SBIR-STTR Award

We have selected three technologies for the unobtrusive monitoring of bio-behavioral events. Camera-based measures of gaze, including eye and head movements, pupil diameter, vergence, and blink parameters; Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) based measures of cardiovascular and muscle activity; and behavioral measures including movements of body parts as well as keyboard operations will be utilized. Our collaborator, J.W. Rohrbaugh, has been instrumental in the development of the application of LDV technology for these measurements. We, as well as others, have demonstrated the utility of gaze control measures for indexing aspects of loss of alertness and performance lapses. There is a reasonable literature attesting to the utility of cardiovascular and muscle activity in this regard. We propose to continue our development of software to reliably abstract relevant measures. Procedures for developing software appropriate for the on-line monitoring of specific measures will be developed for implementation in the phase II effort. A study to validate a subset of proposed measures is included in the phase I effort

We propose to develop a computer based system for the online analysis of bio-behavioral signals associated with momentary loss of alertness. We will continue our development of bio-behavioral measures indicative of lapses in alertness. Our system will use only measures that can be obtained without attaching sensors to the operator. We will concentrate on monitoring the oculomotor system using cameras and monitoring the cardio respiratory and neuromuscular systems using a Laser-Doppler Vibrometer. Our results to date suggest that many of the measures included in our battery will need to be adapted for individual subjects. Thus we will develop algorithms for which customization to account for individual differences can be an automatic process that is transparent to the operator. The system will be tested and validated by introducing probe stimuli during laboratory tasks at points where the system identifies a lapse in alertness. We also propose to transition the system to evaluate alertness in sleep deprived subjects working in military simulation environments.

Keywords:
Alertness, Eye Activity, Heart Period, Human Error, Lapses, Muscle Activity, Pupil, Vigilance.