-tracking ...