The mental fatigue it is one of the most subtle dangers that plague the daily routine of professionals carrying out high-risk activities, so it should not be surprising the growing industrial interest in the first neural devices capable of detecting stress and other discomforts. One of these systems was developed by the Cesena-based startup Vibre: it is one software platform based on advanced algorithms able to exploit the data detected by smart bows to wear on the head.
“We were born in 2018 with the intention of introducing new tools for post-stroke rehabilitation to the medical sector, but at the time we were too far ahead for the available budget”, explains Raffaele Salvemini, founder and CEO of Vibre. “In 2019 we enjoyed good visibility with BrainArt, a service capable of translating what you feel into an abstract picture. Then in 2020 something changed because companies started to show a more targeted interest in neural interfaces“.
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The first opportunity came with a Formula 1 team that he needed to monitor not so much his drivers but the engineers who are confined to headquarters in the days of the grand prix (remote garage) to study data, develop strategies and provide information to mechanics, low walls and obviously other engineers. Well, in a few days these specialists are subject to a bombardment of information and the slightest devolution due to stress can do damage. The Vibre trial was starting to bear fruit but then the lockdown came.
The normalization of the situation, starting from last year, has allowed the startup to sign an agreement with Edison, the historic energy company that was born in Milan in 1884 and today belongs to Edf. “For us at Edison, safety is not a slogan but has always been part of our DNA”, he underlines Maurizio Agosta, responsible for the environment, health and safety of the company. “For this reason we try to imagine, create and use tools that offer greater protection to workers“.
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Vibre today uses an Interaxon or Muse headband but as the founder explains “it’s secondary, there are many alternatives on the market”. These devices normally purchased for meditation or other activities thanks to the integrated sensors are able to detect the (external) electrical micro-activity coming from the frontal and temporal area of the brain. There is talk of different signals, frequencies and other parameters that by now over a hundred years of scientific studies allow us to correlate to states. For example, how much a person is focused on one thing, his emotional transport and even mental fatigue.
“Edison was interested in occupational safety even though his accident rate is very low. Let’s just say it is an intent of improvement that they could apply in every area “, suggests Salvemini.
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The current experimentation, as Edison’s project manager for digital transformation Marco Marco Collareta explains, concerns a wind farm in Rignano Garganicothe balcony of Puglia which thanks to its height of 590 meters allows the view on the Tavoliere. A windy area, however, subject to intense thermal excursions: from winter frost to very hot temperatures starting from late spring.
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Edison’s inspection and maintenance personnel are confronted with structures on average 80 meters high characterized by narrow entrances and confined spaces. The spacecraft that houses the fulcrum itself is a metal cave where the internal temperatures can become very challenging. And then there are the blades and of course those situations that may require emergency intervention.
According to Agosta it is good for people to become aware of how our brain favors shortcuts to avoid wasting energy when we are tired; consequently the level of attention is lowered. “So we always say ‘stop for a moment’, think and then act because, although you may be trained, sometimes there are different environmental conditions than usual and you have to pay attention to them”, points out the safety specialist.
“We started in February and will continue with the experimentation for another three months. In addition to measuring the parameters, we are providing a self-evaluation questionnaire to fill out. At the end of the tests we will be able to identify exactly what the fatigue thresholds are and then act accordingly. Obviously, the data collection is and will continue to be anonymized “, adds Collareta.
Establish a protocol
The perspective is to develop competence on the subject, to collect information that allows us to understand in advance how to best manage each situation. In summary create a protocol. For example, it could be discovered that specific activities are much more stressful than others or that a different shift schedule would be enough to facilitate the work.
On the other hand, the smart headband integrates perfectly with the protective helmet (Dpi) normally in use. So tomorrow both further experimentation, perhaps in the hydroelectric sector, and the daily use of maintenance workers who deal with companies and public administrations would not be a problem.
“In energy we find very innovative projects at national level, we have already achieved great results but we have to go beyond zero accidents. It is about putting together the attention for development, involving Italian startups, with the attention to our operators in the field to make them work at their best “, concludes Agosta.