Essex researchers secure £1.2m grant to uncover signs of mental fatigue

The University of Essex is leading a groundbreaking £1.2m research project to uncover if mental fatigue and lapses in concentration are reflected through your eyes.

Essex’s Dr Javier Andreu-Perez, of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Dr Tom Foulsham from the Department of Psychology and Essex Law School’s Professor Lorna McGregor will work with Solvemed Group on a revolutionary mobile app which can determine a person’s level of fatigue by scanning their eyes.

The project will look to uncover how eye movements such as gaze patterns and pupil dilation reflect cognitive processes.

The EyeWarn project is being funded as part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) Prosperity Partnerships programme, which aims to bring innovative research into real-world settings.

The Essex team will collaborate with researchers from UK universities and the Solvemed Group to collect and analyse data from nearly 1,400 individuals.

The project will utilise explainable artificial intelligence to assess and predict fatigue levels and offer new insights into how cognitive strain affects behaviour.

Dr Andreu-Perez, Project Lead and Chair of the Smart Health Technologies Group within the Centre for Computational Intelligence, said: “This project represents a significant advancement in the UK's scientific efforts in Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence (HCAI).

“HCAI is an emerging AI research paradigm that has been gaining momentum in recent years, emphasising humanised AI-driven methodologies and analytics designed to enhance humans or human systems.

“EyeWarn places a strong emphasis on enhancing our understanding and monitoring of human factors such as fatigue and its effects on the body through the eye.

“I am delighted that BBSRC has rewarded my expertise in this field, particularly for my contributions to explainable human linguistic AI, integrating intelligent fuzzy logic systems with physiological computing.”

Other collaborators on the project include the University of Oxford, Stanford University, the Health and Safety Executive and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Professor Sanjay Manohar from the University of Oxford said: “Sustained mental effort leads to fatigue, and our performance drops, causing errors and slow performance. “Although eye movements are an ideal index of fatigue, they are tested only in small cohorts, due to the equipment needed.

"EyeWarn will be the first scientific study that collects eye movements at a large scale, through just a smartphone camera enhanced with computer vision, in a natural environment.

“Our large open dataset will provide a rich and valuable resource for researchers studying the phenomena of cognitive load and fatigue through artificial intelligence and other analytical methods, and how they can be optimised to increase health and productivity. “

The BBSRC Prosperity Partnerships are bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical industry solutions to tackle complex challenges such as environmental sustainability, health and food security.

The programme’s second phase has seen BBSRC invest £6.5 million into four research projects, which is matched by a £9 million investment from business, bringing total funding to £15.5 million.

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, said: “Antimicrobial resistance, sustainable food storage and workplace fatigue aren’t just scientific challenges, they’re human challenges.

“By investing in bold and ambitious collaborations through innovative programmes such as BBSRC’s Prosperity Partnerships, we’re harnessing the UK’s world-class business and academic expertise, bringing it together to tackle these pressing issues head-on.

“From improving food security to advancing healthcare solutions, this latest round of funding demonstrates innovation with impact. Impact that will improve lives, safeguard industries and set the stage for a healthier, more sustainable future.”