A new “electronic tattoo” is designed to monitor the mental strain of people working in high-stress jobs, researchers say. But it raises questions about whether workers and employers will actually embrace the technology. (Image credit: Device/Huh et al.)
Scientists have developed an electronic temporary tattoo that records the level of mental workload of its users, and hope it will help identify when people in sensitive positions such as air traffic control need to take a break.
Over the past year, several high-profile accidents have demonstrated the dangers of overworking employees who are working beyond their capabilities. One of the most tragic was the collision of a helicopter and a passenger jet in January, which killed 55 people. It occurred at a time when Reagan National Airport’s air traffic control was “abnormally understaffed,” with a single controller performing duties normally shared among several specialists.
The incidents highlight a number of pressing issues, including the need to develop better systems for assessing mental workload in high-stress, high-concentration jobs, the researchers behind the new “electronic tattoo” told Live Science. The scientists outlined their findings in a paper published May 29 in the journal Device.
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