NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is investigating the best methods for monitoring a pilot’s brain activity to help them realize when their stress, fatigue or distraction levels are edging into dangerous territory. The studies are employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy, also know as fNIRS, and other imaging technology to measure blood flow in the brain’s cortex and the concentration of oxygen in the blood.
Researchers hope to improve the interaction between sophisticated avionics and the pilots that operate them, to improve decision-making and safety. Test subjects wear headgear fitted with optical or electrical sensors and sit in a cockpit simulator to validate fNIRS sensor data. The research is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington.
Read more in Study Investigates Mental Overload in Pilots on the NASA Glenn Research Center website.
