University of California, Berkeley Engineers Invent Headphones to Detect Brain Drowsiness

TapTechNews August 14th news, people will more or less have a drowsy state, but for those who often drive or operate heavy machinery, drowsiness may represent potential danger or accidents. On the 8th local time, the University of California, Berkeley released a press release stating that its engineers have invented a prototype of headphones that can detect signs of brain drowsiness and can remind people to take corresponding'rejuvenating' measures in time when people close their eyes or fall asleep.

This headphone detects brain waves in the same way as an electroencephalogram (Note by TapTechNews: EEG, a way used by doctors to measure brain electrical activity). Most electroencephalograms detect brain waves through a series of electrodes attached to the head, while this headphone detects brain waves through built-in electrodes, and these electrodes are designed to be in contact with the ear canal.

The electrical signal detected by the headphones is smaller than the electrical signal detected by the traditional electroencephalogram. The researchers have now found that the sensitivity of the ear electroencephalogram platform is enough to detect alpha waves - a brain activity pattern that intensifies when closing the eyes or starting to fall asleep.

In order to obtain an accurate electroencephalogram, the electrodes need to maintain good contact with the skin. Traditional electroencephalograms use flat metal electrodes attached to the scalp, which is relatively easy to do. However, it is much more difficult to design a headphone that can fit various ear sizes and shapes and make it comfortable to wear.

The research team designed three sizes of headphone prototypes, using a cantilever design with multiple electrodes that can apply gentle external pressure to the ear canal and use flexible electronic devices to ensure wearing comfort. The signal is read out through a customized low-power wireless electronic interface.

The research team asked nine volunteers to put on the headphones and complete a series of boring tasks in a dark room. Every once in a while, the researchers would ask the volunteers to rate their degree of sleepiness and measure their reaction time.

The results show that even if the signal quality emitted by the receiver is poor, the researchers can still classify the drowsiness that occurs to the volunteers, and the accuracy is the same as that of a more complex and bulky system. When classifying the sleepiness state of new users, the headphones can also maintain their accuracy and can be 'out of the box'.