E-tattoos could tell if your brain is overworked

Researchers have found a way to track people’s mental workload by developing a new type of technology.

Participants of the study were given e-tattoos on their faces that could track their brain activity.

The study, published in the Cell Press journal Device, shares how a temporary wireless tattoo placed on the forehead could track the mental workload of people whose brain overload could lead to dangerous situations, such as pilots or truck drivers.

We live in a competitive world where technology is developing faster than humans. This can lead to our brains being overloaded with information and stress, especially considering that each person has a different optimal mental workload, noted the study’s author, Nanshu Lu, via Science Daily.

The human brain works best when it is in a balance of being stimulated enough but not too overwhelmed. To assess the person’s mental workload, they’re given tasks to perform, after which they fill out a survey, known as the NASA Task Load Index.

Now, scientists have devised an alternative method: an e-tattoo that can analyze the brain’s electrical activity and eye movement. These processes are called electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG).

The new technology also makes it physically easier to scan brain activity as it only consists of lightweight, battery-thin, sticker-like sensors, while EEG comes with heavy caps and many wires.

Lu explained that these e-tattoos are custom-made as scientists measure participants' facial features to make sure that the sensors are in the right places and receive signals. Meanwhile, EEG caps often fail to get a strong signal because of the different shapes of people’s heads.

Besides being easier to use, the e-tattoo could also be much more affordable than EEG equipment, which can cost more than $15,000. The battery and chips for the e-tattoo cost $200, which makes the device much more affordable.